DEEPWATER - Macks Creek took to the road on Thursday night, heading to Deepwater to take on the Lakeland Vikings. At the end of the night it was the Vikings emerging with a 14-4 win in six innings.
Macks Creek took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first. Grant English blooped a single into left and moved to second on a wild pitch. After a pop out, Trever Smith walked and both he and English moved up a base on a wild pitch. Tanner Smith then hit a chopper to third, where the fielder made a throw to first that went under the outstretched glove of the baseman. Both Grant and Trever scored and Tanner made it to second. He would advance to third on a wild pitch. Hunter Harris drew a walk to put runners on the corners before Tyler Newcomb flared a ball into right to plate Tanner, pushing the Pirate lead to 3-0. A walk to Dakota Willis would load the bases, but a strikeout would end the inning.
The Pirates stretched their lead to 4-0 in the second inning. Grant collected his second hit of the day with a single to center. He moved to second on a balk, to third on a wild pitch, and then scored on Trever Smith's RBI-groundout to short.
From there it was Lakeland that took control. In the bottom of the third they used two errors and five hits to plate five runs for a 5-4 lead. They plated a single tally in the third, two in the fourth, three in the fifth and then three more in the sixth to create the final margin.
"Offensively we came out and put together some good at-bats at the start," said Jason Trusty of Macks Creek, "we've made some small progress this Fall and keep gaining experience with each at-bat and situation."
"Defensively we are still working and making adjustments as well."
Tanner Smith (0-5) worked through the first four innings. He allowed eight runs, two earned, on eight hits while striking out six, walking two, and hitting one. Kyler Gabriel relieved in the fifth and worked an inning-and-a-third, allowing four runs, two earned, on two hits while striking out three and walking two. Ethan English worked in the sixth with two outs and allowed two unearned runs on two hits when the final runs crossed the plate.
Offensively Grant English paced the offense with a two-for-four night at the plate. He also reached on a fielder's choice and scored two runs. Ethan English singled and Tyler Newcomb had an RBI-single for the only other hits. Trever Smith walked, reached on an error, and had an RBI, Tanner Smith reached on an error, scored a run, and also reached on a fielder's choice. Hunter Harris and Dakota Willis each walked, with Willis also reaching base on a hit-by-pitch.
The Pirates fall to 0-11 with the loss. They play their final home game next Tuesday when they play host to the Humansville Tigers. They then finish the season with games at Humansville on Thursday and then at Crocker on Friday.
The Pirates JV dropped a 3-0 decision in the JV game.
Preston Borgmeyer collected the only hit for the JV Pirates and Kyler Gabriel was hit-by-a-pitch.
Olivier Sanchez started on the mound and took the loss. He worked an inning, allowing one earned run on one hit while striking out one and walking two. Trever Smith worked an inning and allowed two unearned runs while striking out one and walking one.
The JV Pirates fall to 0-7 with the loss.
VARSITY BOX SCORE
1 2 3 4 5 6 R H E
MC 3 1 0 0 0 0 4 4 8
LHS 0 5 1 2 3 3 14 12 2