CHEROKEE — In the team’s toughest league matchup of the season, the Crest High baseball team handled Southeast with ease and picked up another pair of victories Monday.
The Lancers (14-0) opened up the floodgates at the plate and scored 30 runs in 11-1 and 19-0 victories. Trevor Church and Stetson Setter were phenomenal again on the mound, allowing only one run through 11 innings.
“This means a lot. We should finish out top in the league now because they’re the second-best team,” said Rogan Weir, who played center field and shortstop. “Our only goal is to finish the job and win state. We’ve come up short before so we might as well finish it out strong.”
Game one
Much like he’s done all season, Church sat down 12 of the first 13 batters he faced through four innings to allow the Lancer bats to strike first. Crest’s offense struck in the third inning when Avery Blaufuss walked with the bases loaded for a 1-0 lead.
Jensen Barker then came to the plate and drove in three runs on a single which he stretched into a double due to fielding errors for a 4-0 lead. Barker then scored on a Wyatt Scales wild pitch for the 5-0 Crest advantage heading to the bottom of the third.
“It makes me feel like I did my job and I got what I needed to get done,” Barker said. “I just go up to the plate knowing I’m going to hit. I always want to be ready. A lot of it’s confidence. We’re always in our heads at bat, so may as well make it something good.”
In the fourth inning, Rogan Weir drove home another run on an RBI single to center field before Holden Barker and Weir both scored on an overthrow of third base for the 8-0 lead.
When Logan Kistner and Ryan Golden reached first base in the top of the fifth inning, they were plated on a Church RBI single and a White RBI groundout for the 10-0 edge.
Church surrendered his first run of the season in the bottom of the fifth when Kolby Lovell took home on a pickoff between first and second base. It was the third out of the inning for Crest’s defense but the run scored because Lovell touched home before the out was made at first.
Crest held on for the 11-1 victory.
Overall, Church had a masterful complete game performance, giving up three hits and striking out 12 batters while not allowing a base runner until the bottom of the fourth inning.
Game two
The first game’s momentum carried over into the second. Crest posted 19 runs and enjoyed another dominant pitching outing from Stetson Setter.
Southeast’s starting pitcher Easton Renn was touched with five runs on three hits and five walks.
Both Renn and Stetson have committed to play for Coffeyville Community College next year.
Crest struck right away in the top of the first when Weir slugged a three-run homer to left field for the early 3-0 advantage. The two base runners were Church, who reached on a leadoff single to start the game, and Setter, who reached by walk.
“I just want to try and keep the ball in play, even if you just tap it it’s better than nothing,” said Weir. “We don’t have to hit it real hard to get on base, just base hits. Our lineup, one through nine, is there and everybody can hit. If we’re all on, it’s a scary lineup to face.”
Kade Nilges made a difference at the plate for Crest when he drove home two runs on a single up the middle for the 5-0 edge in the third. Jensen Barker then knocked home a run on an RBI single in the fourth for the 6-0 lead.
