Prairie View base runner Colton May slides safely into third base during the third inning of a Pioneer League tournament game Friday at Karl E. Cole Sports Complex. (Photo by David Wolmann)
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Sinclair’s Arm Lifts Trojans To Title Game
Ten-Run First Carries Osawatomie To Three-Inning Win Over Jayhawk-Linn
By David Wolman, davidwolman@miconews.com
Chance Sinclair’s arm had already got Osawatomie this far.
One out away from earning a berth in the Pioneer League tournament title game. One out away from putting the final touches on a complete game effort.
He had worked out of several jams, especially early in the game — allowing only one run and five hits over the first 6 2/3 innings — to keep Osawatomie’s lead intact. But the freshman hurler needed to find a way to work out of a jam one last time.
Miscommunication between two Trojan infielders on a routine fly ball off the bat of Josh Moore led to an error and made what was already a close game that much tighter. More importantly, following a Colton May walk, it turned into a bases-loaded situation for Prairie View, which trailed by two runs at the time.
Sinclair stepped off the mound following the miscue and gathered himself.
“I just said, ‘Calm down and throw strikes,’” he said.
Sinclair threw the pitch he needed to two batters later, inducing a fly ball off the bat of Justin Haupt, putting the end to the drama and a 3-1 win for the Trojans in the finale of pool play for the the league tournament at Karl E. Cole Sports Complex.
“He did everything we asked him to do today,” Osawatomie coach Brett Woolery said. “He should’ve been out of it before then. He was still in his groove, and I didn’t want to go out to talk to him and mess up his rhythm and give him something more to think about.”
Osawatomie (12-3) was scheduled to face Central Heights in Tuesday’s league title game at Central Heights. The teams’ split a doubleheader earlier in the season.
Prairie View (12-6) was to play Anderson County for third place, also on Tuesday.
Results from Tuesday’s championship and third-place games were not available at press time. See the Miami County Weekend for complete coverage.
Sinclair escaped a potentially serious jam in the first inning.
Haupt and Devon Minckley hit back-to-back one-out singles — Minckley’s an infield single — to set up a scoring opportunity for the Buffalos. But then Osawatomie received a huge break.
Prairie View’s next batter, Levi Gochenour, got his bat on one of Sinclair’s offerings, but he was called out by the home plate umpire for stepping on home plate before running down the baseline. Sinclair then struck out Nathan Sommer to end the inning.
Sinclair escaped another jam in the fourth and then retired the next seven batters he faced.
The bottom three hitters of Osawatomie’s lineup staked the Trojans out to a 2-0 lead in the second. Garrett Hall and Tyler Keast led off the inning with back-to-back doubles. Hall scored on Keast’s double for a 1-0 lead.
D.J. Smith then placed a bunt to the right of the pitcher’s mound. Garrett Claar and Haupt initially appeared they were going to combine for the ground out, but Smith beat them to the bag.
That play appeared to faze Claar, as he was called for a balk shortly after, allowing Keast to score.
“That’s D.J.’s job,” Woolery said. “He knows that he doesn’t have the biggest stick in the lineup, by any means. But if he gets on base and uses his speed, we have a good chance of pushing him around.”
Smith, Hall and Jasper Needham each had two hits.
May did some work on the base path in the top of the third to cut Osawatomie’s lead in half. He hit a one-out single, and then stole second and third bases before coming around to score on a wild pitch.
Osawatomie got that run back in the fourth. Hunter Taylor scored on an infield single by Smith for the final tally.
Like Sinclair, Claar (complete game, 10 hits, three runs, three strikeouts) was able to work himself out of several jams. But he didn’t receive enough support from his offense, which stranded seven base runners.
Four-run first propels Prairie View
A four-run first inning carried the Buffalos to an easy 11-1 run-rule victory against Jayhawk-Linn in five innings in the second game of the Pioneer League tournament Friday afternoon.
Minckley hit an RBI single to start the scoring for the Buffalos. Josh Jordan capped off a strong first inning with a two-run single.
Jordan and Sommer each had two hits for Prairie View, which had entered the game winners of eight straight.
The Buffalos sent 10 batters to the plate in the fifth. Two walks to lead off the inning were just the start of a six-run outburst for Prairie View. Jordan ended the game with an RBI single.
Robert Minford plated Jayhawk-Linn’s only run, scoring on an error in the fifth.
Jayhawk-Linn was to play Wellsville in the fifth-place game Tuesday.
Osawatomie dominates Jayhawk-Linn
Tyler Keast struck out Nate Burton on three pitches to start the game. It was just the start of a dominant effort by the Trojans in their 15-0 three-inning win over the Jayhawks.
Keast and Geremy Roberts combined for a perfect game. Osawatomie’s offense did the rest.
