Warriors drop 2 to Independent

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN TOM STOPPEL
The Marion Warrior baseball team headed south to play Wichita Independent Friday, and were defeated in both ends of a double-header.

Marion dropped the first game 4-3, and squandered a 7-3 lead to drop the nightcap, 8-7.

In the opener, Independent scored single runs in each of the first three innings to take a 3-0 lead.

Independent added another run in the fifth off starter and loser Mitch Enos.

Marion finally got its offense untracked in the sixth, scoring both of its runs.

Clayton Chamberland led off with a one-out walk, and scored on a Tyler Richmond single coupled with an Independent error.

The next batter was Jason Matz, who promptly singled home Richmond, making the score 4-2, Independent.

Richmond and Matz both collected two hits in the contest, while the rest of the Warrior team only had one hit combined.

“Jason and Tyler tore the cover off of the ball,” coach Sean Spoonts said.

Marion went quietly in the seventh inning, with all three batters striking out.

What should have played out to be a pitchers’ duel was skewed by five Marion errors.

Heine was the winning pitcher for Independent, striking out 12, while giving up five hits and one earned run.

Enos pitched brilliantly, throwing a complete-game four-hitter, striking out seven and allowing only one earned run.

“Mitch pitched well, but he has done better,” Spoonts said. “But when you give up one earned run, you should walk away with a victory.”

Spoonts pointed to his team’s defensive lapses and lack of hitting as the cause for the loss.

“Too many errors cost us the ball game,” Spoonts said. “Also, we were inconsistent with our hitting. Our last five batters went 0-for-15, while the top four in the order went 5-for-11.

“I was more disappointed with our offense than with any other aspect of the game.”

Game two found Clayton Chamberland on the hill for the Warriors.

Marion jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Chamberland reached base and came home on a Mitch Enos triple. Enos scored on an Independent error.

Independent took the lead in the second inning 3-2.

Marion regained the lead in the fourth inning scoring two runs, and added two more in the fifth to take a 6-3 lead.

Marion added what looked like an insurance run in the sixth inning to take a 7-3 lead.

Poor fielding cost the Warriors three errors and five runs in the sixth inning, however, erasing their four run lead.

Chamberland pitched well into the sixth, but took the loss, giving up seven hits and eight runs in five innings.

Jimmy Shipman pitched the last inning in relief.

Marion was outhit by Independent in the second game 8-6.

The Warriors committed 11 errors in the two losses.

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