Jake Wood's two-out single in the bottom of the seventh inning drove in Victor Payne the winning run in McDonald County's 6-5 win over Seneca March 31 in the Mustang's home opener of the 2015 baseball season.
"We left way too many men on base," said coach Nick Martin. "We couldn't come through with a clutch hit, but we finally did late in the game to win it. Jake battled and fouled off a couple of pitches before getting a big hit."
Seneca jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first off McDonald County starter Jamie Hanke without the benefit of a hit. Two errors, a hit batter and a walk helped stake the Indians to an early lead, but McDonald County answered in the bottom half of the inning with four runs.
Emitt Dalton and Jake Wilkie led off the inning with singles in front of an RBI double by Hanke. Wood drove in a run with a fielder's choice before Brock Burnett and Jarrett Sanny added RBI singles.
Hanke settled down after a shaky first, retiring nine of the next 12 batters before Brayden Larson led off the fifth inning with a double and scoring on a single by Jesse Rhoades that cut the lead to 4-3.
McDonald County regained its two run lead in the bottom half of the inning. Payne and Donovan Taylor singled before Jake Wilkie doubled to the left center-field gap to drive in Payne.
Lakota Rose took over to start the sixth allowing a run on a hit, two wild pitches, a walk and a fielder's choice to make the score 5-4 going to the top of the seventh.
Payne, a sophomore right-hander, took over to start the seventh. He retired Larson to start the inning, but an error allowed Rhoades to reach. Dylan Snow drove in Rhoades with the tying run with a double before Payne retired the next two batters to set up Wood's heroics in the bottom half of the inning.
Payne started the winning rally when he was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. After a strikeout, Dalton was also hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second. A strike out and wild pitch, put runners on second and third with two out. Seneca elected to intentionally walk Hanke, but Wood spoiled the strategy with a solid line drive to right field to drive in the winning run.
Hanke allowed three runs, one earned, on three hits while striking out five and walking two. Rose and Payne each allowed a run in one inning of relief.
"Jamie threw great and gave us a chance to win," Martin said. "We had plenty of chances to get him some runs, but never got the big hit when we needed it."
McDonald County pounded out 13 hits off two Seneca pitchers, but stranded 14 runners. Wilkie, Hanke, Sanny and Taylor each had two hits while Dalton, Wood, Burnett, Dagan Stites and Payne had one each.
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon's Logan Rycraft held the Mustangs to two runs on six hits to lead the Mountaineers to a 6-2 win April 2 at MCHS. Both of the Mustangs runs were unearned, the first coming in the fifth on a double by Payne, a two-out error and an RBI single by Wilkie.
"I thought we came out flat," Martin said. "I was kind of disappointed in the kids. They had the opportunity to go 2-0 in the conference to start the season and come out flat for a conference game."
McDonald County added a run in the seventh when pinch hitter Seth Shockley was hit by a pitch with two outs and came around to score on a single by Dalton and a wild pitch.
Mason Hendrix took the loss for the Mustangs, allowing five runs on five hits in five innings. Dillion Lance allowed a run on two hits in the sixth and D.J. Madewell worked a scoreless seventh, allowing one hit.
Dalton and Wilkie had two hits to lead the Mustangs at the plate while Hanke and Payne had one each.
Carthage
Carthage jumped out to an early 6-0 lead and held on to claim a 7-3 April 3 decision over the Mustangs in Carthage.
Rose took the loss for the Mustangs, allowing five runs on just two hits in two innings. Two walks and two hit batters in the second inning led to all five of the Tigers' runs off Rose. Jared Heman's bases-loaded triple keyed the the big inning.
Madewell worked four innings in relief, allowing two runs on three hits while striking out three.
"We gave up way too many walks and hit batters," Martin said. "D.J. came in and threw well and that was nice to see."
Carthage's Matthew Patton held McDonald County hitless until the sixth inning when the Mustangs scored a pair of runs on three hits, the only hits McDonald County could manage on the day. Dalton and Wilkie lead off the inning with singles while Mason Hendrix added a two-out hit. Hanke had one RBI on a fielder's choice and the Mustangs second run scored on an error.
McDonald County fell to 3-5 overall, 1-1 in the Big 8 Conference, entering a Big 8 Conference at Lamar on April 6. The Mustangs returned home April 7 to face Aurora before traveling to Commerce, Okla. to face Tulsa Sequoyah at 10 a.m. on April 10 in the Mickey Mantle Classic. The Mustangs return at 2:30 p.m. against Quapaw with the finals set for Saturday.
Sports on 04/09/2015