ORIGINALLY WRITTEN TOM STOPPEL
The Marion Warriors lost both ends of a doubleheader to Wichita Trinity on Friday, 9-3 and 13-3.
In the opener, Marion took a 2-0 lead after the first half-inning, but that proved to be their only lead of the day.
Pitcher Mitch Enos struggled and took the loss.
“Mitch didn’t have his best stuff,” coach Spoonts said. “It didn’t look like his fastball was moving like it did earlier in the week.
“Sometimes you just don’t pitch your best,” he added. “You don’t know why but it happens at all levels.”
Marion managed six hits compared to nine by Trinity.
In the second game, Trinity jumped on starter Clayton Chamberland early and often. Jimmy Shipman was called upon for relief work, but didn’t have much better luck.
Shipman belted a home run to highlight the Warrior offense.
But pitching was the story of the game-Trinity was effective and Marion was not.
Trinity pounded out 16 hits, while Marion managed just four in the five-inning run-rule game.
“I don’t know how they got beat by Sacred Heart,” Spoonts said. “They’re tons better than the Knights. Trinity just had exceptional pitching.”
With the losses, Marion saw its season record fall to 6-10.
Chase County-Mitch Enos had a “Sportscenter” night last Tuesday against Chase County.
The Marion senior struck out a school-record 19 batters in seven innings against Chase County.
“He had everything working,” coach Sean Spoonts said. “He was keeping his fastball down in the zone. His curve was really breaking, and he kept them off balance.”
The result was 7-1 victory as Enos got good run support from his teammates. The Warriors roughed up Chase County’s Jeff Kohlmeir with a run in the second, three in the third, one in the fourth and two more in the fifth.
Enos boosted his own cause with two hits and two RBIs while Tyler Richmond contributed two hits and one RBI.
Enos had a shutout going until the seventh inning, when Chase County scratched out a run. Enos settled for a three-hitter.
In the second game, Clayton Chamberland and Jimmy Shipman combined to stifle the Bulldog bats, allowing just five hits between them on the way to a 13-5 Warrior win.
Marion fell behind 3-0 in the top of the first inning, but came back with five runs in the home half of the inning, and never looked back.
Adding four runs in the third and two both in the fourth and fifth innings, the Warriors pounded Bulldog pitching for 13 hits.
Enos led the charge with three hits, while Jason Matz, Jimmy Shipman, Neil Waner and Mohammad Rozaie had two hits apiece.
Shipman crushed a ball to left field that cleared the fence and landed close to the uprights of the north end zone of the Warrior football field goal posts. Shipman finished three RBIs.
Meanwhile, back on the mound, Chamberland threw six strong innings, striking out four, walking four while allowing four earned runs.
Shipman relieved him in the seventh and allowed no hits, struck out one and walked two while giving up one earned run.
The Warriors played error-less baseball in the game.
“One through nine, we’re hitting the ball as well as we have all season,” Spoonts said. “Once your bats get going, it makes your offense do well, and that sparks your defense.
“We’ll be ready for Hillsboro in regionals,” he added. “We’re getting our confidence.”
