Friday, March 29, 2024

Baseball Eagles Open Spring 2014 Season

Assistant coach Tim Elliott and the rest of the baseball team look on as senior Dylan Graves hits a home run to center en route to 12-0 win against Pope County. Photo by Lucas Wright

March 19, 2014

The Vienna baseball Eagles opened up the Spring 2014 season with a visit from the Pope County Pirates.

The Eagles wasted no time plating three runs in the 1st inning.

Dylan Graves led off with a single, moved to second base on a groundout and promptly stole third base.  After a walk to Christian Dahncke, Graves came home to score on a wild pitch.  Tylour Daubert’s bloop RBI single plated the second run, a pair of passed balls on the Pirate catcher allowed Daubert to score and the Eagles led 3-0 after one inning.

The first two Eagles reached base via an error in the bottom of the 2nd inning.  Graves followed with a 3-run home-run to double the Eagle lead.  Blake Crain singled and Dahncke was hit by a pitch to put two more Eagle runners on.  They advanced to second and third with one out on another wild pitch.  Both would come home to score on a throwing error by the Pirate pitcher.  The Eagles would add one more run on the fourth Pirate error of the inning.

The Eagles led 10-0 after two innings.  Graves led off the 3rd inning by taking a fastball right between the numbers.  He then stole second base and came around to score when the throw trickled into center field.

Back to back singles by Dahncke and Daubert accounted for one more Eagle run to provide the final margin.  Dahncke worked the first three innings on the bump for the home squad allowing two hits and striking out seven in the winning effort.  Crain fired the final two frames allowing no runs on no hits, he walked one and struck out four.  The Eagles beat the Pirates 12-0.

Upcoming Eagle games this week, Wednesday at Crab Orchard @ 4:30, Thursday @ Egyptian @ 4 p.m., Monday vs. Herrin @ 4 p.m., and Massac County next Tuesday, April 1, @ 4:30.

The JV Eagles hosted the Carterville Lions for a double header on Saturday.

The Eagles were defeated 7-1 in the opener and only collected two hits.  Doubles by Nathaniel Ross and Jamee Cole were all the Eagles could muster against the tough Lions hurler.

The Eagles bounced back and won game 2 by a 3-0 score.  Lane Wright, Ross, and Christian Pearl combined on the 3-hit shutout.  Wright was 1-1 at the plate, Gabe Thornton was 1-2 with an RBI, and Rocky Henderson was 1-2 with an RBI.

The JV Eagles host Massac County on Saturday for a doubleheader at 11 a.m.