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The Verdigris season and home opener Monday night resembled less of a baseball game and more of an Olympic race-walking event.
The Cardinals patiently circled the bases all evening, drawing 13 walks — 4 by Hunter Attaway alone — and turning free passes into 5 runs in a 16-1 District 4A-7 victory over Locust Grove. Verdigris needed just 6 hits to produce its 16 runs, capitalizing on walks, hit batters, stolen bases and Pirate miscues to overwhelm the visitors in five innings.
Attaway, Connor Stump and Boston Acosta each drove in 2 runs, while Ian Lane led the team in hits, going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Heath Hutichison and Attaway each stole multiple bases as part of a 7-steal night for the Cardinals.
On the mound, Acosta dominated in his 4 innings of work. The left-hander allowed no hits and no runs, striking out 8 and walking 3.
Lane closed things out in the fifth, striking out the side around an unearned run. Locust Grove managed just 2 hits all night.
Verdigris [1-0, 1-0 district] set the tone immediately in the bottom of the first.
Lane doubled to center and moved to third on a passed ball. After Acosta walked to load the bases, Hutichison drew a walk to force in Lane for a 1-0 lead.
Attaway followed with another walk, scoring Ethan Hushbeck to make it 2-0. Stump was then hit by a pitch, bringing home a third run as the Cardinals built a 3-0 advantage without recording a hit in the inning.
Acosta made that cushion stand in the top half, stranding a leadoff walk and inducing a fielder’s choice to end the frame.
Verdigris added another 4 runs in the second to seize full control.
After Barrett Marlow reached on a bunt single and Mac West later singled to right, Acosta lined a single to left, scoring Cooper Lewis to push the lead to 4-0. A passed ball moments later allowed Hushbeck to score, extending the margin to 5-0.
With runners still aboard, Attaway drew another bases-loaded walk to plate West for a 6-0 advantage. Korbin Ballinger followed with a walk of his own, forcing in Ryder Smith and making it 7-0.
Meanwhile, Acosta continued to cruise, striking out 5 Pirates through 2 innings and erasing a hit batter in the third with a fielder’s choice.
If the first three innings were methodical, the fourth was an avalanche.
Hutichison singled to open the inning and later stole home as Attaway swiped second and third in a daring sequence that made it 8-0. A wild pitch scored Attaway to stretch the lead to 9-0.
Ballinger then reached on a bunt error that allowed Stump to score, with Ballinger advancing to third on the same play. He came home on another wild pitch for an 11-0 advantage.
Lane doubled to left to score Marlow and make it 12-0. West later reached on an error that plated Lane for a 13-0 cushion, and Acosta grounded into a fielder’s choice that brought home Hushbeck to extend it to 14-0.
The free passes continued.
Another wild pitch scored Smith for 15-0 before Stump grounded out to third, allowing Hutichison to cross for the Cardinals’ ninth run of the inning and a commanding 16-0 lead.
Locust Grove [0-1, 0-1] broke through in the fifth.
After Hylan Covey singled and moved into scoring position, Carson Morehead grounded a single to right, scoring Covey to trim the deficit to 16-1.
Lane responded by striking out the final batter to secure the run-rule victory.
Covey and Morehead accounted for the Pirates’ 2 hits, with Morehead driving in their lone run. Kannon Blakemore swiped 2 bases for Locust Grove.
Verdigris opens District 4A-7 play at 1-0 and will travel to Locust Grove at 5 p.m. Tuesday looking to complete the quick two-game sweep.
Continue reading...
The Cardinals patiently circled the bases all evening, drawing 13 walks — 4 by Hunter Attaway alone — and turning free passes into 5 runs in a 16-1 District 4A-7 victory over Locust Grove. Verdigris needed just 6 hits to produce its 16 runs, capitalizing on walks, hit batters, stolen bases and Pirate miscues to overwhelm the visitors in five innings.
Attaway, Connor Stump and Boston Acosta each drove in 2 runs, while Ian Lane led the team in hits, going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Heath Hutichison and Attaway each stole multiple bases as part of a 7-steal night for the Cardinals.
On the mound, Acosta dominated in his 4 innings of work. The left-hander allowed no hits and no runs, striking out 8 and walking 3.
Lane closed things out in the fifth, striking out the side around an unearned run. Locust Grove managed just 2 hits all night.
Verdigris [1-0, 1-0 district] set the tone immediately in the bottom of the first.
Lane doubled to center and moved to third on a passed ball. After Acosta walked to load the bases, Hutichison drew a walk to force in Lane for a 1-0 lead.
Attaway followed with another walk, scoring Ethan Hushbeck to make it 2-0. Stump was then hit by a pitch, bringing home a third run as the Cardinals built a 3-0 advantage without recording a hit in the inning.
Acosta made that cushion stand in the top half, stranding a leadoff walk and inducing a fielder’s choice to end the frame.
Verdigris added another 4 runs in the second to seize full control.
After Barrett Marlow reached on a bunt single and Mac West later singled to right, Acosta lined a single to left, scoring Cooper Lewis to push the lead to 4-0. A passed ball moments later allowed Hushbeck to score, extending the margin to 5-0.
With runners still aboard, Attaway drew another bases-loaded walk to plate West for a 6-0 advantage. Korbin Ballinger followed with a walk of his own, forcing in Ryder Smith and making it 7-0.
Meanwhile, Acosta continued to cruise, striking out 5 Pirates through 2 innings and erasing a hit batter in the third with a fielder’s choice.
If the first three innings were methodical, the fourth was an avalanche.
Hutichison singled to open the inning and later stole home as Attaway swiped second and third in a daring sequence that made it 8-0. A wild pitch scored Attaway to stretch the lead to 9-0.
Ballinger then reached on a bunt error that allowed Stump to score, with Ballinger advancing to third on the same play. He came home on another wild pitch for an 11-0 advantage.
Lane doubled to left to score Marlow and make it 12-0. West later reached on an error that plated Lane for a 13-0 cushion, and Acosta grounded into a fielder’s choice that brought home Hushbeck to extend it to 14-0.
The free passes continued.
Another wild pitch scored Smith for 15-0 before Stump grounded out to third, allowing Hutichison to cross for the Cardinals’ ninth run of the inning and a commanding 16-0 lead.
Locust Grove [0-1, 0-1] broke through in the fifth.
After Hylan Covey singled and moved into scoring position, Carson Morehead grounded a single to right, scoring Covey to trim the deficit to 16-1.
Lane responded by striking out the final batter to secure the run-rule victory.
Covey and Morehead accounted for the Pirates’ 2 hits, with Morehead driving in their lone run. Kannon Blakemore swiped 2 bases for Locust Grove.
Verdigris opens District 4A-7 play at 1-0 and will travel to Locust Grove at 5 p.m. Tuesday looking to complete the quick two-game sweep.
Continue reading...
