Game 1
With a Tuesday showdown against Eudora looming, the Monarchs made sure that they were takin' care of business vs the Bonner Braves on Wednesday. After brief rainshowers came through at Midland, the double-header was moved to Bonner where the crimson crew didn't miss a beat. Read on, folks.
After a scoreless first inning by both teams, Midland drew first blood. Or should I say, they hit an artery! Leading off in the second, Peyton Morris smashed a double to the wall on the first pitch he saw. Mac Stephenson calmly singled him home, taking second on the throw. Two outs later, Jacob Reinhart earned himself a plate of double-chocolate mocha cookies with a l-o-n-g drive over the left-field fence for a two-run homer. Possibly shaken by the blast, the Bonner pitched walked Joel Donn on four pitches, gave up a single to Logan Glaze, then a single from Ryan Ash to bring in runs five and six.
Staked to a five-run cushion, starter Kyle Ptasnik sent Bonner down 1-2-3 in the second (including two strikeouts), and then did it again in the third (with yes, two more Ks). However by then he had a seven-run lead, thanks to the Midland offense. Clay Lambrecht parked his second homer of the summer over the right field fence on the first pitch of the inning. On the second pitch, Peyton picked up his second double of the game, and on the third pitch of the inning, Mac singled to right to pick up his second RBI. Unfortunately, Mac just might have confused the two RBIs with two outs, at least based on his baserunning later in the inning (you mad, bro?)
Even with seven runs in the bank, Midland still wanted more. With a homer already in his pocket, Jacob added a double to his tally, and later came in on Ryan's second hit (and third RBI) of the day, effectively ending the outing of the Bonner pitcher.
The Braves got a runner to third in the fourth inning after a HBP and a single, but catcher Peyton cut down the runner with a rope throw to second, then Kyle convinced the final batter of the inning to pop to the pitcher on a nine-pitch AB. After four innings, the score stood at 8-0 with only two Bonner hits, and five strikeouts.
Inning five was more of the same, thanks in part to the new Bonner hurler. With one out, he walked two batters and then hit Cody Guthrie to load the bases. A fielders' choice brought in a run, as did singles from Jacob and pinch-hitter Alex Connely. The bottom of the fifth was a mere formality as Kyle added two more strikeouts, finishing off the game with a three-pitch swinging K and an 11-0 victory. When you only give up three hits but collect 13, you're gonna win a lot of ballgames...
NOTES: This was only the fourth time in Monarchs summer history that the team hit two homers in the same game... Jacob Reinhart only lacked the triple as far as hitting for the cycle... Bonner only had two runners reach third base and neither scored... Peyton, Mac, and Jacob reached base every time they came to the plate... Kyle reduced his ERA to 2.95, thanks to his five shut-out innings...
Game 2
There are some baseball games that are better covered with bullet points than with a full writeup. And the second game of the Bonner double-header definitely falls into that category.
- Pitching: Starter Tanner Holland got the win with three shoutout inning, 34 pitches, and three hits
- Defense: Error-free ball for the sixth straight game
- Offense: 14 runs and nine hits for the Monarchs
- Midland sent 10 men to the plate in the first (five runs)
- Midland sent 14 men to the plate in the second (eight runs)
- Midland had nine straight baserunners in the second
- Midland's two-through-five hitters came to the plate fifteen times, and reached base 13 of those times
- Final score, 14-0 Midland
NOTES: Bonner had two players wearing #6 and one of them relieved the other on the mound in the second inning... Kyle Ptasnik ended the game with a defensive gem at third, snapping up a grounder barehanded and flipping a backhand across the field to Jacob Reinhart at second... Mac Stephenson, Jacob, and Dylan Smith all picked up RBIs on bases-loaded walks... The first three hitters in Midland's lineup saw 34 pitches during the game, the same number of pitches that Tanner threw to the entire Bonner lineup...