Vance Gorman had four RBIs in a 10-run first for the Trojans, which sent 14 batters to the plate in the inning. Gorman pinballed a three-run home run off the right center field scoreboard. Hall added a two-run home run in the second.
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One out away from earning a berth in the Pioneer League tournament title game. One out away from putting the final touches on a complete game effort.
He had worked out of several jams, especially early in the game — allowing only one run and five hits over the first 6 2/3 innings — to keep Osawatomie’s lead intact. But the freshman hurler needed to find a way to work out of a jam one last time.
Miscommunication between two Trojan infielders on a routine fly ball off the bat of Josh Moore led to an error and made what was already a close game that much tighter. More importantly, following a Colton May walk, it turned into a bases-loaded situation for Prairie View, which trailed by two runs at the time.
Sinclair stepped off the mound following the miscue and gathered himself.
“I just said, ‘Calm down and throw strikes,’” he said.
Sinclair threw the pitch he needed to two batters later, inducing a fly ball off the bat of Justin Haupt, putting the end to the drama and a 3-1 win for the Trojans in the finale of pool play for the the league tournament at Karl E. Cole Sports Complex.
“He did everything we asked him to do today,” Osawatomie coach Brett Woolery said. “He should’ve been out of it before then. He was still in his groove, and I didn’t want to go out to talk to him and mess up his rhythm and give him something more to think about.”
Osawatomie (12-3) was scheduled to face Central Heights in Tuesday’s league title game at Central Heights. The teams’ split a doubleheader earlier in the season.
Prairie View (12-6) was to play Anderson County for third place, also on Tuesday.
Results from Tuesday’s championship and third-place games were not available at press time. See the Miami County Weekend for complete coverage.
Sinclair escaped a potentially serious jam in the first inning.
Haupt and Devon Minckley hit back-to-back one-out singles — Minckley’s an infield single — to set up a scoring opportunity for the Buffalos. But then Osawatomie received a huge break.
Prairie View’s next batter, Levi Gochenour, got his bat on one of Sinclair’s offerings, but he was called out by the home plate umpire for stepping on home plate before running down the baseline. Sinclair then struck out Nathan Sommer to end the inning.
Sinclair escaped another jam in the fourth and then retired the next seven batters he faced.
The bottom three hitters of Osawatomie’s lineup staked the Trojans out to a 2-0 lead in the second. Garrett Hall and Tyler Keast led off the inning with back-to-back doubles. Hall scored on Keast’s double for a 1-0 lead.
D.J. Smith then placed a bunt to the right of the pitcher’s mound. Garrett Claar and Haupt initially appeared they were going to combine for the ground out, but Smith beat them to the bag.
That play appeared to faze Claar, as he was called for a balk shortly after, allowing Keast to score.
“That’s D.J.’s job,” Woolery said. “He knows that he doesn’t have the biggest stick in the lineup, by any means. But if he gets on base and uses his speed, we have a good chance of pushing him around.”
Smith, Hall and Jasper Needham each had two hits.
May did some work on the base path in the top of the third to cut Osawatomie’s lead in half. He hit a one-out single, and then stole second and third bases before coming around to score on a wild pitch.
Osawatomie got that run back in the fourth. Hunter Taylor scored on an infield single by Smith for the final tally.
Like Sinclair, Claar (complete game, 10 hits, three runs, three strikeouts) was able to work himself out of several jams. But he didn’t receive enough support from his offense, which stranded seven base runners.
Four-run first propels Prairie View
A four-run first inning carried the Buffalos to an easy 11-1 run-rule victory against Jayhawk-Linn in five innings in the second game of the Pioneer League tournament Friday afternoon.
Minckley hit an RBI single to start the scoring for the Buffalos. Josh Jordan capped off a strong first inning with a two-run single.
Jordan and Sommer each had two hits for Prairie View, which had entered the game winners of eight straight.
The Buffalos sent 10 batters to the plate in the fifth. Two walks to lead off the inning were just the start of a six-run outburst for Prairie View. Jordan ended the game with an RBI single.
Robert Minford plated Jayhawk-Linn’s only run, scoring on an error in the fifth.
Jayhawk-Linn was to play Wellsville in the fifth-place game Tuesday.
Osawatomie dominates Jayhawk-Linn
Tyler Keast struck out Nate Burton on three pitches to start the game. It was just the start of a dominant effort by the Trojans in their 15-0 three-inning win over the Jayhawks.
Keast and Geremy Roberts combined for a perfect game. Osawatomie’s offense did the rest.
Vance Gorman had four RBIs in a 10-run first for the Trojans, which sent 14 batters to the plate in the inning. Gorman pinballed a three-run home run off the right center field scoreboard. Hall added a two-run home run in the second.