Tigers score 32 runs in sweep of Louisburg

Four consecutive hits (shown in order from left to right) by Fort Scott's Chase Brown, Mason Knopp, Jacob Payne and Benjamin Labbe, who belted a double, drove in the 5 runs the Tigers scored in the bottom of the fifth inning in the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader against Louisburg. The Tigers won that game 11-1 and took the second game 21-6. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

Fort Scott High School's baseball team needed a few innings to get going Tuesday evening. But once they did, they couldn't be stopped.

The Tigers swept Louisburg 11-1 in six innings and 21-6 in five. Since losing the season opener to Nevada 11-0, Fort Scott (4-1) has scored at least 10 runs in each game and outscored their opponents 57-9.

Fort Scott led 2-1 after three innings of the opener. The Tigers exploded for 5 runs in the bottom of the fourth. Jake Bradbury reached on a leadoff error by the shortstop and Jake Durossette bunted him to second. With two out, Zach Denton drew a walk. Then Chase Brown single to right-center to score Bradbury. Mason Knopp singled to drive in Denton. Jacob Payne drove Brown with a single up the middle. And Benjamin Labbe closed out the sequence with a double to the center-field wall that scored courtesy runner Drew Martin and Payne.

Durossette singled with one out in the sixth. Kaleb DeLaTorre reached on an error and Durossette moved to third. The runners advanced on a wild pitch, Durossette scoring while DeLaTorre made it all the way to third. Denton walked and Knopp was hit by a pitch to force in DeLaTorre. Denton scored on a wild pitch and Labbe's ground out to second scored Brown to end the game.

Labbe went 3 for 3 for the Tigers while Knopp had 2 hits.

Carter Young (2-0) allowed an unearned run on 2 hits, walked 2 and struck out 6 as he went the distance on the hill.

Fort Scott needed just 11 hits in the second game as four Wildcat pitchers issued a total of 10 walks and hit 5 batters.

The Tigers scored 14 in the top of the first inning, 10 of them before the first out of the game was recorded. Knopp had two RBI in the inning without an official at-bat as he forced one in on a bases-loaded walk and another with a sacrifice fly. Labbe had 3 RBI in the first inning alone.

Fort Scott had just 4 hits in that inning. Three Louisburg pitchers also issued 8 walks and hit 3 batters.

Five more runs went up in the second inning -- three on Knopp's home run to left-center --to make it 19-0. Louisburg scored 6 in the top of the third.

DeLaTorre's fourth-inning double drove home Martin and Durossette to invoke the 15-run rule and end the game.

DeLaTorre and Durossette both went 3 for 4. Knopp drove in 5 runs and DeLaTorre 4.

Game One

Fort Scott................................................... 110 054 x -- 11 8 1

Two out when game ended.

WP -- Young (2-0). LP -- L.Smith.

HR -- None.

Game Two

Fort Scott.............................................. (14)50 2xx x -- 21 11 2

WP -- DeLaTorre (1-0). LP --G.Smith.

HR -- Louisburg: None. Fort Scott -- Knopp (1, 2nd inn., 2 on, none out)