|
|
|
Business News
BAXTER SPRINGS —
If Girard 9-10 All-Stars head coach Justin Tucker emphasized anything to his players on Monday night, it was making contact.
When Girard made contact against Riverton, it found success — overcoming a 7-1 deficit to force a tie score. However, Girard left 13 runners on base — three in the first, two in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the sixth — en route to a 8-7 loss in the opening game of the Kansas State Little League Tournament.
Down 3-0 in the bottom of the first, Girard managed just a run against Riverton starter Bryce Johnson. Caleb Muia led off with a sharp single, advanced to second on an error, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Taylor Bruning infield single. Heston Kavanaugh blooped a single and Eli Tucker drew a walk to load the bases; however, Johnson retired the next two Girard hitters and pitched his way out of the first of at least three jams.
Girard went scoreless in the second and third innings.
Meanwhile, Riverton scored one in the second and three in the fourth to build on its early lead. Beau Gardner and Johnson hit back-to-back RBI doubles and Johnson scored on a RBI groundout by Josh Lynn.
It took one big hit for Girard to begin to reverse its fortunes. Leading off the fourth, Caden Lallemand found a Johnson pitch very much to his liking and he drove it over the left field wall for a home run. His teammates greeted Lallemand at the plate and even Johnson cracked a big smile at the big shot.
Riverton started falling apart — committing two errors on a Wesley Jahay ball — and Girard took advantage, placing Jahay and Caleb Muia in scoring position with no outs for Bruning.
“A basehit scores two,” Tucker said to Bruning. “Nice, easy swing. Keep that head in there.”
Sure enough, Bruning kept his head in there, made a nice and easy swing and connected for a two-run single against Riverton relief pitcher Lexi Pliler. Gabe Shireman would later get the score to 7-5 when he singled in Evan Troike.
Back up first in the fifth, Pliler hit Lallemand with a pitch, his second time of the game to be hit by a pitch. Tucker pinch ran Gabe Muia for Lallemand, a move which soon proved beneficial as Girard avoided the double play or the force at second and Muia later scored on a ball hit by Caleb Muia.
If Girard 9-10 All-Stars head coach Justin Tucker emphasized anything to his players on Monday night, it was making contact.
When Girard made contact against Riverton, it found success — overcoming a 7-1 deficit to force a tie score. However, Girard left 13 runners on base — three in the first, two in the second, one in the third, two in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the sixth — en route to a 8-7 loss in the opening game of the Kansas State Little League Tournament.
Down 3-0 in the bottom of the first, Girard managed just a run against Riverton starter Bryce Johnson. Caleb Muia led off with a sharp single, advanced to second on an error, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Taylor Bruning infield single. Heston Kavanaugh blooped a single and Eli Tucker drew a walk to load the bases; however, Johnson retired the next two Girard hitters and pitched his way out of the first of at least three jams.
Girard went scoreless in the second and third innings.
Meanwhile, Riverton scored one in the second and three in the fourth to build on its early lead. Beau Gardner and Johnson hit back-to-back RBI doubles and Johnson scored on a RBI groundout by Josh Lynn.
It took one big hit for Girard to begin to reverse its fortunes. Leading off the fourth, Caden Lallemand found a Johnson pitch very much to his liking and he drove it over the left field wall for a home run. His teammates greeted Lallemand at the plate and even Johnson cracked a big smile at the big shot.
Riverton started falling apart — committing two errors on a Wesley Jahay ball — and Girard took advantage, placing Jahay and Caleb Muia in scoring position with no outs for Bruning.
“A basehit scores two,” Tucker said to Bruning. “Nice, easy swing. Keep that head in there.”
Sure enough, Bruning kept his head in there, made a nice and easy swing and connected for a two-run single against Riverton relief pitcher Lexi Pliler. Gabe Shireman would later get the score to 7-5 when he singled in Evan Troike.
Back up first in the fifth, Pliler hit Lallemand with a pitch, his second time of the game to be hit by a pitch. Tucker pinch ran Gabe Muia for Lallemand, a move which soon proved beneficial as Girard avoided the double play or the force at second and Muia later scored on a ball hit by Caleb Muia.
Riverton committed three errors and Caleb Muia scored the game-tying run in one fell swoop. With two runners in scoring position, including the go-ahead run at third base, reliever Tucker Tash retired two straight Girard hitters to leave the game tied.
In the sixth, Riverton answered with some aggressive baserunning of its own. At first, Jared Fry slowly walked to first but then his coaches told him to run and when he did, he forced a throwing error which landed him at third base. Gardner, who earlier made a great diving catch behind the plate and who doubled in a run in the fourth, again came through with a single plating Fry.
In the bottom of the sixth, Girard loaded up the bases as Tash struggled with his control, throwing high pitch after high pitch with a home plate umpire who favored a low strike zone. With two outs and the bases loaded, Tash located his pitches lower and struck out his second batter of the inning.
The Frontenac and Galena 9-10 score was not available by time of press.
The doubleheader tonight in Baxter Springs features the 11-12 All-Star teams of Girard and Frontenac — Girard at 6 and Frontenac at 8.
