Okarche hammers Lumber Jax to get back into se
Okarche hammers Lumber Jax to get back into semis
OKARCHE COACH Ryan Beaman and senior Easton Roby (top photo) react after Roby belted an RBI triple in the first inning Thursday. The Warriors’ Ethan Kirby (right) came on in relief in the top of the first inning and pitched 3 2/3 solid frames to pick up the win in Okarche’s 15-2 victory against Wright City in the Class A state quarterfinals. [Photos by Chris Simon/www.simon-sports-photos.smugmug.com]
OKARCHE COACH Ryan Beaman and senior Easton Roby (top photo) react after Roby belted an RBI triple in the first inning Thursday. The Warriors’ Ethan Kirby (right) came on in relief in the top of the first inning and pitched 3 2/3 solid frames to pick up the win in Okarche’s 15-2 victory against Wright City in the Class A state quarterfinals. [Photos by Chris Simon/www.simon-sports-photos.smugmug.com]
Wright City scored the first two runs.
Okarche scored the next two…and 13 more after that.
After a sluggish start, the Warriors flexed their muscle as they dominated the Lumberjax 15-2 Thursday in a Class A state baseball quarterfinal showdown in Shawnee.
Okarche pounded out 11 hits in just four at-bats and advanced to the semifinals for the third straight fall season and fifth consecutive season overall.
In each of those previous four trips, the Warriors fell short of making the finals.
The No. 1 Warriors attempted to end that streak against No. 4 Rattan in Friday’s semifinals at Shawnee (after press time of this edition).
Brett Carnott got the start for Okarche, but he didn’t last long.
He hit two batters and gave up a single to start the game and then threw a wild pitch to allow a run to score.
Even when things did go his way - striking out the fourth batter - a passed ball on the third strike allowed the batter to reach and another run to score.
Coach Ryan Beaman then turned to Ethan Kirby, who also needed to settle in.
Kirby walked two batters in the inning, but also got a double play in between and later a groundout to limit the damage.
The Warriors quickly got the runs back.
Luke Hill led off the bottom of the frame with a single and scored on Easton Roby’s triple.
Roby then crossed home on a Carnott groundout.
Although his time on the mound was short lived, Carnott was just getting started at the plate - and so were the Warriors.
They plated four more runs in the second inning - all with two outs.
Cy Collamore pushed one across with his RBI double.
Hill was walked and Roby intentionally walked to bring Carnott to the plate with the bases loaded.
He sent all three of his teammates home with a triple to extend the lead to 6-2.
The onslaught continued in the third inning.
The Warriors added eight more runs, including a three-run homer by Carnott over the left field wall.
Jett Mueggenborg and Kirby also had RBI hits in the inning.
Still not done, Carnott contributed an RBI double in the fourth inning to make it 15-2.
He finished 3 for 4 with 8 RBIs and a run scored.
Roby was 2 for 2 with 2 RBIs and three runs.
Hill also scored three times and drove in a run.
Kirby and Sam Kroener each scored twice.
Six different Warriors drove in at least one run and seven scored at least once.
Kirby pitched into the fourth inning. He gave up three hits, struck out one and walked two in 3 2/3 innings.
Collamore threw the final 1 1/3 innings, surrendered one hit and struck out two batters.
The win improved the Warriors to 28-2.
Rattan beat Cameron 5-4 in their quarterfinal matchup.
The Rams entered the semifinals with a 20-10 record.
They have beaten the Warriors in each of the last two fall semifinals. The final was 5-1 in 2023 and 9-8 last season.
The Warriors have reached the fall championship game one time when they lost 6-1 to Silo in 2010.