'Hound baseball wins 3 of 4 to open season

PITTSBURG -- Fort Scott Community College's baseball team opened its season with three wins in four games played over the weekend at Jaycee Ballpark here.

Friday, the 'Hounds swept Cloud County, winning the first game 5-3 and the second game 7-6.

Saturday, North Central Missouri joined in. The Greyhounds beat Cloud County, 10-5, in the first game. Then the Pirates swept their two games, beating Cloud and Fort Scott by identical scores of 4-1.

Friday: Fort Scott 5-7, Cloud County 3-6.

The Greyhounds scored 2 in the bottom of the sixth to extend its lead to 5-2, then held off the Thunderbirds in the top of the seventh.

Nick Banman had 2 hits and drove in 2 runs for Fort Scott.

Cody Tolbert (1-0) pitched the first four innings, allowing 2 runs on 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6. Ryan McCullough pitched the fifth and sixth, allowing just one hit while striking out 3. Matt Peterson pitched the seventh, allowing a run on 2 hits and 2 walks but striking out 3.

The Greyhounds rallied in the bottom of the seventh of the second game, scoring 4 times to take the win. Leadoff hitter Kaden Shaffer was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI. Trey Hair hit a home run as one of his 2 hits and drove in 2 runs. Jake Harvey and Andrew Tanous also had 2 hits each.

Brendan Janes (1-0) was the winning pitcher, pitching a perfect inning of relief in the top of the seventh and striking out 2 batters.

Saturday: Fort Scott 10, Cloud County 5.

Fort Scott scored the majority of its runs in the first 4 innings --3 each in the second and third -- as it went out to an 8-3 lead.

Hair went 3 for 4 and drove in a run. Mitch Sloan was also 3 for 4, scoring 3 runs. Shaffer and Malik Sams each had a home run as part of a 2 for 3 day. Shaffer drove in 3 runs and scored twice. Sams scored 3 runs and drove in 2.

Nate Westfahl (1-0) was the winning pitcher, going 3 2/3 innings, allowing no earned runs on 5 hits and 1 walk. He (8) and Banman (9) combined to strike out 17 Thunderbirds.

North Central Missouri 4, Fort Scott 1.

The 'Hounds held a 1-0 after four. The Pirates tied the game in the top of the fifth and scored 3 runs in the sixth.

Jake Dyer was the only Greyhound with 2 hits.

Games scheduled for Sunday and Monday were cancelled due to the weather. The 'Hounds will face Muscatine (Iowa) at Lions Field Friday and Saturday, weather permitting.