BASEBALL: Claremore splits with Sperry, Booker T. Washington
Mar. 12—Claremore experienced its first setback of the season over the weekend, but it responded to adversity in emphatic fashion to open the week.
After suffering a heartbreaking 3-2 loss to Sperry in walk-off fashion on Saturday, the Zebras blasted Booker T. Washington 14-1 in District 5A-3 action Monday. They boasted a 5-1 record heading into Tuesday's home clash with the Hornets, a game that started after press time.
Claremore scored eight runs in the fourth inning, accounting for six of its 11 hits in that frame alone as Dan Harrington, Tyson Grimett, Kellen Gaede and Brad Hoisington all singled in runs. Tyler Osgood also drew a bases-loaded walk for a run, while Izaak McMahan notched an RBI via a sacrifice fly and Marcos Sallee by a groundout.
Sallee and Gaede led the Zebras at the plate with two hits apiece, while Harrington and McMahan joined Sallee with a team-high two RBIs.
Zach Hale earned the victory on the mound, tossing eight strikeouts while allowing three hits and two walks on 82 pitches through four innings. Grimett threw one inning of relief, finishing with a strikeout and no hits or walks while throwing nine strikes on 15 pitches.
Sallee put Claremore on the board first when he scored on an error in the first inning, but BTW returned the favor in the bottom half following an error. The Zebras created sizable separation in the second, though, tacking on four runs to take a 5-1 lead thanks to a McMahan double, singles from Hoisington and Sallee and another error.
Claremore didn't score in the third inning, but the offense returned to form in the fourth to put the game out of reach.
SPERRY 3, CLAREMORE 2
An untimely error doomed the Zebras as Brady Benham scored on his game-ending RBI triple in the bottom of the seventh inning.
Claremore had taken a 2-1 lead in the top half with a triple of its own from McMahan, who scored Lucas Dupont before finding home on the throw after his line drive to right field. However, the Pirates limited the damage from there, and Houston Asher opened the bottom half with a double to set up Benham's game-winner.
Prior to that, the game was a pitcher's duel as no runs were scored in the second through sixth innings.
Brennan Combs opened the game for the Zebras, striking out two while allowing one run on two hits and a walk on 45 pitches through four innings. Hoisington followed with another two strikeouts, surrendering two runs on three hits and no walks through the final 2.1 frames.
On the other side, it was Aaden Miller keeping Claremore off balance for Sperry. Miller pitched the full seven innings, tossing seven strikeouts while allowing four hits and two walks on 92 pitches.
The Pirates started the scoring in the first when Charles Green reached home on an error, and that is where the tally remained until McMahan's triple in the seventh.
