The Sudan Hornets’ varsity baseball team dropped game one of their Bi-district Series with the Ropes Eagles on Wednesday afternoon, 11-1, at Lockney High School in the Class 2A-DII Bi-district round of the play-offs.
Haden Provence started on the mound for the Hornets, pitching 3.1 innings, giving up five hits, two walks and eight runs, three earned, while striking out three batters. Caleb Groetken came on in relief duty pitching 0.2 innings, giving up three hits, two walks and three runs, two earned, while striking out one batter.
In the top of the first inning, Haden Provence drew a lead-off walk for Sudan, but he would be picked off at second by Zach Ramirez for out number one. Cal Carter hit a grounder up the middle that was fielded by the second baseman, Radley Partington, but Carter was able to beat the throw to first to give the Hornets another base runner. Groetken doubled through the left side and Dylan Provence flew out to Partington in shallow right field, allowing Carter to tag up and score from third. However, on the same play, Groetken was thrown out at third by Ramirez to retire the side, with Sudan in front, 1-0.
In the home-half of the first, Haden Provence got Ryland Kieth to pop up to Carter in shallow right field for out number one. Maddux Sierra grounded out to Carter at second base for out number two and Kade Franklin flew out to Groetken in center field to end the inning.
The Hornets couldn’t get anything going offensively in the second inning, as Jason Bohler popped up to second base for out number one and Miles Ledbetter chopped out to Franklin at third base for out number two. Kyler Edwards singled down the third-base line, but he was thrown out trying for second by Sierra to retire the side.
Haden Provence got Jaivyth Cruz to strike out swinging to begin the bottom of the second inning, but Elijah Flores drew a walk and Ramirez singled through the left side, before Garland Higginbotham ripped a two-RBI double down the third-base line to put the Eagles on top, 2-1. Partington laid down a bunt that was fielded by Haden Provence, but Carter was late covering first base, as the throw rolled into right field, allowing Partington to take second as a run scored to make the score, 3-1.
Brayden Hogg was thrown out at first on a dropped third strike, as Partington took third with two outs. Kieth knocked an RBI-single up the middle to extend their lead to, 4-1, and he took second on a pitch, before Sierra singled on an error by Montoya at shortstop, putting runners on the corners for Ropes.
Franklin, though would fly out to Groetken in center field to retire the side.
In the top of the third, Rylan Willoughby hit a chopper to Flores on the mound, who got the out at first and Sam Briseno chopped out to Higginbotham away from the bag at first base, who flipped it to Flores covering at first for out number two. Haden Provence chopped out to Franklin at third base to retire the side.
Cruz singled to center field to lead things off for the Eagles in bottom of the third and he took second on a pitch, before Flores hit a one-hopper to Montoya at shortstop, who got the out at first, as Cruz advanced to third on the hit. Ramirez laid down a bunt to Haden Provence, who got the out at first as Cruz scored to extend their lead to, 5-1.
Higginbotham would pop up to Haden Provence on the mound, but the ball was dropped, however the runner was called out for verbal interference to end the inning.
In the fourth, Carter popped up to Kieth at shortstop for out number one and Groetken chopped out to Partington at second base for out number two. Dylan Provence drew a walk to give Sudan a base runner, but Bohler flew out to center field to retire the side.
In the bottom of the fourth, Haden Provence got the lead-off man, Partington to strike out looking for out number one. Hogg singled under the glove of Willoughby at third base and he would steal second on the pitcher and third on a passed ball, before Kieth walked to put runners on the corners.
The Eagles would execute a hit-and-run as Kieth broke on the pitch and Sierra hit a shot through the left side for an RBI-single to push their lead to, 6-1. Groetken relieved Haden Provence on the mound for Sudan, as Kieth scored on a passed ball and Sierra went first-to-third on the play, making the score, 7-1.
Franklin popped up to Bohler at second base for out number two, but Sierra scored on a passed ball to extend the lead to, 8-1. Cruz kept the rally going with a single to left field and he would take second on a bad pick to first by Groetken, before Flores roped an RBI-double into the leftcenter field gap to push their lead to, 9-1.
The Eagles stole third on a passed ball, before Ramirez hit a shot to Haden Provence at shortstop, beating the throw to first as another run scored to push the lead to, 10-1. Higginbotham and Partington drew backto- back walks to load the bases and a run scored on a passed ball to stretch the lead to, 11- 1, before Groetken got Hogg to strike out swinging to end the inning.
Cutter Stumbo relieved Flores on the mound for the Eagles, as he got the Hornets to go down in order on strikeouts to end the game, as the Eagles took game one, 11-1.