When asked about his recent hitting streak, James Rodriguez paused a few seconds before trying his best to explain the reason for it.
“I’ve been wearing my pants down,” Rodriguez said with a smile. “I don’t know if that’s it.”
If the Emporia Golds keep getting production like they have out of Rodriguez lately, they might consider gluing his pant legs to his shoes.
Rodriguez went 4-for-5 from the leadoff spot, helping Emporia to one of its best offensive outputs of the season in a 20-9 loss against Lawrence on Tuesday at Soden’s Grove.
Emporia posted 13 hits and had runners in every inning.
“When our hitters can go up there and get pitches they want and pitches they can sit on, these guys can do anything they want to,” Emporia coach Jerry Cook said.
Though Lawrence took control early with its own powerful offense, Emporia showed signs of life with a three-run fourth and a five-run sixth.
In the sixth, the Golds batted 10 during their rally. Justin Wilson reached on an error, and after a single from Rodriguez, Matt Weatherred was hit by a pitch.
With two outs, Josh Lambert lined a two-run single to center.
Chase Speer reached on an error that scored one, and Ryan Huth followed with a two-run double to left-center.
“That inning was fun. That’s baseball,” Cook said. “It was a good effort from our guys.”
Emporia’s biggest struggles came on the mound.
Lawrence blasted 22 hits and had just one inning in which it failed to score at least two runs.
Cook, meanwhile, used five different pitchers to get them all some innings. The Golds hadn’t played a game in a week.
Rodriguez led the offense, setting the tone with his first-inning at-bat.
On an inside pitch, the left-handed hitting Rodriguez laced the ball off the right-field fence for a double.
“(Coach) said they were going to start working me outside, so I’d have to hit it to the opposite field,” Rodriguez said.
The center fielder adjusted well, sending a single to center in the fourth, a single to left in the sixth and another single to right in the seventh.
“He’s drilling the ball,” Cook said. “He’s getting pitches he can hit — that’s a big thing.”
Huth added a 2-for-3 performance with a double, while Lambert was 2-for-4 with three RBI.
Dustin Lingenfelter also added a double in Emporia’s three-run fourth.
The Golds will have a pair of home doubleheaders this weekend, taking on K.C. 199 on Saturday and Junction City on Sunday. Both doubleheaders will begin at 1 p.m.
Tuesday at Soden’s Grove
Lawrence 20, Emporia Golds 9
Lawrence 240 336 2 — 20 22 2
Emporia Golds 100 305 0 — 9 12 6
W — Jake Johnson. L — Zach Schuler.
2B — Lawrence: John Pederson 2, Nate Ward, Josh Holland; Emporia: James Rodriguez, Ryan Huth, Dustin Lingenfelter. 3B — Lawrence: Aaron Gile. SB — Lawrence: Ross Johnson, Corbin Francisco 3, Pederson, Steve Cowser; Emporia: Matt Weatherred. Emporia Gold highlights — James Rodriguez 4-5, 2B, R; Ryan Huth 2-3, 2B, BB, 2 RBI, R; Josh Lambert 2-4, 3 RBI, R.
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