This record keeps playing and the Emporia AAAs can’t get it off repeat.
It was the same old recipe for disaster in Emporia’s 16-4 run-rule loss to undefeated Ottawa on Wednesday night at Soden’s Grove.
For awhile the AAAs kept it close — even taking the lead in the first and third innings — but eventually walks (15) and mistakes in the field turned things ugly fast.
“It’s frustrating,” Emporia coach Brad Kelly said. “It seems like we have a lot of those innings where when things go bad, they go really bad. We’re not able to bounce back from it and that’s the most discouraging thing about it is we didn’t have anybody step up and make a play when we needed to.”
To make a play, the AAAs needed their pitchers to throw strikes and that became a big problem in the fourth inning when Ryne Cook replaced Zach Shuler.
Shuler went three innings, giving up three runs and he did walk four, but he was able to pitch out of trouble. Cook walked back to back hitters with one out, and then with two outs, he gave up three straight hits and Ottawa scored four runs to take a 7-4 lead.
In the sixth, the AAA fielders took the blame for letting the game get out of hand.
With one out, Casey Atchison walked two straight, but then Devin Martin grounded into what looked like an inning-ending double play to short. Michael Knight booted the ball into center field and the floodgates opened.
Ottawa went on to score nine runs on only three hits in the inning, setting up the run-rule win.
“We had a couple errors in that inning where they scored nine runs,” Knight said. “We got a little lackadaisical, and I don’t want to say we gave up, but we definitely weren’t playing as hard as we started off.”
The start had been quite promising for the AAAs. After Ottawa scored one in the first, Emporia responded with two runs.
Adam Ewy and Ryne Cook both reached on an error and Knight stroked a two-out single down the right field line to give Emporia a 2-1 lead.
Ottawa took back the lead with two runs in the third, but once again Emporia came right back to take the lead. Knight started the rally with a one-out walk. Harrison Stone was hit by a pitch, and Casey Atchison drove in both runs with a single up the middle.
While Ottawa had the undefeated record, it looked as though Emporia was the more experienced and poised team in the first three innings.
“We definitely feel like we can contend with anybody,” Knight said. “If we just play well and play together, I think we can beat anybody that we play.”
Emporia even had a chance to get back in the game in the fifth, trailing 7-4. Cook led off with a double and moved to third when Knight followed with a bloop single.
But with one out and a full count on Shuler, Ottawa pitcher Jake Moore caught Knight leaning toward second. Moore stepped off the mound and picked off Knight running to second. Shuler grounded out to end the inning, leaving Cook stranded at third.
“It’s one of those things if one person makes a mistake, somebody else has to step up and make a play for them and we didn’t have anyone do that,” Kelly said.
Kelly also needed to find some relievers that can throw strikes. Last week at Salina, the AAAs walked 20 in a 26-18 loss, and other than Sean Carr, no one has consistently thrown strikes lately.
“It’s hard to win games when you can’t put the ball in play and let the defense play,” Knight said.
Kinight led Emporia with two hits, two RBIs and a walk. Cook, Atchison and Carr had the AAAs other three hits.
The second game of the doubleheader ended with one out in the top of the second because of lightning. Ottawa led 3-2 when the game was called, but the game will not count.
Emporia dropped to 6-10 with the loss. The AAAs play in a tournament in Arkansas City this weekend.