The Sudan Hornets’ varsity baseball team saw their season come to an end on Wednesday night, as they fell to the Ropes Eagles in game two, 121, at Lockney High School in the Class 2A-DII Bi-district round of the play-offs.
With the loss, the Hornets finish the season with an overall mark of 9-13.
Isaiah Montoya started on the mound in game two, pitching 2.1 innings, giving up five hits, two walks and six runs, five earned, while striking out one batter. Caleb Groetken came on in relief duty pitching 2.1 innings, giving up four hits, five walks and six unearned runs, while striking out four batters. Kyler Edwards pitched 0.1 innings.
Ryland Kieth opened game two with a single to shallow left field for the Eagles and he took second on a pitch, before Maddux Sierra drew a walk to give Ropes a pair of base runners. The runners advanced to second and third on a pitch, before Kade Franklin hit a chopper to Rylan Willoughby, who got the out at first as Sierra advanced to third and Kieth scored to put the Eagles in front, 1-0.
Jaivyth Cruz drew a walk and Garland Higginbotham was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but Elijah Flores lined out to Haden Provence at shortstop, who went and tagged second base for the double play to retire the side.
In the home-half of the first, Haden Provence hit a chopper up the middle that was fielded by Kieth, who got the out at first for out number one. Jason Bohler struck out looking and Groetken flew out to right field to end the inning.
The Hornets got the Eagles to go three-up-and-three-down in the top of the second. Zach Ramirez was hit by a pitch, but Branson Simental lined out to Willoughby at third base, who threw to first for the double play to clear the bases. Montoya got Cason Kucel to strike out looking to retire the side.
In the bottom of the second, Dylan Provence singled to right field, as Cal Carter came on as the courtesy runner for the Hornets. Edwards hit a short fly to Kieth at shortstop for out number one and Miles Ledbetter popped up to Kieth behind second base for out number two. Willoughby would strike out swinging to end the inning.
The Eagles would get the bats going in the top of the third, as Kieth singled to right field to lead off the inning for Ropes. Kieth took second on the pitch, before Sierra roped an RBIdouble to right field on an error by Santiago Avila, making the score, 2-0.
Franklin kept it going with an RBI-single to left field; he took second on a bad throw home fromAvila, pushing the lead to, 3-0. Cruz ripped a double over Avila in left field to extend the lead to, 4-0, and Higginbotham hit a sacrifice up the middle that was fielded by Haden Provence, who got the out at first, as Cruz advanced to third with one out.
Flores knocked an RBIsingle to right-center field to push the lead to, 5-0, as Groetken relieved Montoya on the mound for Sudan.
Ramirez blasted a doubled to the left-field fence to put runners on second and third and Simental was called safe at first on a dropped third strike that got away from Dylan Provence behind the plate to load the bases. Kucel and Kieth drew back-to-back walks to bring in a pair of runs, stretching the lead to, 7-0.
Sierra hit a sacrifice grounder to Bohler at second base, who got the out at first, as a run scored and the runners advanced to third and second with two outs and the score extended to, 8-0. Franklin ripped a two-RBI double to left-center field to push their lead to, 10-0. Cruz kept it going with an RBI-double on an error by Montoya in left field to push the lead to, 11-0.
Higginbotham was tagged out by Dylan Provence on a dropped third strike to retire the side.
In the bottom half of the third, Montoya and Sam Briseno both struck out swinging for two outs. Haden Provence singled through the left side to give the Hornets a base runner, but Bohler struck out swinging to end the inning.
In the top of the fourth, Flores drew a walk to lead things off, but he was caught stealing by Dylan Provence, as Haden Provence slapped the tag on him for out number one. Ramirez and Simental drew back-to-back walks to give the Eagles a pair of runners and Kucel reached on an error by Willoughby at third base to load the bases.
Ramirez was called out on an appeal at home plate, for out number two, before Kieth was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Groetken got Sierra to strike out swinging to retire the side.
In the home-half of the fourth, Groetken singled on an error by Kieth at shortstop and Dylan Provence followed it up with a single through the left side to give Sudan a pair of base runners, as Carter came on as the courtesy runner for the catcher. Groetken and Carter stole second and third, before Edwards struck out swinging for out number one.
Ledbetter grounded into a fielder’s choice to Higginbotham, as Groetken scored and Carter was held up at second, making the score, 111. Willought struck out looking for out number two, and Montoya grounded into a fielder’s choice to Flores at second base, who got the force out at second to end the inning.
The Eagles would add a run in the top of the fifth, before keeping the Hornets scoreless in the bottom of the fifth, taking the game, 12-1, and the series, 2-0.