Demons snap their six-game losing streak at Durant

Washington snapped its six-game losing streak with a 5-4 win in nine innings in the first game of a non-conference doubleheader at Durant on Saturday, and the Demons went on to also win the second game 16-8 to sweep the Wildcats.

Durant scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to force extra innings, but then the Demons regained the lead in the top of the ninth when junior Jacob Green?s single brought senior Austin Witt home to score the go-ahead run.

Witt then shut the Wildcats down in the bottom of the ninth to earn the win. He threw two scoreless innings, not allowing a hit. He struck out one and walked one.

Washington junior Walker Breard hit a two-run homer in the first inning, and then Witt had an RBI single in the fourth inning to extend the Demons? lead to 3-0. After Durant scored a pair of runs in the fifth inning, senior Kyle Roder scored on a wild pitch in the sixth to put Washington ahead 4-2.

But then the Wildcats got a two-run homer off of Washington starting pitcher Elijah Wood in the bottom of the seventh inning. Wood gave up four runs, three of which were earned, on just four hits in seven innings. He struck out 12 batters and walked six.

?Elijah was pretty much, I?m not going to say on cruise control, but in the innings where they did score it was a leadoff walk and then we had some miscues defensively where we gave them a few extra bases,? Washington head coach Nathan Miller said. ?In the seventh inning, with two outs, he walked a batter and their No. 3 hitter hit Elijah?s one bad pitch of the night over the fence for a two-run homer that tied the game.?

But the Demons were able to regroup and pick up the win.

?It was good for us to get back and pick up that victory,? Miller said. ?Every time we?ve gone down there we?ve had an early lead and they?ve scored multiple runs in the seventh inning to tie or beat us. So to come back and win after they tied it was big.?

The Demons took that momentum into the second game, scoring two runs in the first inning. Junior Tanner Knupp and Green led off with singles, and then Knupp scored on Breard?s sacrifice fly. Green later scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0.

From there, Washington continued to add to its lead, scoring five runs in the fourth inning, six in the fifth and three in the sixth.

The Demons needed those runs, because a freshman and two eighth-graders pitched for Washington. Freshman Michael Ellingson started and gave up five runs, four of which were earned, on three hits in 1 1/3 innings. He struck out one batter and walked one. Then eighth-grader Drake Brezina came in and allowed three runs on six hits in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out four batters and walked one. Michael Gier closed out the game, throwing two shutout innings in his first varsity appearance. He struck out two batters and walked one.

?We threw three guys with very little pitching experience on varsity,? Miller said. ?We need those three to step up the last part of the season to help with some injuries to the staff.?

Roder went 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and three RBIs in the second game. Breard also hit a home run and drove in four runs. Knupp went 4-for-5 with a triple, three RBIs and four runs, and Green was 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs. Wood went 2-for-5 with an RBI, and senior Ezra Graber had a hit and an RBI. Witt had a hit and scored three runs, and junior Mason Quigley scored a pair of runs.

?We played more to our potential,? Miller said. ?[Durant is] not a bad team. They?re playing for their conference championship this week against Wilton. We swept a good team this weekend, and hopefully that improves our confidence for this week.?

The Demons (8-8), who seemed to respond to Miller?s challenge after Friday?s loss to Benton, travel to Danville on Wednesday and then go to Southeast Conference rival Mt. Pleasant for a doubleheader on Thursday.

?I think they decided that they had to make a mental change,? Miller said. ?They had to make a change as far as the attitude to hit. I think they responded really well. Hopefully we take this into Danville on Wednesday and Mt. Pleasant on Friday and continue to build for the postseason.?