Silver Knights take round two
Tyler Consolidated and Paden City’s baseball teams squared off again last Wednesday, but only the fans of the Silver Knights could consider this go around exciting.
In the third inning with the game notched at 2-2, Paden City found itself quickly in a jam as Wildcat starter Ryan Thoburn opened up the inning with three straight walks to load the bases for the Silver Knights’ cleanup hitter Zack Minger.
The strong southpaw then opened the floodgates with a single, knocking in Brody Northcraft and Dalton Wells to give Tyler Consolidated a 4-2 lead. It would be one they would never relinquish.
Following Minger’s lead, Brandon Grimes also singled to load the bases again. Thoburn then fanned Garrett Amos and Blaise Rice before walking Zack Knowlton and forcing in another run.
After Cody Laugh singled to score a couple more Silver Knights, making the score 8-2, Coach Brent Croasmun elected to give the ball to Malakai Anderson.
He would walk his first batter before Wells reached once again on an error.
That set up Perkey who singled in Lough and Northcraft, making the score 10-2.
Paden City would finally get out of the inning after Minger was retired during the next at bat, but by that time, the damage had been done. Minger was also the pitcher for the Silver Knights and proved to be difficult to pick up as he was in the process of retiring 17 straight Wildcats, stretching across a span of the first six innings.
The Wildcats would add another run in the bottom of the seventh when Ricky Wright walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, reached third on a fielder’s choice and reached home on a sacrifice fly by Josh Bennett.
Chris Loy would then ground out to Perkey to end the game at 10-3 and split the season series between the two neighboring high schools.
Both teams scored two runs in the first inning with Northcraft rounding the bases on a single, stolen base and wild pitch before Minger singled him in. Minger then scored in similar fashion with a stolen base, passed ball and was then singled in by Grimes.
Paden City responded in the bottom of the frame after Anderson doubled before Wright hit him in with a single. Cosper received a base on balls preceding Wright’s at bat and was knocked in when Chaz Heasley hit into a 6-3 ground out fielder’s choice.
Minger was credited with the win by going the distance on the mound, giving up only two hits and three runs while striking out two and walking two. He went 3-4 from the dish with three RBIs and two runs scored.
Northcraft went 2-3 with three runs scored and Grimes went 2-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Perkey and Lough both recorded a base hit, a pair of RBIs, and scored a run.
Thoburn picked up the loss after going 2.2 innings and striking out four, but giving up six hits and nine runs (eight of them earned) in the process.
Anderson’s relief provided five strikeouts in 4.1 innings of play.
The two pitchers combined for seven walks.
Anderson and Wright provided the only hits for Paden City with a double and a single, respectively.
Wright, Heasley and Bennett provided the RBIs while Anderson, Cosper and Wright were the Wildcats that rounded the bases.