Greyhounds take 3 of 4 from Labette

Fort Scott Community College shortstop Sean Moore (8) chases down Labette’s Andrew White during the top of the fifth inning of Thursday’s second game at Lions Park. The Greyhounds split the home doubleheader, winning the first game 9-1 but dropping the second, 18-2. The teams also played Friday in Parsons with Fort Scott sweeping the twinbill.

Scott Nuzum/Tribune

Fort Scott Community College took three of four games from Labette in Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division play over the past two days.

The Greyhounds and Cardinals split Thursday’s doubleheader at Lions Field. Fort Scott won the opener, 9-1, behind a 6-hit performance from Wyatt Folsom (3-0). But Labette scored 4 runs in the top of the first inning of the second game and never looked back in a 18-2 rout.

Friday at Parsons, the Greyhounds took 7-6, 17-13 sweep.

Four teams went into Friday’s play tied atop the division. The Greyhounds and Cowley emerged as winners on the day while Allen plays this afternoon against Highland in Iola.

Fort Scott and Cowley are 7-1 in the division while Allen is 5-1. Neosho County, the other team that was tied when the day began Friday, was swept by Cowley, 10-3 and 16-5 in Chanute and fell to fourth place at 5-3.

Thursday: Fort Scott 9-2, Labette 1-18.

Folsom pitched a complete game, allowing only one walk while striking out 4.

The Greyhounds (19-3 overall) scored 4 runs in the bottom of the first inning. Ben McConnell was hit by a pitch leading off, then stole second. Cole Solomon singled up the middle. Owen Wilson reached on an error by Labette’s center fielder, allowing McConnell to score. Solomon scored on a passed ball. Andrew Morrow drew a walk and Quinn Waterbury got a run batted in on a groundout that scored Wilson. Morrow moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Collin Fraley’s groundout.

Labette (6-11) got its only run of the game when Brendan Ezell hit a one-out home run in the top of the second.

Sean Moore’s third homer of the season in the third pushed Fort Scott’s lead to 6-1. Fraley singled to center with two out in front of the blast.

The final runs came across the plate in the bottom of the fifth. Wilson drew a leadoff walk and both Waterbury and Fraley walked with one out. Moore singled to left, scoring Wilson and Waterbury. Alexei Cazarin’s 2-out double scored Fraley.

Moore and Cazarin each had 2 hits for the Greyhounds. Moore drove in 4 runs.

Labette led 5-0 after two innings of the second game as the Cards added a single run in the top of the second. They also scored 5 in the fourth, one in the sixth, and 7 in the eighth. Scheduled for nine innings, the game ended after Labette’s Nathan Chase got the ’Hounds out in order in the bottom of the eighth.

Cody Oliphant (1-2) held Fort Scott to 6 hits over the first eight innings. One of the 2 runs he allowed in the bottom of the seventh were earned. He walked one and struck out 12. Fort Scott used four pitchers in the game, each of whom allowed at least 4 runs, although none of the ones allowed by Tim Schwoegler, the last of the four, were earned.

Wilson, Morrow, Waterbury, and Fort Scott High graduates Grant Goldston and Carter Young each had one hit for the ’Hounds. Young drove in both runs on a seventh-inning single to right field.

Friday: Fort Scott 7-17, Labette 6-13.

These games were moved up from this afternoon because the forecast at the time called for a high chance of rain.

The Greyhounds got the win in the opener with a 3-run rally in the top of the seventh.

Solomon singled to left to start the inning. Wilson reached on an error. Morrow dove both runners home on a double, tying the score. Waterbury singled, then Fraley grounded into a fielder’s choice with Morrow scoring the go-ahead run.

Kobie Schmitt took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and earned his fifth save of the season. Nathan Miller (1-0) pitched the previous two innings, allowing a run on 2 hits and a walk while striking out 2.

