Colonels hang on for wild 14-13 victory

In a wild game that saw Cass bang out 13 hits with five lead changes and two ties, the Colonels held off Hiram in the seventh inning for a 14-13 Region 7-AAAAA win. The host Hornets led 3-0 in the first inning, but Cass tied the game in the third inning, 3-3. After the Colonels went ahead 6-3 in the top of the fourth, Hiram regained the lead 7-6 in the bottom of the frame. Cass went back ahead 8-7 in the fifth, but the Hornets knotted the score once more in their half of the sixth inning. Then a high scoring seventh inning saw the teams combine for 11 runs with Cass finishing on top, 14-13. Hiram had the tying run on third and the potential winning run on first when Cass reliever Jayden Smith struck out the tenth Hornet to bat in the final inning to preserve the one-run victory.

Cass pitcher Matt Shook (2.1 IP, 1ER, 2H, 0BB, 1K, photo) picked up the pitching win in relief of starter Blaine Ingram (3.2 IP, 7ER, 4H, 8BB, 4K). Thomas Botts (0.2 IP, 5R, 1ER, 1H, 4BB) also pitched for the Colonels in the seventh inning.

Shook paced the Colonels at the plate with three hits and four RBIs. Smith also had three hits and one RBI. Ingram had two hits including a double and two RBIs. Bryson Markley (4 RBI), Clay Means (RBI), Botts, Logan Nelson, and Hunter Lee (double) had the other Cass base hits. Cass (6-5, 2-1) hosts Hiram Monday at 5:55 p.m.