Ranked teams split: No. 2 Paola wins opener; No. 3 Tigers take nightcap

Wyatt Reehl pitches to a Paola batter during the second inning of the second game of Monday's doubleheader at Lions Field. Reehl allowed one run of 3 hits, didn't walk anyone and struck out 4 as he got the win for the Tigers, 4-1. Paola won the first game, 9-4. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

Some say that if a team's going to split a doubleheader, it's somewhat better to win the second game so that the day ends on a high note.

But teams with the standards of Paola and Fort Scott High, ranked second and third respectively in Class 4A-Division I by the Kansas Association of Baseball Coaches, want to win every game. So while each team might be okay with coming away with one win each after Monday night's doubleheader at Frary Field, neither would be exactly happy about it, either.

"We're never happy with a split," Fort Scott head coach Josh Regan said after his Tigers lost the opener to Paola 9-4 but bounced back to win the nightcap 4-1. "The guys aren't celebrating right now. And that says a lot about our guys that they're not just happy with splitting with a very good ball club. Paola is outstanding.

Alex Fink looks back to see where Kaleb DeLaTorre ended up after scoring the go-ahead run on DeLaTorre's sixth-inning single in the second game of Monday night's doubleheader against Paola. (Scott Nuzum/Tribune)

"We come away a better ball club because we were challenged by a really good team and, hopefully, we learned some lessons."

Paola stopped Fort Scott's 12-game winning streak in the opener by taking advantage of five Tiger errors. Although they led after one inning, Fort Scott (13-2) just wasn't prepared to play, according to Regan.

"We made a couple of mistakes early," Regan said. "And then we got caught up in them let it snowball a little bit. There's a lesson to be learned there. After an error, we have to be able to let it go and play the next pitch. And we didn't do that in game one.

"I thought I did a poor job of having us ready right out the gate in game one. We just looked like we were a little bit slow. And that's on me."

Mitch Sloan led off the game for Paola (8-3) with a double to left field, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch as the Panthers took a 1-0 lead.

Jake Bradbury walked to lead off the bottom of the first for the Tigers. Jake Durossette reached base on an overthrow of first base and both runners got an extra base then scored on Kaleb DeLaTorre's single to center, which put Fort Scott ahead, 2-1.

The first Tiger error allowed Jake Trumbly to reach base leading off the second. Seth Slayman singled and Nick Sloan walked. Trumbly scored on a wild pitch and Slayman made it all the way to third on the play. He scored on Brock Huber's sacrifice fly, giving Paola a 3-2 lead.

Ben Rodriguez doubled leading off the third for the Panthers. Two errors helped him score, making it 4-2. Five hits and an error allowed Paola to score 5 runs in the fifth.

Bradbury singled with one out in the seventh. DeLaTorre doubled with 2 out to score Bradbury and later scored himself on Zach Denton's single.

DeLaTorre was 3 for 4 in the first game for Fort Scott with 3 RBI. Rodriguez, Hunter Locke and Mitch Sloan each had 2 hits for Paola. Rodriguez also drove in 2 runs.

Trey Taylor allowed one earned run on 4 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6 in 6 innings for Paola. Carter Young (3-1) was chaged with 9 runs, 7 of those earned, on 8 hits and a walk while striking out 6 in 3 1/3 innings. Jacob Payne allowed one hit and struck out one in 3 2/3 innings of relief.

Game two was scoreless for the first three innings. DeLaTorre had the only hit for either team in that stretch, a first-inning, 2-out single.

Wyatt Reehl (3-0) gave up a 2-out double in the top of the fourth to Rodriguez but got Chase Jorgensen to pop up to Durossette at shortstop to end the inning.

Durossette also led off the bottom half of the inning. His grounder to short turned into a high throw to first, which allowed him to end up at second base. He took third on a wild pitch and scored on Mason Knopp's sacrifice fly.

Paola tied it in the top of the fifth when Trumbly hit a solo home run off the left-field foul pole.

Alex Fink led off the bottom of the sixth and was hit square in the back of the helmet by a Locke pitch. Bradbury bunted him over to second. DeLaTorre singled with one out to score Fink with what held up as the game-winning run.

Knopp doubled to score DeLaTorre and Chase Brown singled to make it 4-1.

"Credit to the guys for coming back and winning game two after a disappointing loss," Regan said. "Sometimes, you snap a winning streak and it's tough to get it going again. But they bounced right back and found a way to win game two with some clutch plays, so I'm really proud of them for that,"

DeLaTorre was 2 for 3 in the second game for the Tigers, which capped a 5-for-7, 4 RBI day for the sophomore second baseman. Knopp had 2 RBI.

"We had some clutch hits in that second game, Mason Knopp, Chase Brown really came up big for us when we had to have it" Regan said. "I'm just really proud of a lot of guys. Some guys really stepped up for us."

Reehl allowed just 3 hits -- Rodriguez had 2 of them -- and didn't walk anyone while striking out 4 in 6-plus innings. After Rodriguez singled leading off the seventh, Grant Goldston came in and got the final three outs in order for his first save.

"Wyatt was outstanding in game two," Regan said. "That's the best he's pitched and that's saying something. He's really making a push for himself. I'm really proud of him because he works hard.

"Grant came in and shut the door. To come in and do that as a freshman is big."

Fort Scott will step back into Southeast Kansas League play Thursday when the league-leading Tigers travel to Coffeyville to take on the No. 9-ranked Golden Tornado (6-2 SEK, 9-3 overall). A split would assure that defending champion Fort Scott gets no worse than a share of the league title. A sweep would clinch the SEK for the Tigers.

NOTES -- Fort Scott has won 17 straight SEK games, last losing to Pittsburg in the first game of league play last season....

The Tigers started last season 4-4, having lost the first game of an April 12 doubleheader at Paola. Winning the second game that day has propelled the team on a run in which it's won 24 of its last 27...

Paola wore camouflage black jersies....

Paola started the season 6-0, according to its schedule posted on MaxPreps, including a pair of wins over both Louisburg -- both by shutout --and Chanute. However, the Panthers were swept by DeSoto, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A-Division I, on April 22 by scores of 3-2 and 6-4. Last Thursday, they routed Prairie View, 17-2, in a single game....

DeSoto is 9-0, including a 9-1 win over Class 6A Shawnee Mission South and a 4-3 victory over Class 6A Blue Valley North....

The KABC has been releasing its poll on Thursdays this season, so it will be another couple of days before it's seen how this doubleheader split will affect the rankings. Topeka Hayden is ranked No. 4 although it's only 6-6. However, Hayden is the only Class 4A school in a 6A/5A league and has also played Shawnee Mission South and Warrensburg, Mo....

Game One

Fort Scott........................... 200 000 2 -- 4 7 5

WP -- Taylor. LP -- Young (3-1).

HR -- None.

Game Two

Fort Scott........................... 000 103 x -- 4 4 0

WP -- Reehl (3-0). LP -- Locke. Sv. -- Goldston (1).

HR -- Paola: Trumbly (5th inn., none on, none out).