Sports
Tigers crush Wolves 10-0
Sunday, 29 April 2012 by Chuck Kelly
Chase Cryer and the Tigers baseball team have been on a roll winning two in a row. Pictured Cryer in the Tigers win over Shoemaker. Photo by Mark Magnan.Head coach Eddie Cornblum's varsity Tigers (13-9, 7-3) posted their second shutout in a row with a run-rule shortened 10-0 thumping of Shoemaker Tuesday evening at Tiger Field.
The Grey Wolves were set down 1-2-3 in every inning but the fourth when the leadoff batter beat out a throw to first....their only hit of the night.
Belton senior Hunter Houston was masterful on the mound with five strikeouts and the lone hit before Layne Pickens came in with that wicked sidearm throw to finish off the Wolves in order in the top of the fifth. The Tigers banged out nine hits.
Houston got the night started with two K's and a fly out in the first; another strikeout and his "D" turned a double play in the second; strike out No. four in the third; and his fifth whiff of the evening in the fourth to leave that lone Shoemaker base runner stranded.
In the meantime, the Tiger bats had a workout. In the first, Shane Ward walked and Max Hogan slammed a double off the left field wall to score him for the first run. Austin Bishoff was next and shot a 2-2 pitch up the gap to bring Hogan home. 2-0 after one inning.
Belton scored two more runs in the second and it looked like déjà vu...Joe Pare singled to center field and Ward walked and stole second. With two teammates on, Hogan smahed another double off the center field wall that scored courtesy runner Ryan Neimi; Bishoff sent a sacrifice fly to left that allowed Ward to score the Tigers' fourth run. After two innings, 4-0 for the home team.
In the third, Jarred Janczak doubled to right and Chase Cryer singled to center and with runnrs at second and third, Walker Winders flew out to right field, allowing Janczak to score.
The Tigers put the "icing on the cake" with five more scores in the bottom of the fourth to set the stage for the mercy rule finish...10-0 for the Tigers.
"Timely hitting was good down the line, pitching was good. So far, so good," observed Cornblum after the game. "We have four or five games left and we just have to keep rolling, keep taking care of business. Now, we have to get ready for Temple Friday night."
Last Thursday night, prior to Easter break, Temple College committed Blayton Magana tossed a five-hit 3-0 shutout against the Knights in Harker Heights. After throwing a one-hitter in their first meeting at Tiger Field, Magana allowed only one runner to reach third and none made it to second after the third inning as he struck out seven.
"Blayton threw great," coach Cornblum said."and we played good defense behind hm. It's obviously a big win."
Not only did the Tiger senior turn in another good performance on the mound, Magana got his team on the scoreboard first, when he got a one-out single to left to score second-baseman Max Hogan for a 1-0 lead in the top of the opening period.
After setting down the Knights in the first, left fielder Shane Ward tacked on another run with an RBI single that brought shortstop Walker Winders across home plate.
Two innings....two runs....and the game remained that way until the top of the seventh. There were scoring opportunities for Belton but the Tigers just couldn't get the runs across until Austin Bishoff shot a sacrifice fly deep into the outfield to score Ward.
Three-nothing....game over after the Knights failed to score in the final at-bat.
Belton will attempt to beat arch-rival Temple for the second time this season Friday evening when the two teams collide at Tiger Field.
