Washington baseball team splits wins with Mt. Pleasant

The total number of runs scored by the winning team was the same in both games of a doubleheader with Mt. Pleasant Thursday, June 8, but it was the winner of the two games that changed.

Mt. Pleasant was able to pull out the victory in the first game, winning 14-3, while it was Washington who would reverse the final score in the second game, winning 14-3.

Mt. Pleasant would come out strong in the first inning putting up five runs. Washington tried to respond, by scoring three runs in the bottom of the first, with Michael Gier crossing the plate on an RBI single by Aaron Vittetoe and both Noah Enfield and Collin Zear would score in a two-run RBI by Kiowa Keith after a pop fly to center field.

Those would be Washington?s only runs in the first game as Mt. Pleasant put up another run in the second, three more in the third, two in the fifth and the final three in the sixth inning to end the game by mercy rule.

In the second game, Washington would have the strong start as they put up four runs in the first inning. Scoring was Ryan Loy on an RBI double from Zach Londberg. Vittetoe would put the ball in the same spot allowing Londberg to score. Both Vittetoe and Keith would score on a two-run RBI double by Jacob Hall.

Mt. Pleasant scored two runs in the top of the third to shorten their deficit, but Washington would respond by scoring eight runs. Crossing the plate were Keith, Bryce Craff, Enfield, Gier, Loy, Londberg, Vittetoe and Brant Stout, who was courtesy runner for pitcher Zear. That put Washington ahead 12-2 after three.

The Demons scored two more runs in the fourth, one coming from  Loy and the other from Londberg. The Panthers were forced to score three runs in the fifth to keep the game going, but they would only add one more, giving Washington the win.

Coach Nathan Miller says the first game was a tale of the previous five played.

?Between two against Fairfield, Keokuk and the first game, we kind of got out of our element. We got a little hesitant. From a pitching standpoint, it comes down to not having freebies.

?We had nine walks and a hit by pitch in the first game and committed two errors along with a miscommunication that allowed a run. When you take their 10 hits and you add the 10 free bases, the two errors with free bases, that puts 23 guys on base in seven innings. You?re not going to win games. We talked about that after the first game.

In between games, it was a matter of focusing on pitching.

?We had to pitch strikes and step on the mound with an attitude and throw strikes,? Miller said. ?I looked at Collin Zear and told him ?we need a big outing from you.? We needed an outing from a senior and that?s what we got. It was huge.?

?Our guys did a really great job at the plate in the second game with their approaches. They really attacked the zone. It was great to see.?

The boys will play at Mid-Prairie Tuesday, June 13. Miller says that will be a challenge.

?They are vastly improved,? he says. ?Coach Greiner does a great job with those guys and we?re expecting a really good game. The last time we went there two years ago, we didn?t play well and they hung a loss on us. We?re going to prepare ourselves for a hot road game Tuesday.?

The game at Mid-Prairie starts at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.