After opening the season with a tough one-run loss, the Whiteoak baseball team responded with back-to-back wins and stood at 2-1 on the season through games played Thursday.
Playing for the third consecutive day Thursday, the Wildcats pounded Georgetown 14-1 in a game shortened to five innings because of the run-rule.
Kaden Moon-Stone went the full five innings to record his first varsity win.
“We scored 11, two-out runs today, which was simply outstanding,” Whiteoak coach Chris Veidt said. “A quality at-bat percentage of 64 percent was another impressive stat. We continue to play outstanding team defense as well. Ian Griffith, Landon Barnett, Carson Emery and Connor Butler had outstanding days at the plate today.”
Griffith was 4 for 4 with two doubles and pair of RBIs. Barnett was 3 for 4 with with a double, three RBIs and 3 runs scored. Butler was 2 for 3 with a double and three runs scored. Luken Roades was 2 for 3 with one RBI and three runs scored. Emery was 2 for 4 with a double, three RBIs and two runs scored.
On Wednesday Whiteoak went to extra innings to beat Paint Valley 2-1 in eight innings.
Ian Griffith got the win in relief by pitching the eighth inning. He did not give up a hit and struck out one.
Barnett and Nate Price both doubled in the game.
“Luken Roades threw strike one and got his off-speed pitches over. Impressive varsity debut,” Veidt said. “Ian Griffith did what is expected of all relievers, came in, threw strikes and that resulted in his first varsity win. Nate Price and Landon Barnett with key doubles that directly resulted in run production. Carson Emery’s key at-bat in eighth contributed greatly to the victory. We took a step in the right direction today with a quality win versus a quality opponent.”
In their season opener on Tuesday, Whiteoak suffered a tough 3-2 Southern Hills Athletic Conference loss to West Union.
Levi Roberts had the Wildcats’ only hit in the game.
Barnett faced 20 batters, striking out 13, before he was relieved. He gave up two earned runs on three hits and two walks.
“North Adams got the timely hits when they needed to. Both of their pitchers, Meade and Taylor, stepped up for them in a large way, offensively as well. Their DH Roades’ RBI single in the sixth proved to be big,” Veidt said. “We pitched it well (Barnett and Stone) and played solid team defense with zero errors. Eli Roberts has been impressive offensively for us through our four scrimmages and that held true today as well. The bottom third of our order was 6 of 9 in quality at-bats, which is a good sign of things to come.”
