Paschal hurls Blair Oaks past Hallsville

WARDSVILLE — There were so many baserunners Monday, Ryan Paschal didn’t even notice he was in the middle of throwing a one-hitter.

“No, I actually really didn’t realize I still had it going on,” the junior said. “I was just trying to throw strikes.”

Hallsville reached base 10 times and Blair Oaks had 22 baserunners. Though 13 of those Falcons were stranded, Blair Oaks had more than enough defense to get Paschal the win, 9-2.

Paschal struck out seven and didn’t allow an earned run, working around three walks and two hit batters.

“He competed, and that’s what we’re asking,” Blair Oaks coach Travis Henke said. “He threw strikes for the most part, and when he fell behind, he found a way to come back and even the count up and then got an out.”

Paschal also threw a one-hitter last season and has been part of a combined no-hitter.

On offense, the Falcons had 11 hits, six walks and were hit by five pitches. Still, Blair Oaks stranded runners on second and third in every trip to the plate but their last. Three times the Falcons left the bases loaded.

“It’s nice that we’re getting that many on base, but you’d like to see that number cut in half,” Henke said, referring to Blair Oaks’ left on base total. “Later down the road, it’s going to bite us if we don’t get those runners in. So it has its good and bad where we can have that many on base but we don’t get them in.”

The Falcons’ first runner of the game wasn’t stranded. Adam Schell tripled to left and was driven in on a fielder’s choice by Cole Stockman.

The Indians briefly took the lead, however, after a two-out double and a two-run error in the second inning.

“You’re going to make errors in baseball,” Henke said. “It’s how you move on to the next play, and I think we did a good job on making the adjustment and turning the defense around.”

The Falcons had an error in each of the first three innings, though they then settled in, most notably on a diving fifth-inning stab by Jason Rackers at first.

“It’s nice to have them pick you up after those first two rough innings,” Paschal said. “And then they come out and pick you up like that. That’s what a pitcher wants and likes.”

The Falcons didn’t take long to regain the lead. Jordan Hair doubled to left to begin the bottom of the second and Frankie Falotico drove him in after Mason Gipe walked. Schell doubled in Gipe and Falotico, and the Falcons had the lead for good.

Blair Oaks added one run in the fourth, three in the fifth and one in the sixth for good measure.

“It actually does help a lot when they score those two on that error, that (we) can come back and we can score,” Paschal said.

The Falcons accounted for six extra-base hits.

“I told the guys before the game, ‘Be aggressive,’” Henke said. “‘The outfield takes some funny hops every once in a while and just be aggressive. Think two out of the box.’ And I think that’s what we did.”

Blair Oaks didn’t shy away from wearing pitches, either.

“We’ve been talking about that and working on it,” Henke said. “It’s a free base. Take it. It doesn’t feel good to get hit, but hey, you’re on base.”

Blair Oaks (13-4) hosts Helias today.