McAuley Catholic sent 25 hitters to the plate in the first three innings on the way to a 15-0 win over Jasper on Monday at Warren Turner Field.
Though inclement weather forced the Warriors (3-2) to the home venue of the Missouri Southern Lions, it didn’t prohibit McAuley in the least bit. The Warriors drew 11 walks as a team and added six hits on the way to the win.
“Our approach at the plate this year has been aggressive, and sometimes too aggressive,” McAuley coach Bryan Jones said. “There were a few guys today who we made sure were being very selective and our guys did a good job of getting on base and putting the pressure on them. … Once that happened, we had very good pitch selection and a few good swings with runners on.”
ON THE MOUND
Kable Reichardt earned a three-inning no-hit win for the Warriors. He walked one and struck out five over three frames.
“Kable shut them down,” Jones added. “He was on today and did a great job. Kable throws strikes about 64 percent of the time and when he gets ahead in the count, it really helps take the pressure off himself.”
Jacob Davis took the loss after allowing 10 runs, nine earned, on two hits, eight walks and three strikeouts in one inning. Clayton Atnip allowed five runs, four earned, on four hits and three walks in one-plus innings.
GAME ACTION
After a 1-2-3 top of the first, McAuley set the tone in the bottom of the first with three runs touching the plate. Joe Staton, who walked to lead off the inning, Michael Parrigon, who singled through the left side with one out, and Jack Jones, who walked, all came around to score on passed balls in the inning.
The Warriors sent nine hitters to the plate in the first inning and improved on that mark in the second, with 14 batters making a plate appearance. The first four reached via walk, with Jack Jones earning an RBI with a bases-loaded free pass. Reichardt was hit-by-pitch to force in a run before Bradley Wagner reached on an error that allowed a run to score and give McAuley a 6-0 lead. Reichardt walked in the next at-bat to force in another run, and after a Jasper pitching change, Noah Black drew a walk with the bags full to push the lead to 8-0. All told, McAuley saw the first nine batters reach base in the inning after pinch hitter Trey Martinez singled to left-center to drive home a run for a nine-run lead.
Rocco Bazzano-Joseph picked up an RBI on an infield hit, Jones added a sac fly on a pop out to second base and Kendall Jones capped the inning with a two-run single to shallow center field.
Wagner walked to lead off the last of the third inning before ultimately coming around to score on a passed ball later in the inning with no outs to end the game via run-rule and snap the Warriors’ two-game skid.
“Last week, we had a tough (10-9) loss late in the week (against Wheaton),” Coach Jones said. “We were up and we just ran out of pitching. It was good to see them respond. Their attitude in the dugout was up throughout the game, and that was great to see.”
AT THE PLATE
Staton had a hit, drove in one and scored three times. Bazzano-Joseph had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored. Kendall Jones had a hit, three RBI and scored a run. Reichardt had one RBI, scored a run and went 1-for-2.
ONE DECK
McAuley is on the road at Exeter on April 19.
