Tigers’ pitching rights itself in pair of shutouts

When Fort Scott High School’s baseball team struggled to split a doubleheader against Paola Monday night, it was because the Tigers’ pitchers had trouble hitting the strike zone.

Friday at Dave Regan Stadium, both Tiger pitchers — Connor Masters in the opener and Chandler Defebaugh in the nightcap —did a better job of throwing strikes and that made things easier for a defense that turned three double plays and didn’t commit an error.

The Tigers beat Coffeyville in both games 10-0 in five innings.

“The difference for us tonight was just (fewer) walks,” Fort Scott head coach Josh Regan said. “We stressed between Monday and tonight with our pitching staff was what what we call ‘A3P,’ which is that after three pitches, we want two strikes and we want the ball in play. That’s exactly what we did tonight. So when (Coffeyville) put the ball in play, there was nobody on and it didn’t to any damage.”

Masters (2-1) allowed 4 hits, didn’t walk anyone and struck out 2 in the opener, which was the first time the Tigers (5-3 Southeast Kansas League, 7-7 overall) posted a shutout this season.

Defebaugh (1-1) allowed 2 hits and 2 walks and struck out 3 in the second game. That was the sixth time the Golden Tornado (0-8, 0-13) have failed to score this season.

Masters was also Fort Scott’s leader at the plate in game one. He had 2 hits and drove in 4 runs, the first in the bottom of the first when he hit a 2-out single to being in Kieran Houlihan, who had been hit by a pitch.

Ty Gorman led off the second with an infield single and stole second. Marcus Jamison walked and both runners moved up on a passed ball. Brody Bowles reached on an error, which allowed Gorman to score. Jamison made it 3-0 when Alec Michaud brought him in on a sacrifice fly.

Grant Goldston hit a single up the middle and stole second in front of Master’s third-inning RBI single that made it 4-0. Masters drove in 2 more with a single during a four-run fourth. The game ended in the fifth after Matt Campbell hit a 2-out double to score Goldston with the second run of that inning.

Goldston and Michaud were each 2 for 3 for the Tigers.

Fort Scott scored 8 runs in the first inning of game two. Only one of the runs was earned and the Tigers needed just 4 hits.

Coffeyville set the Tigers down in order in the next two innings. Goldston walked with 2 out in the fourth and then advanced home on three straight pitches that evaded the catcher, making it 9-0. Campbell doubled leading off the fifth and Cooper Bradbury ended the game when Coffeyville was unable to make a play on Campbell when Bradbury hit a ground ball to the second baseman.

The Tigers needed only 5 hits to win the game, one each by Michaud, Houlihan, Masters, Campbell and Gorman.

On the night, four Coffeyville pitchers allowed 15 hits, issued 9 walks and didn’t strike out a single Tiger batter.

The Tigers will be busy to begin next week. Monday, they will play a make-up SEK doubleheader at Labette County. Tuesday, they’ll face Nevada at home in a varsity/JV doubleheader. The varsity game begins at 4:30 with the junior varsity to follow.

Game One

Fort Scott.. 121 42x x — 10 10 0

Two out when game ended.

WP — C. Masters (2-1). LP — Rutherford.

HR — None.

Game Two

Fort Scott.. 800 11x x — 10 5 0

One out when game ended.

WP — Defebaugh (1-1). LP — DeAnda.

HR — None.