FSCC baseball sweeps Indy in conference opener

Fort Scott Community College’s baseball team opened Jayhawk Conference-Eastern Division play with a sweep of Independence at Lions Field Thursday afternoon. These games were originally scheduled to be played at Independence but the teams agreed to switch sites with the Greyhounds traveling to play the Pirates this afternoon.

The Greyhounds (2-0 division, 12-2 overall) took the opener 10-6 and the nightcap 13-3.

Earlier in the week, Fort Scott swept junior varsity teams in a pair of doubleheaders. Monday at Dave Regan Stadium, the Greyhounds posted 5-0 and 10-0 wins over the Ottawa University JV. Tuesday, they swept the Evangel JV 16-0 and 21-0 in Springfield, Mo.

Fort Scott High School product Carter Young hit his second home run of the season in the second game against Ottawa. FSHS grad Grant Goldston drove in 2 runs in the second game against Evangel.

Indy scored first in Thursday’s opener but the Greyhounds responded with 5 in the bottom of the first. Owen Wilson put the first two on the board with a 2-run home run in the bottom of the first, driving in Cole Solomon, who had walked with one out. Andrew Morrow and Quinn Waterbury hit back-to-back singles ahead of Sean Moore’s first homer of the season, making it 5-1.

Alexi Cazarin scored on Morrow’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second to make it 6-2.

Solomon led off the bottom of the fourth with a line-drove home run to left field. Wilson, Morrow and Waterbury all followed with singles. Collin Farley drove in Wilson with another single to make it 8-3. Ben Kiefer singled in Waterbury and Farley for the Greyhounds’ final pair of runs.

Independence (0-2, 3-10) scored twice in the top of the sixth and once in the top of the seventh.

Wilson, Morrow, Waterbury and Cazarin each had 2 hits for the ’Hounds.

Wyatt Folsom (2-0) earned the win on the mound, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 4 hits and one walk while striking out 5. Tanner Lane pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief, allowing no earned runs on 2 hits and walk with one strikeout. Farley finished up with the final 1 1/3 innings, striking out 2.

Michael Barnes (3-1) allowed 2 earned runs on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4 over the first six innings of the second game.

McConnell was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI for the ’Hounds while Morrow was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI, Waterbury was 2 for 4 with 4 RIB, Moore went 2 for 5, Keifer was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and Cazarin was 3 for 4.

The Greyhounds tied the score 1-1 after one when McConnell led off with a walk, moved to third on Solomon’s hit and scored on a fielder’s choice.

Moore led off the second with a triple and scored on a Keifer single. Keifer moved up on a passed ball and scored on McConnell’s grounder to make it 3-1.

Fort Scott scored 9 times in the bottom of the third, which went a long way toward activating the 10-run rule after seven innings.

---

Game One

Independence................ 111 002 1 — 6 6 0

Fort Scott.......................... 510 400 x — 10 12 2

WP — Folsom (2-0). LP —Foster (0-1).

HR — Independence: Benge (1, 2nd inn., none on, 2 out). Fort Scott: Wilson (2, 1st inn., 1 on, 1 out), Moore (1, 1st inn., 2 on, 2 out), Solomon (1, 4th inn., none on, none out).

Game Two

Independence............. 100 101 0xx — 3 4 0

Fort Scott..................... 129 000 1xx — 13 18 0

WP — Barnes (2-1). LP —Goeshen (0-3).

HR — Independence: Benge (2, 1st inn., none on, 1 out), Pinkett (1, 4th inn., none on, none out).