The Hartville Eagles baseball team picked up its 20th win of the season last week after adding three victories.
They opened the week by holding off Licking’s late charge for a 13-12 win.
Licking scored 10 runs during their final two at-bats. Hartville fortunately scored four runs in their final at-bat to give them just enough insurance runs.
Brody McNiel led the offense with three hits, three RBIs and three runs scored; Rory Kirkpatrick had three RBIs and scored three times; Justin Parker had three RBIs; Eli Cook scored three times and had one RBI; Ryce Piper and Braden Branstetter had one RBI and one run scored; Kolton Cogdill scored twice; and Isaac Boyer had one RBI.
Piper tossed five and two-thirds innings on the mound and gave up three earned runs on six hits with three strikeouts.
Parker went two-thirds of an inning and allowed two earned runs on three hits. Hunter Lowery tossed two-thirds of an inning and gave up no runs or hits with one strikeout.
The Eagles then scored five runs in the top of the sixth inning on April 27 to beat Willow Springs, 9-1.
Cook had three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored; Piper had three hits, one RBI and scored twice; McNiel scored twice and had one RBI; Kirkpatrick had one RBI and one run scored; and both Cogdill and Lowery scored.
On the mound, Lowery went seven innings and allowed one earned run on eight hits with two strikeouts.
In a rescheduled tournament game with Conway, the Eagles got revenge on the Bears, who handed them a loss in the season opener.
McNiel’s single in the bottom of the eighth inning scored Lowery for the game-winning run in a 1-0 victory.
Piper was the only other Eagles player to have a hit in the win. Hartville’s hitters did draw five walks.
McNiel led Hartville on the mound by tossing seven and a third innings of shutout ball. He gave up four hits and struck out an astounding 16 batters.
Branstetter closed the door with the final two-thirds of an inning.
He allowed no runs and no hits while striking out two batters.
Just before press time, the Eagles had a match-up with state-ranked Houston.
More information will be made available in the May 12 issue.
