Cimarron and Scott City split baseball doubleheader
Cimarron, Kan. (westernkansasnews.com)–As the season is coming to a close, the fight for a GWAC title continued on Thursday, as Cimarron played host to Scott City in league play. Entering Thursday, both teams entered 5-3 overall in the league. Both teams would leave 6-4, with a four-way tie in the conference, as the Bluejays picked up a 2-1 win in the opener, while the Beavers took the finale 8-3.
Cimarron 2, Scott City 1, Game 1
Scott City would grab the early lead in a defensive battle in the top of the first, thanks to a Lawson Bailey RBI single that scored Brady Welker to make it 1-0 after a half an inning. It would remain 1-0 Beavers until the bottom of the fourth inning. With one on and nobody out, Michael Feltman hit a two-run home run well past the left field wall to give Cimarron the 2-1 lead. The Beavers wouldn’t get a a baserunner in the fifth inning and had the tying run at second in the seventh inning, but the Bluejays would get a pop up to end the game, and take the opening game 2-1.
Braxton Harrison got the win, going all seven innings, allowing a run on three hits and had 14 strikeouts in the game. Cimarron had four hits in the game. JP Harris struck out six and surrendered two runs on four hits in six innings for the loss. Lawson Bailey had two of Scott City’s three hits in the game.
Scott City 8, Cimarron 3, Game 2
Both teams would have a home run to start things off in game two. The Beavers started things off with a three-run inning in the top of the first, highlighted by a two-run home run by JP Harris to give them the early 2-0 lead. Evan Fry singled in Lawson Bailey to cap off the scoring in the inning. In the bottom of the frame, the Bluejays came back with a two-run shot by Braxton Harrison to pull to within 3-2. In the top of the second, the Beavers responded with a Brady Welker solo shot to center field to make it 4-2 Scott City. The Beavers took advantage of a Cimarron error in the third inning to extend their lead to 5-2, and the Bluejays would get back to within two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on a Scott City error to get to within 5-3. The score would hold up until the sixth inning, when the Beavers separated themselves a little more. An RBI walk by Harris that scored Erick Castillo, and back to back singles by Aaron Armendariz and Evan Fry pushed the lead to 8-3. Cimarron had two runners on in the bottom of the seventh, but couldn’t push anyone across home, and the final would belong to Scott City 8-3.
Brady Welker went 6 2/3 innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on six hits, with nine strikeouts in the game. JP Harris faced one batter and struck him out for the save. Harris also had two hits and three RBI in the game, and Evan Fry drove in two runs on two hits. Dylan Jones took the loss for Cimarron, giving up eight runs, five earned, on 11 hits, with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Braxton Harrison went the rest of the way, striking out two. Harrison also had three hits and two RBI in the game.
Scott City is now 9-7 overall, and wraps up their regular season on Tuesday at home against Hugoton. Cimarron 14-4 overall, and will play at Goodland on Tuesday to wrap up the regular season. Both the Beavers and Bluejays remain tied, along with Goodland and Holcomb at 6-4 in GWAC play, while Ulysses is 5-5 in the conference. Holcomb plays at Colby on Tuesday, while Ulysses faces Hugoton next Thursday.
Coach David Dirks Postgame
