Ark Valley News - Hornets lose to Ark City, split with Eisenhower

Bryson Mosher hits the ball April 12 against Eisenhower. The Hornets split a home doubleheader with the Tigers and lost two April 16 at Ark City.

Hornets lose to Ark City, split with Eisenhower
By Randy Fisher
Last Updated: April 18, 2019

Pitching and defense — or rather the lack thereof — doomed the Valley Center High School baseball team this past week. Despite outhitting their opponents, the Hornets lost three out of four games. They are now 3-7 overall and 1-3 in the Ark Valley Chisholm Trail League II.

Valley Center outhit Ark City 18-15 in losing 17-7 and 11-5 on April 16. The Hornets committed five errors in each game and walked a total of 25 batters.

They split with Eisenhower at home April 12, losing 13-5 before winning 2-1. In the first-game loss, Valley outhit the Tigers, committed four errors and walked 11 batters.

"We threw a lot of pitches and walked too many guys," coach Nick Barnes said. "We continue to hit the ball. We got to be better in the pitching category and defensive category. If we can put that together, we're going to be a pretty darn good baseball team."

In the first game against Ark City, five Valley errors led to eight unearned runs in the five-inning loss.

The Hornets got on the board in the first inning when Wyatt Jones tripled to right and Jason Johnson walked. Jones later scored on an error. With two outs, Johnson stole second and scored on a single by Gavin Adams for a 2-0 lead.

Leading 2-1, Valley added four more runs in the second. Three of them came home on a bases-clearing double by Johnson. He scored on Blayne Hightower's two-out single for a 6-1 lead.

Ark City went in front to stay with seven runs in the bottom of the second to grab an 8-6 lead.

Hightower scored on an error that cut the deficit to one, 8-7, in the fourth.

Ark City scored four in the fifth and five in the sixth for the run-rule win.

Adams allowed eight runs, all unearned. He walked eight in less than two innings to take the loss.

Adams went 2 for 2 with an RBI. Mason Burns also had two hits and scored once. Jones and Johnson each scored twice.

Another five errors by Valley Center contributed to another run-rule loss in the second game.

Trailing 2-0, Adams doubled and moved to third on a bloop single by Payton Graham. Eli DeBaun reached on an error, as Adams scored and Graham advanced to third. He came home to tie the game when Burns flew out to left.

With Ark City leading 7-2 in the third, a two-out triple by Adams scored Hightower.

The Bulldogs added four in the third for an 11-3 lead.

In the fifth, Jared Newton singled and scored from first on a double by Johnson, who took third on the throw to the plate. Hightower singled in Johnson to make it 11-5.

Ark City scored twice in the bottom of the fifth for a 13-5 advantage.

The Hornets scored their final run of the game in the sixth on an RBI single from Aaron Diehl. They also left the bases loaded.

The Bulldogs pulled off another run-rule win with three in the sixth for a 16-6 victory.

Adams went 3 for 3 with a run scored and an RBI. He was 5 for 5 in the doubleheader.

DeBaun had a couple of hits and an RBI for the Hornets.

Jones took the loss, lasting only 1 and 1/3 innings. Valley's pitchers combined for 13 walks and five strikeouts.

The Hornets split a home doubleheader April 12 against Eisenhower. Valley lost the first game 13-5 but won the nightcap 2-1.

In Game 1, Valley tied the game at 2 in the third. An RBI single by Burns scored Adams in the second, and Johnson scored on a wild pitch.

Leading 3-2, the Tigers scored eight runs after two were out in the fifth. They were aided by seven walks, a hit batsman and a wild pitch. Eisenhower had just two hits in the inning, but one was a three-run double. Valley also committed an error, one of four in the game.

Johnson tripled to start the fifth and scored on a sacrifice fly by Aaron Diehl to make it 11-3.

Each team scored twice in the seventh. Johnson doubled to right, his fourth hit of the game, and Diehl walked. Both came home on a single by Adams for the final score.

