Steve Chapman
Copy Editor
The Crowder Roughriders defeated the number-one ranked Connors State Cowboys with a score of 5-2 on Tuesday, April 8, to gain their 30th victory this season.
Things heat up at the bottom of the fifth
The game began with the Cowboys scoring a run at the top of the first inning; the Roughriders answered in the bottom of the second when Blake Wilfong got on base and then was batted in by Jordan Dey to bring the score to 1-1. The Cowboys scored another run at the top of the third, bringing the score to 2-1.
The score remained 2-1 until the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Lazo got on second base with a double and then Ty White walked to 1st. Chris Scroggins hit a single which batted in Lazo, bringing the score to 2-2.
Casey Vaughn heated things up by batting in both White and Scroggins. He was batted in by Sam Hilliard, making the score 5-2, which the Roughriders maintained for the rest of the game.
“We…drove the ball into the gap”
Coach Travis Lallemand had high praise for his team after the game.
“We got great pitching performance out of three guys that we ran out there,” he said. “You know, we got down early and (then) came back and got the big double in the gap that scored two guys and kind of swung the momentum our way…tonight we took advantage of the opportunities we had, drove the ball into the gap when we needed to and got great pitching.”
“A pretty hard-fought game”
Third Baseman Garrett Mays said the teams’ victory was hard won.
“It was a pretty hard-fought game on both sides,” he said. “We just come up with some big hits to pull in the lead right there, put up a big inning and the pitching was outstanding tonight. That’s what won the game; putting up a solid defense.”
The Roughriders will next travel to Park Hills, MO to face the Mineral Area Cardinals at Mineral Area College. The two teams will play four games over the weekend.
For more information about the Roughriders, including player rosters and a schedule of upcoming games, go to http://www.crowder.edu/athletics/baseball/
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