By Gaylen Duskey
realfang@citlink.net
Playing perhaps its best game of the
season the Calhoun Reds dropped a 14-6 decision to the Parkersburg
Vipers White Tuesday evening at Mount Zion.
The score may have actually been 9-6 if
the game called on the account of darkness reverted back to the
beginning of the sixth inning. As it was the Vipers had a chance to
bat in the top of the sixth and scored five runs but Calhoun was
unable to get its turn at bat.
The killer inning for the Reds was the
first. In that inning Parkersburg put six runs on the board with the
benefit of two hits. The Reds hurt themselves with four walks and two
errors in the inning.
But the Reds were resilient, scoring a
run in the first while threatening to score more.
llen Metheny led off the inning by
being hit by a pitch. He quickly advanced to third with a pair of
stolen bases but he was cut down on a picture perfect throw from the
Vipers' left fielder to the catcher on Seth Moore's single.
With Moore on first and Soney Wilson,
who walked, on second the Reds loaded the bases with two outs when
Caden Hicks singled. A walk to Chandler Newell gave the Reds their
first run of the evening. But the threat ended on a mile-high pop out
to the pitcher.
Parkersburg got the run back in the
second only to have Calhoun again to come back with a run.
Ben Frederick led off the bottom of the
inning with a walk and quickly moved to third on a stolen base and a
passed ball. He scored when Jordan Basnett lined a single.
Parkersburg scored yet another run in
the top of the third only to have Calhoun match that run in the
bottom of the inning.
Austin Hicks walked but was erased at
second on a fielder's choice. After getting the second out of the
inning Calhoun battled back with a pair of walks to load the bases.
Jones then was hit by a pitch to score one run but the rally ended on
a long fly out to center field.
The Vipers added a run in the top of
the fourth for 9-3 lead.
The Reds put the pressure on in the
bottom of the fifth when they pushed across three runs.
Caden Hicks led off with a single and
advanced to second on Christopher Kirkland's safety. Jordan Heiney
was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Frederick was hit by a pitch to drive
in one run. Jones followed with another hit by pitch to drive in the
second run.
After getting two out, but leaving the
bases loaded, Trenton Church walked to force in the third run of the
inning. Another deep fly out to left field ended the threat but the
score was now 9-6 however the Reds seemed to have grabbed momentum.
With the sky rapidly darkening as the
evening sun sat Parkersburg management carried on a long conversation
with the umpire making it even darker when play finally resumed.
In the top of the sixth Parkersburg
pushed across five runs.
Calhoun had no chance to rally as the
game was called by darkness at the end of the half inning, not giving
the Reds a chance to bat.
The Reds will try to break into the win
column Sunday when they play host to the Fort Frye, Ohio, Reds in a
doubleheader. Game time is 1 p.m.
Parkersburg Vipers White 611 105 - 14
9 0
Calhoun Reds 111 03x - 6 6 3
Pitchers; Seth Moore 9 hits, 11
strikeouts, 8 walks.
Hitters: Caden Hicks 2-2; Christopher
Kirkland 1-1; Jordan Basnett 1-3; Seth Moore 1-2, Soney Wilson 1-1.
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