In a game where they pounded out 14 hits and scored 10 runs, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact the Vienna Eagles probably won Friday’s game with Calvary Lutheran thanks to manufacturing some early runs.
Playing in their opener of the Calvary/New Bloomfield Tournament, Vienna scored the first two runs of its 10-0, six-inning win at Calvary Lutheran thanks to three hits that never left the infield, two stolen bases, a dropped third strike and a wild pitch.
It was the start of an efficient offensive day for the Eagles, who added three in the second, one in the third, two in the fifth and two in the sixth to win it going away.
“We did some small things and got some bunts down early to put some pressure on them,†Vienna coach Tyler Shalbot said. “Then we did a good job of adjusting to the pitching.â€
The Eagles opened the bottom of the first with a bunt single by Dakota Hollis. He then stole second and went to third on an infield single by Tanner Helton. After Helton stole second, a dropped third strike forced a throw to first that allowed Hollis to score and moved Helton to third. Helton then came in on the aforementioned wild pitch.
“Any time we can put pressure on with a bunt, it seems like it’s hard for high-school teams to field them,†Shalbot said. “That’s part of our game plan and one of the things we really try to do.â€
That came into play again in the second, as a bunt single by Tyler Roberds scored Gavin Stricklan, who had doubled and moved to third on a passed ball.
Roberds eventually moved from first to third when Hollis beat out an infield single and scored on a groundout by Helton. Hollis later scored on a passed ball.
“We did some things that could have kept the game closer if we hadn’t done them,†Calvary coach Rusty Bourg said. “We work on bunt coverage and then we look like we haven’t, we work on keeping runners relatively close and then look like we haven’t.
“It’s one of those games where you come out a little lethargic and they jump on the scoreboard and soon they’re way up.â€
The Eagles made it 6-0 in the third thanks to back-to-back doubles by Ethan Bull and Logan Agan.
Vienna increased its lead to 8-0 in the fifth. Braeden Patton doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Agan, while Bull singled and scored on a single by McCrae Fuller.
The Eagles ended the game due to the run rule in the sixth without making an out, getting a single from Roberds and a double from Hollis before Helton ripped a double down the left-field line to score them both. Half of the Eagles’ 14 hits ended up being doubles.
“We try to hustle out of the box and I think we did a good job of that,†Shalbot said. “We took a couple extra bases just by simply hustling.â€
A perfect example of that came in the first when a high popup by Bull eluded a trio of Calvary defenders and he ended up beating a throw into second base.
“That was a bang-bang play, but my guy doesn’t get there if he just jogs it out because he assumes it’s going to be caught,†Shalbot said.
Fuller got the win on the mound, throwing a complete-game four-hitter, walking just two and striking out eight.
“He’s a freshman and that was only his second varsity start,†Shalbot said. “He threw last weekend, too, and threw a shutout, so that’s his second one in a row. That’s excellent to see.
“I thought he got better as the game went on. That last inning, his velocity was much better. I told him his pitch count was getting up and we were maybe going to take him out. He didn’t want me to take him out, he wanted to finish it. That’s what you want from your pitchers.â€
Colin Bernskoetter had a pair of hits to pace Calvary, with the only other hits for the Lions being singles by Shea Crisp and Jordan Duenckel.
“(Fuller) knew what he was doing, had great tempo,†Bourg said. “The catcher would throw a fastball back to the mound, he’d catch it, get on the rubber and here we go again.
Third-seeded Vienna improved to 7-5, while sixth-seeded Calvary dropped to 5-4.
“They’re a good team and we knew that — that’s why they were seeded pretty high,†Bourg said. “It’s just one of those things where they played well and we didn’t play as well as we could have and the score reflected it.â€
Both teams return to action this morning at Calvary. The Lions will play seventh-seeded Tuscumbia in a loser’s bracket semifinal at 9 a.m., while the Eagles will play second-seeded California in a winner’s bracket semifinal at 11 a.m.
The fifth- and seventh-place games will be held at 1 p.m. at sites to be determined, while the third-place and championship games will be played at 3 p.m. at sites to be determined.
III
On Thursday, Agan threw a complete-game four-hitter and struck out five as Vienna beat Cuba 2-1.
Hollis doubled and scored the Eagles’ first run in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Parker Hayes. Hayes added a double in the fourth inning and scored on an error.
Hayes ended up with two hits and one RBI.
The win improved Vienna to 2-0 in the Gasconade Valley Conference.