MACKS CREEK - The Macks Creek Pirates welcomed in the Skyline Tigers on Monday night. Skyline is currently ranked #9 in Class 2 in the MHSBCA rankings. They defeated the Pirates 19-7 when the dust had settled.
The Tigers plated their first two runs in the first. Ty Pinion doubled to center and Trevor Russell doubled to left for an early 1-0 lead. Paden Hodges's single to center plated Russell to move the advantage to 2-0. Those were the only two runs scored as the Pirates managed to work out of a jam. Hodges moved to second on an error by the shortstop. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Dax Beem moved him to third. Following a walk Sam Fillipi bunted a ball back to Macks Creek hurler Tanner Smith. Smith threw the ball to first and the first baseman threw the ball home for a 1-3-2 double play, cutting down Hodges at the plate.
Macks Creek plated their first run in the bottom of the inning. Cole Register walked and stole second. Colton Walter walked to put runners at first and second. Hunter Lane hit a ball in the hole deep at second to push both runners up a base. A missed double-squeeze attempt still saw Register score, but Colton would be erased at second on the play. Oscar Cortez drew a walk and Tanner Smith singled to move him to third before a strike out ended the threat.
Neither team would score in the second but Skyline plated three more in the third. Paden Hodges reached on an error and made it to second. Dax Beem drove him in with an RBI-single to right. Nick Williams's ball to short was misplayed, allowing Beem to reached third before coming home on Sam Fillipi's RBI-single to right. The fielder would also misplay the ball, allowing Williams to reach third and Fillipi to reach second. A sacrifice fly off the bat of Antonio Irizarry plated Williams to push the lead to 5-1.
The Pirates came right back with three of their own. Hunter Lane singled with one out ahead of a strike out for out number two. Tanner Smith moved him to third with a single right and he would score on Zane Whitworth's ball to third that saw the throw to first go wide. Smith moved to third on the play and came around to score on Carsen Strutz's single up the middle. Zane moved to second on the play and would then score on a Grant English RBI-single to left. The deficit had been cut to 5-4.
In the fourth Skyline plated four more runs and slowly put the game out of reach. Paden Hodges doubled with one out but would see himself erased when Dax Beem's ball to third was fielded and thrown back to second, cutting Hodges down. Beem would steal second and then come around to score on Nick Williams RBI-single to center. Williams would move to third when Sam Fillipi's ball to third was thrown wide of first, with Sam reaching second on the play. A wild pitch eventually scored Williams with Fillipi moving to third before Antonio Irizarry came to the plate and hit a ball that hit off the top of the wall in left and out for a two-run-home run. The lead now stood at 9-4.
Macks Creek was held scoreless in the bottom of the fourth and both teams matched zeroes in the fifth. Skyline sent eight hitters to the plate in the sixth and scored four runs before sending 10 hitters to the plate in the seventh and scoring six runs. Macks Creek plated their final two runs in the sixth. Grant English led off the inning with his third hit, a single to right. With one out Cole Register singled to left before Colton Walter's single to center scored English from second. Both Register and Walter would move up an extra base on the throw home. Hunter Lane then collected and RBI-sacrifice fly with a ball to right to score Cole, with Walter moving up to third on the play. He would remain stranded their as out number three was recorded.
Tanner Smith (1-3) started and took the loss for the Pirates. He worked the first two-and-a-third innings, allowing nine runs, three earned, on 10 hits while striking out two, walking four, and hitting two batters. Cole Register worked an inning-and-a-third of relief, allowing one run on one hit to go along with one strike out and two walks. Grant English threw the last two frames, being touched for nine runs, four earned, on six hits while striking out two, walking two, and hitting one batter.
Trevor Russell picked up the win in relief of Sam Fillipi. Russell worked the fourth and fifth innings, striking out six of the seven batters he faced to go along with one walk. Fillipi had started and worked the first three innings, allowing four runs, one earned, on six hits while striking out five and walking three. Zane Kelley worked an inning and allowed two unearned runs on three hits and one strike out. Ty Pinion worked the final frame and allowed one hit while striking out three and walking one batter.
"We are giving up too many unearned runs right now," said Coach Trusty, "defensively we are struggling to keep balls put in play that should be outs just that, outs."
"Give credit to Skyline. They took advantage of some pitches up in the zone, put the ball in play, and put pressure on us to make plays."
Offensively Grant English paced the Pirates with a three-for-three night. He singled three times, walked once, had an RBI, and scored a run. Tanner Smith also collected two singles in the contest to go along with a run scored. Cole Register singled, walked twice, and scored two runs, Colton Walter walked and singled in a run, Hunter Lane singled, scored, and had an RBI on a sacrifice fly, Zane Whitworth singled, reached on an error and scored a run, and Carsen Strutz singled in a run. Oscar Cortez walked in the contest as well.
Dax Beem led a 17 hit Skyline attack with a four-for-five night at the plate that included two singles, two doubles, two runs scored, and five RBI's. Paden Hodges went three-for-six with two singles, a double, two runs scored, and two RBI's. Ty Pinion doubled twice, was hit-by-a-pitch, had an RBI, and scored three runs, Trevor Russell singled, doubled, walked, had two RBI's, and three runs scored, and Sam Fillipi singled, doubled, scored two runs, and had an RBI. Nick Williams singled, reached on an error, and scored twice, Antonio Irizarry walked twice, was beaned, had a sacrifice fly, scored three runs, a home run, and three RBI's in the contest, and Zane Kelley walked twice and singled. Ethan Edwards singled and was hit-by-a-pitch, Travis Johnson walked and scored, and Dawson Owen was hit-by-a-pitch and scored a run.
Macks Creek drops to 7-6 with the loss while Skyline improves to 12-5. The Pirates will play host to School of the Osage on Thursday, weather permitting, with a first pitch time set at 5:00.
The Pirates JV dropped the night cap 9-0 to drop to 0-6.
Bobby Swann took the loss on the hill. He allowed nine runs, eight earned, in three innings of work. He was touched for seven hits while walking two and hitting three batters.
Isaiah Schmidt walked and was hit-by-a-pitch and John Perez was beaned for the only base runners for the JV Pirates.
VARSITY BOX SCORE
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
SHS | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 19 | 17 | 1 |
MC | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 10 | 7 |