After scoring at least ten runs in five of their six previous games, the Strafford Indians (6-4) had the script flipped on them in a hurry on Wednesday as Mid-Lakes Conference foe Stockton (9-1) continued its red-hot hitting.
The 10-0 run-rule victory, Stockton's third such win of the season, was highlighted by a seven-run third inning that saw 11 batters come to the plate for the Tigers.
GAME PHOTOS: STOCKTON VS. STRAFFORD
Indians starter Drew Stoll, who took a no-hitter into the fifth in his win against traditional power Springfield Catholic just 12 days prior, allowed six runs on seven hits and a walk before being pulled in the fateful third inning.
“I thought we competed really well at the plate,” Stockton head coach Darren Henderson said. “We were taking a lot of pitches and working counts. Our goal was to kind of see how many pitches we could make [Stoll] throw and get to him late. In the third inning, we were able to break it open.”
Things started ominously enough for the young hurler as Stockton senior catcher Alex Wheeler took Stoll deep for a two-run homer just two batters into the game – setting the tone for what was to come two frames later from a veteran-laden team.
“It's tough when you're a sophomore throwing against seniors,” Strafford coach Shane Pierce said in reference to Stoll. “But he's getting better and he'll keep getting better.”
The Tigers held a healthy 9-0 advantage by the time the top of third inning was through – giving Stockton pitcher Collin Burns more than enough breathing room to battle a dangerous Indians lineup.
After retiring the side in order in the first, Burns put at least a pair of runners on base in each of the next three innings, but was able to wiggle out of trouble each time to preserve the goose egg in the run column for Strafford.
“That's who he is,” Henderson said of his starting pitcher. “He's not a strikeout guy. He's not going to come out here and strike out 20 guys, but he's going to throw strikes, he's going to move the ball around and he's going to give our defense a chance to make plays for him. That's why he's been successful.”
On the night, Burns yielded four hits while striking out four and walking two in five innings of work.
Five different Stockton hitters recorded two hits in the win. Eli Hubbard, Ryan Ankrom and Zakk Burns, the 5-6-7 hitters for the Tigers, combined to go 6-for-9 at the dish with five RBI and four runs scored.
“They're a really good baseball team,” Pierce added of Stockton. “They have eleven seniors on that team and every one of them competes. All the credit goes to them today, they did a good job.”
Both teams return to the diamond tomorrow as Stockton travels to Ash Grove, while Strafford hosts Hartville.
