Kerens baseball sweeps Martin’s Mill to start district
Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kerens’ Lane Lynch scores a first-inning run during his team’s March 13 district win over Martin’s Mill.
Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kannon Ritchie of Kerens, playing first base March 13 against Martin’s Mill, steps on the bag for an out.
Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kerens pitcher Krayton Ritchie strikes out 10 Martin’s Mill batters while giving up no hits at home March 13.
Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kerens shortstop Andrew Conklin fires to first base March 13 to nab a Martin’s Mill batter on a grounder.
KERENS–The Kerens Bobcats baseball team started District 20-2A play with a sweep of the Martin’s Mill Mustangs, winning 18-0 March 12 on the road, then coming home for a 10-0 run-rule victory March 13.
During Kerens’ March 13 win, Bobcat pitcher Krayton Ritchie allowed zero hits while striking out 10 Mustangs. In the bottom of the first inning, Ryan Priddy of Kerens reached first base on an error, then Lane Lynch slapped a single to right-center field. After a double steal, Kannon Ritchie walked the bases loaded.
Next, Kannon’s brother, Krayton Ritchie, hit a deep double to center field, which plated Priddy and Lynch for a 2-0 Kerens lead. Following that, Lionel Escobedo laid down a bunt single, which brought home Krayton Ritchie for a 3-0 Bobcat first-inning advantage.
In the second inning for Kerens, JJ Hightower and Priddy walked, then Lynch was hit by a pitch. With the bases loaded, Kannon Ritchie doubled off the right-field wall, scoring three runs and giving the Bobcats a 6-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Kannon Ritchie hit a 2-run triple that scored Priddy and Kobe Bailey to increase the Kerens lead to 8-0. After that, Krayton Ritchie drove in Kannon Ritchie with a hard-hit single, allowing the Bobcats to surge ahead 9-0, all with no outs. Later, with one out, Hightower hit a fielder’s choice to score Escobedo for the tenth Kerens run.
In the top of the fifth inning, Lynch of Kerens (playing catcher) caught a pop-fly foul ball for the third Martin’s Mill out, securing his team’s run-rule win.
