Greyhound baseball keeps pace with Ravens

Fort Scott Community College head baseball coach John Hill III shared an interesting statistic with KSEK-FM's Matt Newbery after the Greyhounds defeated Labette in the second game of a doubleheader Sunday afternoon.

"I was at a coaching convention," Hill remembered, "and one of the speakers said that about 70 percent of college baseball games are won by a team that scores more runs in one inning than the opponent scores in the entire game."

In each of Fort Scott's three victories against Labette in a four-game weekend series at Lions Field, the Greyhounds indeed scored more runs in a single inning of each win than the Cardinals scored in the entire game.

The Greyhounds swept Saturday's opener, 5-2 and 3-1. They dropped Sunday's first game, 3-2, but came back to take the second game, 5-1, in Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division play.

In Saturday's games, Fort Scott (18-10 East, 27-12 overall) scored all 5 game-one runs in the bottom of the sixth and scored twice in the fifth inning of the second game. In Sunday's win, the 'Hounds scored all 5 runs in the bottom of the second.

The Greyhounds were also able to keep pace with Coffeyville in the race to finish in second place in the East. The top two teams in each division gets to host a four-team Sub-Regional Tournament in early May.

Fort Scott rallied from a 2-0 deficit to take Saturday's opener, scoring all its runs in the frame. Joe Hermsen drew a walk to lead off the inning and Alex Drew was hit by a pitch. Lance Barkley bunted into a fielder's choice that saw Hermsen out at third but a double steal put Drew at third and Barkley at second. Alex Copeland's single scored Drew and Reyn Sugai's sacrifice plated Barkley, tying the score at 2-2.

Ka'ai Tom and Sam Gilbert drew consecutive walks, loading the bases for John Morey, who was hit by a pitch to force Copeland in with the go-ahead run. Josh Griffith brought in Tom and Gilbert with a single to center.

Fort Scott had 5 hits, one each by Copeland, Sugai, Griffith, Hermsen and Drew.

Aaron Mason (7-0) remained undefeated, going 6 2/3 innings and allowing 8 hits and 1 walk with 2 strikeouts. Nick Kevlin picked up his fifth save of the season by getting the game's final out.

Labette (10-18, 13-20) also scored the first run of the second game. But Fort Scott tied it at 1-1 in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back doubles. Copeland doubled with 1 out and scored when Tom doubled with 2 out.

The 'Hounds went ahead in the fifth. Hermsen led off the inning with a single and advanced to second, then to third on groundouts. Barkley plated Hermsen with a single, stole second and eventually scored the insurance run on a wild pitch.

Tom was 2 for 3 at the plate for the Greyhounds. Ryan Ahrens (5-4), who has won his last three decisions, allowed just 2 hits and 4 walks over the first 5 innings while striking out 5. Kevlin got save No. 6, striking out 2 over 2 perfect innings.

The 'Hounds got on the board first in Sunday's lidlifter. Drew ended up at third base after a 2-out error by Labette's right fielder on his second-inning fly ball. Parker O'Dell drove Drew in.

Copeland doubled to lead off the third and Tom drove him in with a 1-out single to make it 2-0.

Kevlin (2-2), making his third appearance in two days, wasn't able to hold the lead in the top of the seventh, but two Fort Scott errors contributed to that issue.

Aaron Boucher led off the seventh for Labette and reached on an error. Alex Lator singled and Tyler Hatcher bunted his way on to load the bases. Mike Smith grounded into a fielder's choice and Hatcher was out at second but Boucher scored the Cardinals' first run. Justin Burgess reached on a 2-out error that allowed Lator and punch-runner David Wright to score the tying and go-ahead runs.

Drew got on with 1 out on a single for Fort Scott in the bottom of the seventh. Gilbert bunted his way on with 2 out and the runners moved up a base on an error. But Labette pitcher Cody Frederickson got Copeland to fly to center to end the game.

Frederickson (4-1) allowed 1 earned run on 6 hits and 1 walk while striking out 5 in a complete-game effort. Fort Scott starter John Lynch allowed no runs in the first 5 innings despite allowing 8 hit and 2 walks. He struck out 5 batters but did not have an inning where he got the side out in order.

Gilbert, Copeland, Tom, Griffifh, Drew and O'Dell each had 1 of Fort Scott's 6 hits.

Meanwhile, Coffeyville kept a 1-game lead for second place in the East by taking three of four games in their home weekend series with Johnson County. The Red Ravens swept on Saturday, 19-5 and 5-4, lost the opener on Sunday, 5-1, and had to go to the bottom of the seventh in Sunday's second game to get a 4-3 win.

Coffeyville is 19-9 in the East, 24-18 overall. The Red Ravens have to travel to Arkansas City this weekend to face division leader Cowley, which is ranked sixth in the nation. Fort Scott will be at home against Highland this weekend.

The 'Hounds played a doubleheader at the Ottawa University JV Monday afternoon, the schools moving the game from Tuesday in order to avoid a rainout. Fort Scott is also set to host No. 1-ranked Crowder College (Mo.) in a make-up single, 9-inning game Wednesday at 2 p.m., weather permitting.

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Saturday's games

Game One

Labette................... 200 000 0 -- 2 8 0

Fort Scott................ 000 005 x -- 5 5 2

WP -- Mason (7-0). LP -- Arnold (1-5). Sv. -- Kevlin (5).

HR -- None.

Game Two

Labette................... 100 000 0 -- 1 2 1

Fort Scott................ 100 020 x -- 3 6 0

WP -- Ahrens (5-4). LP -- Davis (2-2). Sv. -- Kevlin (6).

HR -- None.

Sunday's games

Game One

Labette................... 000 000 3 -- 3 10 2

Fort Scott................ 011 000 0 -- 2 6 2

WP -- Frederickson (4-1). LP -- Kevlin (2-2).

HR -- None.

Game Two

Labette................... 001 000 0 -- 1 3 1

Fort Scott................ 050 000 x -- 5 8 0

WP -- Griffith (4-2). LP -- Cordell (0-5).

HR -- None.