WHEATLAND - Second-seeded Macks Creek began their run in hopes of a District baseball title on Tuesday night with a 6-3 win over the third-seeded Wheatland Mules. The Pirates had received a first round bye and hadn't played in eight days.
The Mules took a 1-0 lead in the first when Trystin Newbold doubled to left, moved to third on a ground out to short, and then scored on a wild pitch. James Burnett had reached on a hit-by-pitch and Jacob Paul also reached, both with two outs, before a strike out ended the frame.
Macks Creek responded with three tallies of their own in the bottom of the inning. Cole Register singled up the middle, stole second, and moved to third on a passed ball. Colton Walter then walked. A pop out off the bat of Hunter Lane dropped on the infield, trapping Walter between first and second. He was forced out at second and Lane reached on the fielder's choice. Trever Smith followed with an RBI-single to left to plate Register. Oscar Cortez walked to load the bases before Zane Whitworth laced a two-RBI-single to right field, scoring Hunter and Trever. He would later be caught stealing to end the inning.
Both teams did not score in the second before Wheatland plated another tally in the third. Tyler Dampier walked and consecutive passed balls moved him to third before coming in to score on James Burnett's RBI-single to left-center field. Burnett would be erased at second on Jacob Paul's ground ball to first and back-to-back strike outs ended the inning.
The Pirates plated their final three runs in the bottom of the inning. Hunter Lane walked and Trever Smith put down a sacrifice bunt that he beat out at first. Lane would advance to third on the play. Oscar Cortez followed with an RBI-single to right to push the lead to 4-2. Smith would move to third on the play with Cortez moving to second on the throw to third. A line out to left and a leaping grab by the short stop at second brought Grant English to the plate. He would lace a single up the middle to plate both Trever and Oscar to round out the Pirate scoring on the evening and move the advantage to 6-3.
Neither team was able to get any momentum going offensively until the fifth and sixth. In the bottom of the sixth Tanner Smith reached on an error by the third baseman with two outs and moved to third on Zane Whitworth's second single of the night. A pop out to the pitcher ended the threat. In the top of the sixth the Mules plated their final tally.
A strike out to lead off the sixth brought Kennedy Griffin to the plate. She would walk, as would Austin Rife and Corbin Evans to load the bases. A potential double-play ball off the bat of Avery Wheeler was bobbled, with Griffin scoring and Wheeler driving in the run with the ground out. An intentional walk to Trystin Newbold brought Zeke Rusk to the plate, but Macks Creek southpaw Oscar Cortez was able to end the threat with a strike out. The score stood at 6-3. Cole Register would triple with one out in the bottom of the inning but would remain stranded at third.
In the top of the seventh Josh Lewton walked to lead off the inning. Following back-to-back strike outs, Kennedy Griffin was hit-by-a-pitch to put runners at first and second. A strike out ended the game.
"You could tell we hadn't played in a while tonight, but we did enough to survive and advance," said Macks Creek Coach Jason Trusty.
"Wheatland has a good nucleus returning for them next year and Coach Dougherty will have them playing well again."
Oscar Cortez (3-0) picked up the win in relief of Pirates's starter Tanner Smith. The southpaw worked four innings, allowing one run on one hit while striking out four, walking five, and hitting one batter. Tanner had worked the first two-plus innings, being touched for two runs on two hits while striking out four, walking two, and hitting two batters. Hunter Lane entered and picked up his first save in the seventh, striking out the side while walking and hitting one batter.
James Burnett went the distance for the Mules. He allowed six runs on nine hits while striking out one and walking three batters.
The Pirates were paced offensively by Cole Register and Zane Whitworth. Register singled and tripled while scoring a run and Whitworth drove in two to go along with two singles. Colton Walter singled and walked, Trever Smith singled in a run and scored two, Oscar Cortez had an RBI-single, a walk, and a run scored. Grant English drove in two with his single and Carsen Strutz singled as well. Hunter Lane reached on a fielder's choice, walked, and scored two runs. Tanner Smith reached on an error in the contest.
Trystin Newbold, James Burnett, and Corbin Evans collected the three hits for Wheatland. Newbold doubled, was hit-by-a-pitch, walked, and scored a run, James Burnett was beaned and singled in a run, and Corbin Evans singled and walked twice. Zeke Rusk reached on a hit-by-pitch, Tyler Dampier walked and scored a run, Josh Lewton walked, Jacob Paul walked and reached on a fielder's choice, Kennedy Griffin was beaned, and Avery Wheeler made it to base by a fielder's choice and had an RBI.
Macks Creek improves to 12-6 overall and will face the top-seeded Weaubleau Tigers on Wednesday night at 5:00 p.m. in Wheatland. Weaubleau eliminated the fifth-seeded Humansville Tigers by the score of 6-5 in the other semifinal.
VARSITY BOX SCORE
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
WHS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
MC | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 6 | 9 | 0 |