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Rebel Derek Carr rounds
third and heads for home after smacking a
two-run homer over the left field wall
against Huntingdon.
HUNTINGDON (April 22) In District13A high
school baseball action, the Huntingdon
Mustangs, smarting from their first district
loss via a 9-1 shelling by McKenzie the
previous night, retaliated by handing the
Rebels their first district loss, 7-4,
splitting the regular season series between
the teams at one-all.
McKenzie went three-up, three down in the
top of the first.
In the bottom of the first, Huntingdon came
out swinging as Colin Laman singled and
scored via a Brayden Baxter double to center
field that was compounded by a Rebel
throwing error. Huntingdon’s Cole McAdams
scored Baxter on the next at-bat by lofting
a sacrifice fly to center. Mustang pitcher
Blake Burke flew out to right and Caleb
Crocker ground out to third to end the
threat as Huntingdon jumped out to a 2-0
lead.
McKenzie went three-up, three-down in the
top of the second as Nick Chappell struck
out swinging, Reeder flew out to left and
Rebel pitcher Parker Jones flew out to left.
In the bottom of the second, Huntingdon
stranded base runners on first and second as
Ben Carter flew out to left, Kevin Smothers
struck out and Laman ground out to Mustang
pitcher Burke as Huntingdon continued to
lead, 2-0.
In the top of the third, Rebel batter Luke
Anderson led off with a single and stole
second. Rebel batter Tyler Holt ripped a
double to center, and Anderson raced around
third for the score. Huntingdon, protesting
that Anderson failed to touch third enroute
to home plate, retrieved the ball and
stepped on third. Anderson was called out by
the referee. Rebel Kyle Kirk struck out
swinging and Holt was thrown out at third by
Mustang catcher Crocker.
In the bottom of the third, Huntingdon’s
Baxter was hit by a pitch and awarded first
and Laman flew out to Rebel pitcher Jones.
Mustang Burke reached first and raced to
second after hitting a short fly ball over
Rebel shortstop Carr who attempted to catch
the ball via a back-hand snag but could not
hold on. The next batter, Crocker, walked to
load the bases with one out. Mustang Lucas
Dill hit a sacrifice RBI to right field,
scoring Baxter and increasing Huntingdon’s
lead to 3-0. Crocker struck out swinging for
the third out as the Mustang’s stranded two
base runners.
In the top of the fourth, Rebel Brown
singled to center and was replaced by
substitute runner Jacob Fussell who was
thrown out by Mustang catcher Crocker as he
attempted to steal second. Chapman walked,
setting the stage for Rebel Carr’s two-run
home run over the left field wall to narrow
the Mustang lead to 3-2. Chappel ground out
to the pitcher for the second out. Reeder
drilled a one-hopper to third and was safe
at first after the ball was thrown past the
first baseman. Alertly, Reeder raced safely
to second. The Rebel threat ended on the
next at-bat as Jones flew out to second.
Huntingdon responded offensively in the
bottom of the fourth. Mustang Carter led off
with a single and advanced to second via
Smothers’ sacrifice bunt. Laman followed
with a fly-out to left. Baxter walked,
placing runners on first and second.
Huntingdon’s McAdams drilled a blazing line
drive down the third base line that traveled
all the way to the left field wall, scoring
McClure and Baxter and extending
Huntingdon’s lead to 5-2. Burke walked and
was replaced by runner Kyle Adams. Digging
deep, Jones struck out Crocker to retire the
side.
In the top of the fifth, Rebel Anderson
walked and was forced out at second via a
Holt grounder to short. The next batter,
Kirk, ripped a scorching double down the
third base line to advance Holt to third.
Brown ground out to short. Rebel Chapman
laced a RBI single to right to score Holt
and cut the Mustang lead to 5-3. Carr ripped
a RBI single to center to score Kirk as
McKenzie edged closer to trail 5-4. Chappell
walked to load the bases with two out. With
his back against the wall, Mustang hurler
Burke forced Reeder to ground out short to
end the threat and strand three runners on
base.
Huntingdon’s offense surged to life in the
bottom of the fifth. Dill led off with a
walk and was advanced to second via a
perfectly-placed bunt by Will McClure. Safe
at first, McClure was replaced by substitute
runner Adams. During Carter’s at-bat, a
passed ball allowed Dill and McClure to
steal second and third, respectively. Parker
fanned Carter for Huntingdon’s first out.
Mustang Smothers smacked a hard chopper up
the middle, scoring substitute base runner
Adams. Laman followed with a fierce RBI line
drive down the third base line to score
Carter and widen the Mustang lead to 7-4.
Baxter was hit by a pitch for the second
time in the game to load the bases with one
out. Bearing down, Rebel pitcher Jones
forced Cole to ground out to short. Stepping
to the plate, Mustang Burke smashed a
towering fly ball deep into dead centerfield
that was caught at the wall to end the
Huntingdon threat and strand three base
runners.
McKenzie went three-up, three-down in the
top of the sixth as Jones ground out to
short, Anderson struck out swinging, and
Holt grounded out to Mustang pitcher Burke.
Huntingdon threatened again the bottom of
the sixth. Following Mustang Crocker’s
strike out, Dill singled to left and stole
second. Will McClure walked and Carter
ripped a single to load the bases. Battling
back, Jones forced Smothers to fly out to
third and struck out Laman to strand three
base runners.
In the top of the seventh, McKenzie went
three-up, three-down in their final at-bat
as Kirk ground out to short, Brown flew out
to second and Chapman ground out to Mustang
pitcher Burke as Huntingdon handed McKenzie
their first district loss. |
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