Hagans walks off game one, Washington takes game two

MT. PLEASANT — Mt. Pleasant and Washington baseball battled Monday night in a pair of Southeast Conference games.

The Panthers and Demons each took a share of wins on the night, with Mt. Pleasant taking game one 9-8 and Washington game two 12-3.

Game one, was a back and forth contest between the two conference opponents.

In game one, the Panthers took the lead 8-7 in the bottom of the sixth, but the Demons tied it in the top of the seventh.

An half inning later, Payton Hagans found himself in the box with the winning run at third and he did not disappoint, as he slipped an RBI single between short and third to propel the Panther to a game one victory.

“I just needed to put the ball in play,” Hagans said. “A hit to the outfield gets a run in. I was just trying to put the ball in play and not strikeout.

Game one was anyone’s game all the way until end.

After the fist inning, the Demons and Panthers were tied up at 2-2. In the second, both team had big scoring outbursts.

Washington scored three runs in the second, with Cole Williams bringing a run home on an error. Avery Six then delivered with a triple to bring Williams and Ethan Zieglowsky home, making it a 5-2 game in favor of the Demons.

Mt. Pleasant answered back in its half of the inning as two big errors cost Washington runs. The Panthers got two on with Carson Coleman rushing to second on an error and Hagans getting hit by a pitch. Cooper Keldgord then brought two runs home after making contact and an error by the Demons. Carter Amos and Trevor Wellington then ended the inning with each picking up an RBI off a double and single to retake the lead 6-5.

In the fourth Washington grabbed another run to tie it at 6-6 all. Each team would add two more runs between the fourth and seventh before Hagans hit the walk off winner.

“In game one I though we did a great job of just battling with them,” Mt. Pleasant head coach Brent Broeker said. “Our kids did a great job in that game and ended up hanging on in the end.”

Keldgord gave the Panthers five innings, allowing six runs, 10 hits, two walks and six strikeouts. Lincoln Henriksen went 3-4 in the win with three RBIs.

In the second game, it was playing out much like the first for four innings, but Washington turned on the afterburners late to pull away.

After three innings, the two teams were tied 2-2 and after four it was knotted up at 3-3.

In the top of the fifth, Washington flipped the switch on at the plate.

“This last week we said this is a new season,” Tyler Rausch said. “We’re 0-0 to start the second half of the season. Last week we went 2-1, we’re now 3-2. The boys are happy and their energized with it. We’re in a good spot right now.”

After a Williams single, Zieglowsky hit a triple to deep center field to scored Williams and give the Demons a 4-3 advantage. Avery Six hit an RBI single the next at bat to score Zieglowsky. The two run fifth inning was the beginning of an unanswered nine run onslaught by the Demons until the final out.

“We got walked off in that first game you just got to shake it,” Zieglowsky said. “After that second game it was just a party in the dugout. When everything’s going right for us, it’s just a fun time.”

In its next matchup, Washington will play Fort Madison on Thursday and Mt. Pleasant will take on Davis County Wednesday.