Wilson was 3 for 4 at the plate for Fort Scott while Morrow and Waterbury were each 2 for 2. Morrow also drove in 5 runs, the first 3 of which scored on a 2-run homer in the top of the first. McConnell singled leading off the game and Wilson singled with one out ahead of the homer, which was Morrow’s fourth of the season.

Labette scored 2 in the bottom of the inning on a 2-run homer by Landon Lord.

Fraley made it 4-2 in the third when he doubled in Wilson, who had led off the inning with a single. The Cardinals scored 3 in the bottom of the fourth to take the lead and added two more in the bottom of the sixth.

The Greyhounds led the second game 11-0 after their first two turns at bat. They had 21 hits while cranking out four homers.

Solomon singled with one out in the top of the first and moved to second on a passed ball. Wilson singled and Morrow drove in both runners with another single. Waterbury drew a walk and Moore’s one-out single scored Morrow.

Cazarin singled to lead off the second. He moved to second on an error. McConnell walked. Solomon bunted the runners over and Morrow was hit by a pitch with two out, loading the bases. Waterbury doubled to left, scoring Cazarin and McConnell.

Mitch McAllister singled to left, which brought in Morrow and Waterbury. After a Labette pitching change, Moore singled. The runners moved up on a passed ball and Ben Kiefer drew a walk, loading the bases again.

Cazarin, up for the second time in the inning, hit a grand slam to left field, making it 11-0.

Izrael Trevino hit the first of his two homers in the bottom of the second with one one for Labette. The Cardinals also scored once in the third and twice in the fourth to get within 11-5.

Morrow led off the Greyhound fifth with a home run, his second of the day and fifth of the season. McAllister was hit by a pitch with one out. Moore then hit a 2-run homer, his fourth, to make it 14-5.

Labette scored once in the bottom of the fifth. McConnell led off the sixth for Fort Scott with a single in front of a 2-run homer by Solomon that made it 16-6.

Trevino’s second home run was a grand slam with 2 out in the sixth, bringing Labette within 16-10. The Cardinals also scored 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh to get within 16-13.

The last score of the game came in the top of the ninth when McConnell brought McAllister home with a sacrifice fly.

Moore and Cazarin each went 4 for 6 for the Greyhounds. Waterbury was 3 for 5 and Solomon, Morrow, McAllister and Kiefer each had 2 hits.

Raine Richter (4-0) was the winning pitcher as the Greyhounds never trailed. He allowed 5 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks with 3 strikeouts over the first 4 innings. Schmitt picked up another save with 2 innings of relief in which he struck out 2.

The ’Hounds host Highland in conference play Thursday.

Thursday’s Games

Fort Scott........... 402 030 x — 9 8 0

WP — Folsom (3-0). LP — Graham (0-1).

HR — Labette: Ezell (3, 2nd inn., none on, 1 out). Fort Scott: Moore (3, 3rd inn., 1 on, 2 out).

Game Two

Fort Scott..... 000 000 20x — 2 6 3

WP — Oliphant (1-2). LP — Barnes (3-2).

HR — Labette: Ezell (4, 1st inn., 1 on, none out).

Friday’s Games

Labette............... 200 301 0 — 6 6 2

WP — Miller (1-0). LP — Stamp (0-2). Sv. — Schmitt (5).

HR — Fort Scott: Morrow (4, 1st inn., 2 on, 1 out). Labette: Lord (4, 1st inn, 1 on, 1 out).

Game Two

Labette......... 021 214 300 — 13 16 2

WP — Richter (4-0). LP — Suk (0-3). Sv. — Schmitt (6).

HR — Fort Scott: Cazarin (1, 2nd inn., 3 on, 2 out), Morrow (5, 5th inn, none on, none out), Moore (4, 5th inn., 1 on, 1 out), Solomon (3, 6th inn., none on, none out). Labette: Trevino 2 (3, 2nd inn., 1 on, 1 out; 6th inn., 3 on, 2 out).