By William / www.mcpherson-county-ks.com
LYONS – After struggling at the plate in game one, the Smoky Valley baseball team found some offense in game two to earn a split in their Friday doubleheader on the road at Lyons, losing 5-0 before winning 8-7.
The Vikings will have a short turnaround before returning to the competitive diamond on Monday for a makeup game at Nickerson before hosting Halstead on Thursday.
In game one, Lyons held the Vikings to just two hits and no runs as they scored one run in the first, fourth, and fifth plus a pair of runs in the third to gain the 5-0 win.
George Moore and Austin Sharp were the lone Smoky Viking hitters to get a hit while the team left four runners on base in the game.
Kade Blanchat started on the mound for the Vikings and went 4.2 innings, giving up five hits, four earned runs (the Vikings had four defensive errors), walked just three and struck out three. Trayton Miller came on to throw the final 1.1 innings.
Smoky Valley found some bats in game two though they waited until the top of the fourth when they were trailing 4-0 to pour seven runs across to take a 7-0 lead. After adding a run in the sixth, the Vikings then held off a three-run rally in the bottom of the sixth by Lyons to earn the 8-7 victory.
The Vikings recorded eight hits in the game with George Moore, Trayton Miller, and Grant Kearn each getting two, including a double by Moore. Smoky Valley left a lot of scoring opportunities on the bases though by leaving eight runners stranded at the end of bats.
Trayton Miller and George Moore overcame some porous defense that saw the Viking commit five errors, to throw a six hitter with just five runs earned while walking just four and striking out seven.
GAME 1: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7=R-H-E
VIKINGS 0-0-0-0-0-0-0=0-2-4
Lyons 1-0-2-1-1-0-X=5-5-0
VIKINGS HITTING (AB-R-H-RBI-BB): Trevor Jones 3-0-0-0-0; Trayton Miller 3-0-0-0-0; Kade Blanchat 2-0-0-0-1; George Moore 3-0-1-0-0; Ethan Able 2-0-0-0-1; Austin Sharp 3-0-1-0-0; Grant Kearn 3-0-0-0-0; Nolan Moore 2-0-0-0-0; Braxton House 2-0-0-0-0. Team Totals: 23-0-2-0-2. LOB: 4.
VIKINGS PITCHING (IP-H-R-ER-SO-BB): Kade Blanchat 4.2-5-5-4-3-3; Trayton Miller 1.1-0-0-0-0-0. Team Totals: 6.0-5-5-4-3-3.
GAME 2: 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8=R-H-E
VIKINGS 0-0-0-7-0-1-0-0=8-8-5
Lyons 1-2-1-0-0-3-0-X=7-6-2
VIKINGS HITTING (AB-R-H-RBI-BB): Trevor Jones 4-1-1-0-0; L. Perez 1-0-0-1-0; Trayton Miller 4-1-2-2-0; Kade Blanchat 2-1-0-0-2; George Moore 4-1-2-3-0; Ethan Able 3-0-0-0-0; Austin Sharp 4-0-0-0-0; Grant Kearn 4-1-2-1-0; Michael Hawk 3-1-1-0-1; Braxton House 2-2-0-0-2. Team Totals: 31-8-8-7-5. 2B (1): G. Moore – 1. SB (2): House, Miller – 1. LOB: 8.
VIKINGS PITCHING (IP-H-R-ER-BB-SO): Trayton Miller 3.0-3-4-2-2-2; George Moore 4.0-3-3-3-2-5. Team Totals: 7.0-6-7-5-4-7.
(William is a free-lance writer covering McPherson County Activities – he can be reached at crossdovewriter@gmail.com)