Warriors snag first win over Braves
Eric Clark
Sports Editor
Perhaps it wasn't as quickly as Sean Spoonts would have liked, but his Marion baseball team pulled out a 7-3 win Tuesday afternoon in the second game of the double header against Council Grove, to claim their first win of the year. By doing so, the team did something the school has never done before which is beat the Braves.
The Marion head coach watched as his squad held a 4-3 advantage over the Braves heading into the seventh inning, and poured it on in their inning of opportunity.
"We made plays when we needed them," Spoonts said. "This is the first time Marion has beaten Council Grove since Marion started baseball. The top of the seventh was crucial for us. Mitch Enos stole home with two outs and two strikes to Bronson (Shipman). The next pitch Bronson hit a basehit and scored another run. We won a close game."
Council Grove drew first blood in the game scoring in the opening inning, but it was Marion who dropped in two runs in the third inning to take a 2-1 lead.
In the fourth inning each team snared a run to extend the score to 3-2.
The Warriors added one more run in the sixth before adding three in the final inning of play.
The Braves tacked one more run on the board in a late-game rally attempt, only to lose by four runs.
Clayton Chamberland went 3-for-4 and drove in two runs. Enos was 2-for-4 with a run batted in and a run scored. Jason Matz made good of his one at-bat going 1-for-1 driving in one and scoring two runs.
Enos was masterful on the mound in his third start of the year. The senior struck out 10 and allowed only six hits in seven innings of play. He also compiled a 2.0 ERA.
In game one, the Warriors out-slugged the Braves by six hits, only to fall 12-6.
"Our hitting finally came around one through nine," Spoonts said. "I was pleased overall with how we hit in the double-header. Both Jimmy (Shipman) and Mitch pitched well. It was too bad that our defense didn't help Jimmy out. His curve and control were at his best. Zero walks in six innings was impressive."
The defense Spoonts spoke of committed six errors while allowing 10 hits and 12 runs.
In the first inning, Marion and Council Grove flip-flopped runs, but it was the Braves who got a leg-up on the Warriors in the second inning taking a 3-2 lead after scoring two runs to the Warriors one.
But in the third inning, the Warriors blistered the ball, scoring three runs while shutting out the Braves and pulling ahead 5-3.
After a scoreless fourth inning, the wheels began to fall off of the proverbial rally wagon for the Warriors, who surrendered eight runs. Marion managed to add one run, but trailed 11-6.
The Braves added one more insurance run in the sixth to claim the victory after shutting the Warriors out in the next two at-bats.
Jason Matz's bat sizzled against the Braves. Matz went 3-for-4 driving in a pairs of runs and scoring two.
"Jason Matz crushed the ball in both games," Spoonts said.
Spoonts also noted Chamberland's performance in both games. Chamberland had five hits on the afternoon.
Shipman went 2-for-3 hitting the ball. From the mound, Shipman struck out four batters, but gave up 16 hits and six runs in seven innings.
The Warriors, who now are 1-5 overall and 1-3 in the Cottonwood Valley League, will host Salina Sacred Heart Tuesday. Game time is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
