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'Two for Mary': Tigers rally for coach, move to top of SEK with sweep
Mary Regan loved watching Fort Scott High School baseball, the program started in 1990 by her son, Dave, for whom the stadium the Tigers play in is named. She watched nine grandsons play in pinstripes. She got to see her grandson, Josh, become head coach in 2012.
Her grandson, Adam LaRoche, even made sure that she'd always have a front-row seat, having a set of four installed in white when the facility was under construction. She threw out the first pitch when the first games were held last April.
Mary Regan, perhaps the ultimate baseball mom and grandmother, passed away Monday evening at the age of 95. Tuesday afternoon, her favorite team wanted to win for her.
"The boys were talking about it," Josh Regan said. "I heard Grant (Goldston) say, 'Let's get two for Mary' before the game, even before the moment of silence. They're awesome kids before they're great baseball players. She would love these boys. I know she loved a bunch of them. She knew a lot of them."
Senior Kaleb DeLaTorre saved the game ball and gave it to Regan afterward.
"After the game, Kaleb came running up with his arm up. I was ready to give him a high five and he had the game ball.
"(T)his game ball is special and I'm going to put it in a special place."
The Tigers swept Independence in a Southeast Kansas League doubleheader at the stadium to take over first place. They won the opener 11-1 in just five innings then took the second game 6-2.
The Tigers (5-1 SEK, 7-3 overall) got good pitching performances from Taylor Engstrom and Jordan Phillips, both pushed into greater roles as the other pitchers, Goldston, Carter Young and Jarett Lyon, are either injured or coming back from injuries that still won't allow them to pitch yet.
Engstrom (1-0) won his first start of the season in the opener. He held Independence (2-2, 5-5) to 2 hits, walked 4 and struck out 2 in going all five innings.
"He was outstanding," Regan said. "He got into a rhythm in the middle innings and started getting after hitters instead of falling behind and having to serve up fastballs.
"He's got it in him. With Taylor right now, it's confidence. Hopefully, he's getting more and more confident and realizes that he can do it at this level."
Fort Scott scored 6 runs in the first inning on 5 hits and an error. The Tigers added 2 more in the third.
Indy scored in the top of the sixth. But DeLaTorre led off the bottom half with a single to right. Jeron Poyner drew a walk and Goldston reached on an error. Then Young came up and crushed a triple to the right-center field fence that brought all three runners home and forced the run rule into effect.
DeLaTorre and Young were each 2 for 3 at the plate in game one.
DeLaTorre led off game two with a double and scored on Goldston's single. Independence took the lead in the top of the second with a pair of runs.
Fort Scott took it right back with 2 in the bottom half. Gunnar Brown and Ty Gorman drew walks to lead off the inning. DeLaTorre drove in Brown with a flair single to left. Goldston brought Gorman in with a ground out.
DeLaTorre went 4 for 4 in game two and scored three times, with one each in the fourth and the sixth.
Phillips (2-0) allowed one earned run on 3 hits, walked 3 and struck out 3 as he also went the distance, throwing 106 pitches.
"I'm really happy for Jordan," Regan said. "For three years, he's done everything we've asked him to do. He's getting his opportunity and he's making the most of it."
The Tigers host Labette County in SEK play Friday.
Game One
Independence. 000 01X X -- 1 2 3
Fort Scott.......... 602 03X X -- 11 8 1
None out when winning game ended.
WP -- Engstrom (1-0). LP -- Hamlin.
HR -- None.
Game Two
Independence. 020 000 0 -- 2 4 2
Fort Scott.......... 120 201 x -- 6 8 2
WP -- Phillips (2-0). LP -- Dunn.
HR -- None.