Warriors continue losing skid with losses to Panthers
The Marion High School baseball team suffered a pair of losses April 27 to Nickerson. The Warriors fell 8-4 in game one of the double header and 13-1 in the following game.
"I thought we played well against Nickerson in the opener," head coach Sean Spoonts said. "Jimmy (Shipman) pitched an excellent game against the defending 4A state champs. He only allowed five hits against a quality team by changing his speed and location throughout the game."
With Shipman on the mound for the Warriors, Nickerson jumped out early in the first game, scoring three runs in the first inning. However, the Warriors battled back and tied the game in the same inning.
The Panthers proved to be too tough, rattling off a run in the third inning and four runs in the fourth inning. Nickerson pulled ahead by a comfortable 8-3 margin.
Despite adding a run of their own in the fifth inning, Marion was unable to scratch their way back into the ball game, eventually settling for the four-run loss.
Shipman gave up five hits from his post on the mound, while leading the team in the offensive category connecting on three pitches that accounted for three of Marion's seven hits.
In game two of the double-header match-up, the Warriors started Clayton Chamberland on the mound, but the Panthers picked up where they left off, scoring 11 runs over the course of the first three innings.
After a pitching change in the middle of the game, junior Tyson Heidebrecht held the Panthers to just two runs over the course of the final three innings.
"We had problems finding the strike zone in the first three innings," Spoonts said. "Sometimes that happens."
Chamberland led the way offensively for the Warriors. The senior was two-for-four including two doubles.
The Warriors traveled May 4 to Chase County and hosted Wichita Trinity.
