MORAN — Marmaton Valley High picked up some key offensive performances and timely hitting to secure a doubleheader sweep over rival Crest Thursday.
The Wildcats erased early Lancer leads in both contests, riding the sterling pitching and hitting of Tyler Lord in the opener, an 11-3 victory, and then rallying from a 5-2 deficit in the nightcap to win, 8-7.
The victories push the Wildcats to 14-3 on the season, while Crest drops to 7-9.
Henry White’s RBI triple and Jensen Barker’s sacrifice fly pushed Crest to an early 2-0 lead after half an inning of the opener.
Garrett Morrison roped an RBI double before Todd Stevenson followed with a two-run double, pushing the Wildcats on top for good, 3-2. Stevenson scampered home for the fourth run.
Marmaton Valley then loaded the bases before Lord singled — his second hit of the inning — for another run. Lane Lord’s infield single plated the sixth run of the frame.
Barker drew a bases-loaded walk in the third to close the gap to 5-3.
It was as close as the Lancers would get.
Morrison singled and scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth to push MV back up by three before the gates opened in the Wildcat half of the sixth.
Kris McVey singled home Stevenson, Chris Ferguson drove on a run after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, Tyler Lord hit a sac fly and the final run scored on an error.
Tyler Lord allowed two hits over 5.1 innings, with 10 strikeouts. Lane Lord came on in relief, allowing two hits with a strikeout.
Tyler Lord went 3-for-4 with a double. Morrison and Stevenson both had a single and double. Lane Lord, Thomas Allee, Kris McVey, Brevyn Campbel and Ferguson all had singles.
Kole Walter pitched 4.2 innings, allowing eight hits with three strikeouts. Lane Yocham pitched 1.1 innings with four hits allowed.
White tripled and singled to pace the Lancer offense. Walter singled twice.
GAME 2 was a bit crazier.
White doubled with two outs in the first and scored on Jensen’s single to give Crest the lead.
But an error and walk led to RBI grounders from Morrison and Stevenson to push the Wildcats ahead, 2-1.
The Lancers were poised to take full control in the third. Walter walked and Andrew Donovan doubled to set up a sac fly from White and a run-scoring single from Will Dosbrow. Yocham followed with a two-run single, and suddenly the Lancers were up, 5-2.
