Nothing free
Friday, June 19, 2009
The night before, Emporia AAA pitchers had nearly allowed Salina’s hitters to walk a 5K.
So on Thursday night against Rossville at Soden’s Grove, the goal was clear: No free passes. Sean Carr turned out to be the perfect man for the job, and the walk was no longer in fashion.
Carr pitched a complete game, surrendering only one free pass in the ninth inning, and Casey Atchison provided the offensive punch in a 7-1 win for the AAAs.
Atchison drove in Emporia’s first four runs, providing the difference-maker with a three-run homer in the fifth inning.
“I think we were a little mad about how we played last night,” Atchison said. “So we carried that over to today.”
The Salina Falcons swept Emporia on Thursday night, and it was the way they won the second game that had the AAAs upset. Emporia pitchers walked 20 in a 26-18 loss.
“It was an experience last night, and coach kind of told us that’s not going to help us win,” Carr said. “You can’t defend a walk, so I usually try not to walk too many people. I’d almost rather give up a home run than walk someone, because the walk is just helpless. A kid can rob a home run, but the walk is helpless.”
It was the Rossville hitters who felt helpless on Thursday night. Carr had command of his fastball and curveball and threw strikes when he needed to. He scattered six hits, and Rossville’s only run came on a pair of singles in the sixth inning.
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