Tigers go 1-1 in first 2 games of ’24 season
The McClain Tigers baseball team opened their 2024 season Saturday with a loss to the Adena Warriors, but came back on Monday and earned their first win of the season by defeating the Piketon Redstreaks at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe.
On Saturday, it was McClain falling to Adena 10-4 in their non-conference season opener at Adena, where of the 10 runs allowed by MHS, only three were earned runs.
The game was tied at 1-1 after each team scored a run in the third inning, but the Warriors had a nine-run fourth inning for a 10-1 lead after the fourth was complete. MHS added three runs in the sixth inning for the final runs scored in the game.
MHS totaled four runs, four hits and committed four errors, while Adena finished with 10 runs, 12 hits and no errors.
For MHS, Andrew Potts was 2-for-3 with one RBI and one walk. Seth Weller finished 1-for-3 with two runs, one RBI and one walk. Jayden Allison ended his day at 1-for-2 with two walks.
Connor McCune scored one run and walked twice, Benny Vangundy scored a run, Kaden Penwell forced a walk and Cohen Six also forced a walk and added an RBI. Eli Douglas also forced a walk for McClain, as the team forced nine walks in the loss.
Six and Vangundy each were hit by a pitch.
Potts pitched three innings (74 pitches, 37 strikes), allowing one run (one earned) on five hits and two strikeouts. Easton Ary (56 pitches, 37 strikes) also pitched three innings, allowing nine runs (two earned) on seven hits, and he totaled three strikeouts.
BOX SCORE
MHS 001 003 0 — 4 4 4
AHS 001 900 x — 10 12 0
Monday night (March 25) at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe, the Tigers gained their first win of the season, defeating their non-conference counterpart, the Piketon Redstreaks, 9-8.
For the game, the Tigers totaled nine runs, eight hits and committed three errors, while Piketon had eight runs, five hits and committed three errors.
McClain held a 6-0 lead after the second inning, with all six runs crossing the plate in the top of the second. Piketon answered with a five-run fifth inning for a 6-5 score.
The Tigers added to their lead with a two-run top of the sixth, only to see the score tied when Piketon scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth, tying the score at 8-8.
McClain gained the lead and eventually the win with one run scored in the top of the seventh for the one-run victory.
Six led MHS at 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Weller, Penwell, Potts, Allison, Owen Sykes and McCune each had a hit for MHS. Potts finished with two runs, while Weller also scored two runs. Sykes, Vangundy and Douglas each scored one run in the win.
Penwell pitched 5.1 innings (99 pitches, 57 strikes), allowing eight runs (five earned) on four hits and he struck out four batters. Six pitched 1.2 innings (22 pitches, 15 strikes), as he was the winning pitcher. Six allowed no runs on one hit, and he struck out two batters.
The two games leave MHS at 1-1 overall this season.
BOX SCORE
MHS 060 002 1 — 9 8 3
PHS 000 053 0 — 8 5 3
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