Greyhounds, Scotties split

HIGHLAND — Fort Scott Community College’s baseball team split a Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division doubleheader with Highland here Thursday, winning game one 6-1 but falling in the nightcap, 13-12, in 11 innings.

The teams swapped locations for this week’s series. Thursday’s games were meant to be played in Fort Scott but instead it will be today’s games that will be held at Lions Field beginning at 1 p.m.

With the loss, Fort Scott fell out of tie for first place with Cowley (9-1, 15-6), which swept Coffeyville at home. The Tigers face the Ravens this afternoon in Coffeyville. Allen (7-3, 15-5) is in third place, splitting with Neosho County Thursday at home. Those two play today in Chanute.

Ben McConnell singled to lead off the top of the third of the first game for Fort Scott (8-2 division, 22-4 overall), stole second and scored on Owen Wilson’s single to left. The Greyhounds added another run in the fourth as Quinn Waterbury led off with a single, stole second, moved up on a double-play ball and scored on Ben Kiefer’s single.

Cole Solomon singled with one out in the fifth and scored on A Morrow’s double to center. Waterbury and Collin Fraley were issued consecutive walks in advance of a passed ball that allowed Morrow to score, making it 4-0.

Wilson’s single to left in the sixth plated Kiefer, who had led off the inning with a walk. The only run for Highland (3-7, 9-10) came in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run by Ke’Shawn Ballard.

Kiefer his a 2-out solo homer in the top of the seventh to make it 6-1. The first two Scottie batters in the bottom of the inning got on base but closer Kobie Schmitt came on to get the next three batters to end the game.

McConnell, Solomon, Wilson and Kiefer each had 2 of Fort Scott’s 12 hits in the game.

Wyatt Folsom (4-0) allowed 5 hits and one walk over six-plus innings while striking out 5.

Fort Scott scored twice in the top of the first inning of game two. McConnell doubled to lead off the game and Solomon followed with a ground-ball single in front of Wilson’s 2-RBI double. However, Highland responded with 6 in the bottom of the first and 2 more in the second.

Waterbury’s one-out double in the top of the third scored Solomon and Wilson to bring the ’Hounds within 8-5. Morrow hit a solo homer in the top of the fifth. Waterbury singled in front of Moore’s game-tying dinger. Later in the inning, Solomon’s 2-out bases-loaded walk forced Mitch McAllister home with the go-ahead tally.

Morrow hit another homer, his seventh, leading off the sixth to make it 10-8. Moore’s 2-out line-drive single to right in the eighth scored Waterbury, who had doubled, to boost the margin by one more run.

Highland scored 3 in the bottom of the eighth to take a 12-11 lead. Fort Scott tied it in the top of the ninth as Kiefer drew a leadoff walk, moved up on a sacrifice and scored on McConnell’s double.

The Scotties went down in order in the bottom of the ninth, forcing extra innings. Fort Scott got the leadoff batter on in the top of the 10th but couldn’t bring him in. Highland got two on with 2 out in the bottom of the 10th but failed to score.

The ’Hounds went down in order in the top of the 11th. A bases-loaded single to left field by Chris Procopio with no one out in the bottom of the frame won the game for the Scotties.

Caleb Underwood pitched three innings of 2-hit baseball in relief for Highland to get the win, although he walked four batters.

Waterbury was 4 for 5 at the plate for Fort Scott. Morrow and McConnell were each 3 for 6. Solomon, Wilson and Moore had 2 hits each. Moore drove in 4 runs.

The Greyhounds host the Scotties this afternoon at 1 p.m. at Lions Field for another doubleheader to wrap up the season series.

Game One

Highland................ 000 001 0 — 1 5 0

WP — Barnes (4-0). LP — Forth-Thomas (1-3).

HR — Fort Scott: Kiefer (2, 7th inn., none on, 2 out), Highland: Ballard (6, 6th inn., none on, none out).

Game Two

Highland.... 620 000 040 01 — 13 18 2

None out when winning run scored.

WP — Underwood (1-1). LP — Scott (2-1).

HR — Fort Scott: Morrow 2 (7, 5th inn., none on, one out; 6th inn., none on, none out), Moore (5, 5th inn., one on, one out).