Johnson was 4 for 4, including a double and a triple, with three runs scored.

Wyatt Hager started and took the loss for Valley Center. He pitched into the fifth, with Adams, Myles Thompson and Bryson Mosher following him to the bump in that inning.

In Game 2, Graham picked up his second win of the season in a 2-1 victory.

"Payton filled the zone up really well. He worked ahead a lot. We made some good defensive plays behind him. He competed all night," Barnes said. "That's what we've got to get out of all our other guys. He did a fantastic job, gave us a chance to be successful and we scored just enough to win."

Graham allowed four hits and one run in six innings. He walked four and struck out four. Burns pitched a 1-2-3 seventh, recording one strikeout, for his second save of the year.

Valley pushed across a run in the first without a base hit. Jones walked and advanced to second on a passed ball. After Diehl walked, Jones stole third. He scored on Hightower's ground out to make it 1-0.

The Hornets added what turned out to be the winning run in the fifth. DeBaun opened with a single. Courtesy runner Carson Kraus moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Burns. A single by Jones brought Kraus home for a 2-0 lead.

Eisenhower scored its run on a bases-loaded walk in the sixth.

Burns used just eight pitches to retire the Tigers in order in the seventh.

A pair of Eisenhower pitchers allowed four hits, all singles. Two of them came off the bat of Jones. DeBaun and Newton had the other hits for Valley.

JV wins four — Valley's junior varsity sweep both Ark City and Eisenhower and is 6-5-1 on the season.

Valley took a 7-0 lead into the seventh inning and held on to defeat Ark City 7-3 in the first game. Zach Romig went 3 for 3 with a double, a triple and three runs scored. The Hornets had 12 hits, including doubles by Karson Keeler, Romig, Brett Turner and Weston Jennings. Phil Metcalf and Romig each had a triple. Titus Elsner allowed two runs through six innings to get the win.

The Hornets led all the way in posting a 6-4 win. Blaine Minihan and Metcalf combined for a five-inning two-hitter. Romig had a pair of hits and knocked in two runs. Alex Gillig also had two hits.

Valley Center used two strong pitching performance to sweep Eisenhower.

Romig pitched a four-hitter, allowing one unearned run, in a 4-1 first-game victory. Six Hornets had one hit each. Philip Metcalf knocked in two runs.

Nash Crosby allowed five hits and two runs in winning 6-2. He struck out four and walked none in the five-inning game. Keeler had two RBI.

Ark City 17, Valley Center 7 (six innings)

VC 240 100 — 7 8 5

ARK 170 045 — 17 6 5

Adams, Newton (2), Mosher (5), Diehl (6) and DeBaun; Abrams, O'Toole (6) and Nittler. W — Abrams. L — Adams (1-1). 2B — VC: Hightower, Johnson; ARK: Dayed. 3B — VC: Jones; ARK: Bucher, O'Toole.

Ark City 15, Valley Center 6 (six innings)

VC 021 021 — 6 10 5

ARK 254 023 — 15 9 2

Jones, Johnson (2), Thompson (3), Hightower (6) and DeBaun; Hensley, Bucher (5), O'Toole (6) and Nittler. W — Hensley. L — Jones (0-2). 2B — VC: Adams, Johnson. 3B — VC: Adams; ARK: Nittler. HR — ARK: O'Toole.

Eisenhower 13, Valley Center 5

EIS 200 180 2 — 13 4 3

VC 011 010 2 — 5 8 4

Reynolds, Crothy (5), Milledge (7) and Wisner; Hager, Adams (5), Thompson (5), Mosher (5) and DeBaun. W — Reynolds. L — Hager (0-2). 2B — EIS: Reynolds; VC: Johnson. 3B — VC: Johnson.

Valley Center 2, Eisenhower 1

EIS 000 000 10 — 1 4 1

VC 100 001 0 x — 2 4 3

Mackney, Milledge (6) and Wisner; Graham, Burns (7) and DeBaun. W — Graham (2-0). Mackney.