Tigers solid in all phases in sweep of Nado

Fort Scott High's baseball team had only played once in the previous 20 days. But the Tigers were as sharp as a team could be in all areas as they swept Coffeyville by scores of 7-2 and 9-3 in a Southeast Kansas League doubleheader at Lions Field Thursday night.

"For being off for the last week and a half, we came out focused and really put together two very complete ball games," Fort Scott head coach B.J. Pruitt said.

The Tigers committed just 2 errors in 14 innings of play, scored runs in 8 of the final 10 innings of the night, and saw their pitchers combine to strike out 18 Golden Tornado batters.

The biggest difference may have been in each team's catching corps. Coffeyville (3-7 SEK and overall) used three catchers on the night and they allowed 12 pitches to get by them. In fact, of the first 5 strikeouts pitcher Cody Hurlbutt recorded in the first 2 innings of the opener, only 2 of the batters actually turned and went back to the dugout. Two Tiger batters reached base on dropped third strikes in the second inning alone.

Meanwhile, Josh Durossette was solid behind the plate for Fort Scott. He was not charged with a single passed ball and his pitchers didn't throw any wild pitches.

"He saved us several runs with his ability to block in the dirt," Pruitt said. "Our pitchers are off-speed pitchers, throwing a lot of breaking balls. And when they miss, they're going to miss short so we have to have a wall behind the plate and Josh is definitely that. He does a great job."

The Tigers (4-2, 4-3) got on the board in the opener on Luke Brown's third-inning, 2-run homer over the left-field fence. Carillo aided his own cause in the fourth, making it 3-0 when he drove in Jaret Thorpe on a single.

Dustin Stewart drew a walk to lead off the fourth and moved to second on a wild pitch. Brent Parsons brought him in on a single to right.

Hurlbutt got the next two batters out but then walked the bases loaded and was pulled for Lucas Lindesmith, who walked Brown to force Parsons home to make it 5-0.

Justin Uhler walked to lead off the sixth and Stewart followed with a double. Parsons' ground out scored Uhler and Zach Denton's ground out plated Stewart to make it 7-0.

Carillo (2-2) allowed 5 hits and 4 walks while striking out 12 for the Tigers.

Fort Scott only needed 4 hits to score their runs -- those from Carillo, Brown, Stewart and Parsons -- as Coffeyville's pitchers issued 12 walks.

The Tigers got their share of hits in the second game as they cranked out 11 of them. The Nado scored in the top of the first inning but Fort Scott responded with 5 in the bottom of the frame.

Durossette reached base on a 1-out error. Brown doubled to right-center, then Clayton followed with a double to center to bring in the first 2 runs.

Anthony Sercer went in as the courtesy runner for Clayton. Uhler was hit by a pitch and Stewart singled to right to load the bases for Dane Cummings, who drew a walk to bring in Sercer. Jaret Thorpe followed with a flair single to shallow left, which brought home Uhler and Stewart.

Each team scored a run in the third. Parsons reached base leading off the bottom of the inning when Coffeyville's center fielder dropped a fly ball. Thorpe reached base on a passed-ball third strike and the ball got far enough away that Parsons was able to score from second.

Fort Scott added two in the fourth to make it 8-2. Brown and Clayton reached on consecutive singles. Uhler bunted the runners over and Stewart brought them in with a single to left.

Each team scored once in the sixth. Clayton singled to short left to lead off the bottom half and Uhler bunted his way on.

Dustin Hurlbutt, Coffeyville's second-game pitcher, tried to pick courtesy runner Sercer off second but no one covered the base. Now on third, Sercer scored easily on Parson's single to center.

Clayton (2-1) allowed 6 hits and 5 walks while striking out 6 and also went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI at the plate. Uhler was 2 for 2, Brown 2 for 3 and Stewart 2 for 4.

"We've been inside so much lately that it's been tough to get some live cuts," Pruitt said. "And after that first inning or two of the first game, we were able to start focusing in and had some really nice at bats."

This doubleheader was the beginning of a stretch where Fort Scott plays three doubleheaders in five days and five twinbills 12 days to end the season.

The Tigers play a make-up SEK doubleheader against Parsons today at 4:30 at Lions Field, which replaces the single game at Nevada. Monday, they make up a league twinbill at Labette County, which begins at 4:30.

Thursday, the Tigers host Columbus in SEK play. May 6, they will go to Girard for a non-league make-up twinbill. The regular season concludes at home against Iola May 9.

"By Regional time, we'll be locked in," Pruitt said. "We'll be playing three-fourths of our season schedule in the next 2 1/2 weeks. But it's better than playing most of the games early."

Game One

Fort Scott...... 002 122 x -- 7 4 2

WP -- Carillo (2-2). LP -- C.Hurlbutt.

HR -- Fort Scott: Brown (1; 3rd inn., 1 on, 1 out).

Game Two

Fort Scott...... 501 201 x -- 9 11 0

WP -- Clayton (2-1). LP -- D.Hurlbutt.