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Bulls stop Tradewater
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| The Tradewater Pirates Cass Via bunts the ball during the bottom of the first inning against the Sikeston Bulls on Monday evening at Dawson Springs’Riverside Park. (Jim Pearson,The Messenger) |
By Forrest Rutherford, Messenger Sports Reporter frutherford@the-messenger.com
DAWSON SPRINGS -- A drop in heat and humidity combined with a visit from the struggling Sikeston Bulls still couldn't help the Tradewater Pirates find a cure for the team's recent woes.
Pirate batters managed just four hits while the defense committed a handful of crucial errors, enabling the Bulls to come away from Riverside Park with a 6-3 victory on Monday.
Tradewater (14-12) has now dropped eight of its last 12 contests to keep the team at least a half-game out of first place in the K.I.T. League standings, while the Bulls (12-14) continue to inch closer to the .500 mark.
The visitors got off to a fast start against Pirate pitcher Luke Rogers, notching a run in each of the first three innings. Bulls catcher Joe Meggs plated a run on a groundout in the first, while Brian Gose added an RBI single in the second and a run came across on an error in the third.
Sikeston starter Logan Lawson held up his end of the bargain, allowing just two hits over that span, but Tradewater did manage to pull a run back in the third. Sean Mahley drew a one-out walk, stole second and eventually came across on an RBI single by Sean Flaherty.
Trailing 4-1 in the fifth, Tradewater let a great opportunity slip through its grasp after putting two runners on with no out. Lawson was able to induce Cass Via into a double play before retiring Flaherty to end the threat.
The Pirates bounced back in the sixth, drawing a pair of walks and capitalizing on a defensive miscue to notch a run before Miguel Vasquez's RBI single made it a one-run contest, 4-3.
As quickly as the three-run deficit was cut down, the Bulls brought it right back up, scoring twice in the top of the seventh thanks to a defensive lapse and another RBI single by Gose.
Tradewater relievers Kody Thiebaud and Jesse Darby kept the Sikeston offense off the scoreboard over the last two innings, with Thiebaud striking out all three batters he faced, giving the offense one last chance.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, Lawson was not going to be denied the complete game, shrugging off a leadoff walk to Vasquez in the ninth to lock up the 6-3 victory.
Perhaps the lone bright spot on the night for Tradewater was the pitching staff's performance against Sikeston's Kody Campbell, who came into the game leading the league in batting average (.368) and RBI (24). Campbell finished 0-for-5 on the night with two strikeouts.
The Pirates now travel to Sikeston today for a 7 p.m. contest with the Bulls.
Sunday
The Fulton Railroaders scored six unanswered runs to pull away for a 9-4 victory over the Pirates at Riverside Park.
Tradewater scored twice in the first to take an early lead, and jumped back in front after the visitors notched three runs in the third inning, but couldn't keep the Fulton offense in check.
After back-to-back RBI doubles by Jordan Hughes and Via put the Pirates in front 4-3, the Railroaders answered quickly, scoring five runs in the top of the sixth to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The visitors added an insurance run in the eighth to bring the game to its 9-4 final.
Via was the only Tradewater batter to record multiple hits on the night, finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Hughes and Presley each drove in a run in the loss.
Pirate batters managed just four hits while the defense committed a handful of crucial errors, enabling the Bulls to come away from Riverside Park with a 6-3 victory on Monday.
Tradewater (14-12) has now dropped eight of its last 12 contests to keep the team at least a half-game out of first place in the K.I.T. League standings, while the Bulls (12-14) continue to inch closer to the .500 mark.
The visitors got off to a fast start against Pirate pitcher Luke Rogers, notching a run in each of the first three innings. Bulls catcher Joe Meggs plated a run on a groundout in the first, while Brian Gose added an RBI single in the second and a run came across on an error in the third.
Sikeston starter Logan Lawson held up his end of the bargain, allowing just two hits over that span, but Tradewater did manage to pull a run back in the third. Sean Mahley drew a one-out walk, stole second and eventually came across on an RBI single by Sean Flaherty.
Trailing 4-1 in the fifth, Tradewater let a great opportunity slip through its grasp after putting two runners on with no out. Lawson was able to induce Cass Via into a double play before retiring Flaherty to end the threat.
The Pirates bounced back in the sixth, drawing a pair of walks and capitalizing on a defensive miscue to notch a run before Miguel Vasquez's RBI single made it a one-run contest, 4-3.
As quickly as the three-run deficit was cut down, the Bulls brought it right back up, scoring twice in the top of the seventh thanks to a defensive lapse and another RBI single by Gose.
Tradewater relievers Kody Thiebaud and Jesse Darby kept the Sikeston offense off the scoreboard over the last two innings, with Thiebaud striking out all three batters he faced, giving the offense one last chance.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, Lawson was not going to be denied the complete game, shrugging off a leadoff walk to Vasquez in the ninth to lock up the 6-3 victory.
Perhaps the lone bright spot on the night for Tradewater was the pitching staff's performance against Sikeston's Kody Campbell, who came into the game leading the league in batting average (.368) and RBI (24). Campbell finished 0-for-5 on the night with two strikeouts.
The Pirates now travel to Sikeston today for a 7 p.m. contest with the Bulls.
Sunday
The Fulton Railroaders scored six unanswered runs to pull away for a 9-4 victory over the Pirates at Riverside Park.
Tradewater scored twice in the first to take an early lead, and jumped back in front after the visitors notched three runs in the third inning, but couldn't keep the Fulton offense in check.
After back-to-back RBI doubles by Jordan Hughes and Via put the Pirates in front 4-3, the Railroaders answered quickly, scoring five runs in the top of the sixth to take a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The visitors added an insurance run in the eighth to bring the game to its 9-4 final.
Via was the only Tradewater batter to record multiple hits on the night, finishing 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Hughes and Presley each drove in a run in the loss.
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| Cubs beat Pirates 3-1 behind Harden | AL Capsules |
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