Knights sweep Bulldogs in home-away series
By Ray Popkess
The Mississippi Valley Conference baseball season opened up intraleague play on Monday, as Triad and Highland competed in their final matchups as conference foes. Game one took place at Triad High School while game two was played the following day at Glik Park.
Game One
Triad ace Nolan Keller kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard in the first inning by striking out the side, despite giving up a lone single to Trent Henrichs.
Carter Gaskill put the Knights up early with a solo shot over the center field wall, his first home run of the season. Braxton Yates took a walk to first in the next at-bat, followed by an opposite field home run by Keegan Seipp, his league-leading sixth home run of the season. Auggie Bugger laced a double into right field in the next at-bat and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch.
Carter Gaskill rounds the bases after leading off Monday’s game with a solo blast. (Ray Popkess photo)
Keller picked up two more strikeouts in the top of the second, sitting down the Bulldogs one-two-three.
Triad loaded the bases with their three leadoff hitters in their half of the second with two walks and a single in between. Yates picked up his first hit of the game on a line drive to center, but a solid throw from Blake Gelly in the outfield kept runners moving station to station. Keegan Seipp plated another run on a sacrifice fly, and Bugger added Triad’s seventh run on a fielder’s choice. Bulldog second baseman Nolan Barber could not successfully transfer the ball from his glove to his throwing hand, breaking up the potential double play.
Highland got their second hit of the game in the top of the third from third baseman Grayson Stone, but could not string together anything more to crack the scoreboard.
Knight catcher Kade Rocca got the bottom of the third started with a walk, his first of three on the day. He ended up on third base after a throwing error from an infield dribbler off the bat of Kannon Seipp and came around to score on a Brody Hasquin sacrifice fly in the next at-bat. Kannon Seipp scored on a wild pitch during Gaskill’s next at-bat, who later drew a walk and stole second base while Yates was at the plate. Yates pushed a double into the gap, scoring Seipp and putting the Knights up 10-0.
In the top of the fourth, Tyler Mehrtens picked up the Bulldogs’ third hit, a two-out single. Gelly smoked a ball to center in the next at-bat, but Yates was on his horse to track it down, ending the inning.
Reid Burrows shut the Knights down in their half of the fourth, only surrendering a walk to Rocca.
Brody Hasquin loads up a throw to first after fielding a ball from his third base position. (Ray Popkess photo)
Triad rolled the only double play of the game in the fifth after a Phoenix Parker single. Stone put the Bulldogs on the board with a solo blast over the left field wall despite following up the slick fielding play. Barber found a gap between outfielders in the next at-bat with a double. Henrichs traded places with him by lacing a double of his own, giving Highland their second run.
Hasquin led off the bottom of the fifth getting plunked by a breaking ball. Keegan Seipp pushed him over to third with a two-out double down the first base line, but the Knights couldn’t plate any runs in that inning.
Maddox Hunt took the bump for Keller in the sixth inning. His only blemish came from a balk with runners on first and third, the result of a double from Mehrtens followed by a single from Gelly. Hunt struck out the last two batters of the inning, maintaining a 10-3 Triad lead heading into the final frame.
Rocca drew a one-out walk in the bottom of the sixth, bringing up right fielder Nathan Klucker. The second swing of his at-bat was a towering ball that landed over the left field fence, tucked just inside the foul pole. Triad’s 12th run was the last score on the board for them.
Highland put up two more runs in their final chance at the plate, but it was moot as the game ended by a final score of 12-5.
Maddox Hunt closed out Monday’s game on the mound with two innings of work. (Ray Popkess photo)
Game Two
Nolan Houchins took the bump for the Bulldogs at Glik Park on Tuesday. Despite picking up a strikeout to Triad’s leadoff hitter Gaskill, the Knights jumped on him early. Keller knocked a two-out, two-RBI single in his first at-bat, plating Yates and Keegan Seipp.
Matt Morris was on the mound for the Knights and helped Triad keep their 2-0 lead going into the second inning.
Hunt was the first baserunner in the second after poking a single. Once he stole second base, the door was wide open for Gaskill to swing away. He took full advantage, cranking a home run over the centerfield wall. Three batters later, Bugger singled a line drive into right, scoring Yates from second base.
Both pitchers retired the side in order in the third inning.
Gaskill led off the fourth with another blast, his third home run of the season that gave Triad a 6-0 lead.
Highland answered back with two runs in their half of the fourth off an Easton Carey RBI single and a hit-by-pitch delivered to Parker with the bases loaded.
Triad came away with three runs in the fifth thanks to a two-RBI triple from Yates. Carey surrendered a balk on the mound, allowing Yates to cross home, making the score 9-2.
Barber led off the bottom of the fifth with a triple. Kaden Leckrone brought him home with a double two batters later.
Keller responded with a leadoff double in the sixth and came around to score on a Hasquin single, pushing across the final run of the game.
Coming up…
Triad’s next matchup is an out-of-state doubleheader, as they travel to West Paducah, Kentucky to take on McCracken County and Marshall County in back-to-back games on Friday, April 17. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00 p.m.
Highland’s next contest is a road doubleheader against Marion this Saturday, April 18. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m.
