Marion baseball battles through six-game week

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN TOM STOPPEL
Marion hosted Wichita Trinity in its fifth and sixth games of a long week Friday.

Trinity won the opener, 15-3, although out-hitting Marion just seven to six, and took the second game, 14-7.

Three errors in the opener led to numerous unearned runs for Trinity in its 12-run victory.

Trinity led 7-0 before the Warriors got on the board and cut the lead to 7-3 after four innings. Jimmy Shipman belted a solo home run over the right field fence to highlight the comeback.

But Trinity scored three more runs in the sixth and five in the seventh for the win.

In the nightcap, Trinity roughed up starter Clayton Garnica for eight runs in the top of the first inning and the Warriors never recovered.

The Warriors managed six hits in the game with Tyler Stubenhofer, Shipman and Chamberland each getting two. Shipman drove in three runs.

With the losses, the Warriors’ overall record fell to 4-14.

Moundridge-Marion lost a pair of makeup games to Moundridge, 12-10 and 10-0.

In the opener, Marion broke a 7-all tie after three runs in the fifth inning to grab a 10-7 lead.

But Moundridge battled back off loser Jimmy Shipman in the home half of the seventh inning. The decisive blow came on a two-out grand slam home run to give Moundridge the 12-10 win.

Marion rapped 13 hits in the loss with Josh Kelsey and Clayton Chamberland both getting three.

In the nightcap, Moundridge erupted for nine runs in the bottom of the second inning to build a quick 10-0 lead.

Marion scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings on hits by Chamberland and DeForest, but it wasn’t enough to extend the game past the fifth inning on the 10-run rule.

Kelsey and Shipman each collected two hits to lead the Warriors, which had just six hits in the game.

Chase County-Marion lost to state-ranked Chase County last Tuesday, 6-5 in a nine-inning opener and 22-11 in the nightcap.

In the opener, Jimmy Shipman faced off against Jeff Kohlmeier.

After Kohlmeier mowed down the Warriors on three consecutive strikeouts, Chase County went to work. A single, double, walk and another single with just one out gave the home team a 3-0 cushion after one inning.

Marion cut the lead to two runs when Shipman belted a triple to right center, then scored one out later on a ground out by Josh Kelsey.

In the bottom of the third, Chase County’s leadoff hitter reached on a Warrior error and eventually came around to score on a wild pitch for a 4-1 Bulldog lead.

Kohlmeier, meanwhile, continued to dominate the Warrior hitter, striking out nine in just four innings. But Shipman settled into a groove of his own, shutting down the Bulldogs.

It wasn’t until the seventh inning that things began to get interesting.

Shipman led off with a solid single into center. But the next hitter, Neil Waner, forced him at second.

After Kelsey grounded out to third base for the second out, Marion staged a dramatic two-out rally.

Tyler Stubenhofer reached on an error as Waner scored, and Clayton Garnica walked to put runners on first and second. Jeffrey Richmond singled to center to score Stubenhofer and cut the lead to 4-3.

Clinton Jefferies, a defensive replacement, was up next. The sophomore delivered a clutch single over the outstretched arm of the first baseman to tie the game at 4-4 before the final out of the inning was recorded.

That’s the way the score remained until the top of the ninth, when Stubenhofer and Garnica singled to start the inning.

After a double steal put runners on second and third, Stubenhofer took advantage of a deliberate delivery by the Bulldog pitcher and stole home with a beautiful hook slide for a 5-4 Marion lead.

But with one out in the bottom of the ninth, a tiring Shipman walked two consecutive batters, then intentionally walked the next hitter to load the bases.

Shipman hit the next batter to force in the tying run. The Bulldogs won the game one batter later on an error by Marion.

Shipman struck out eight, allowed just five hits and walked seven.

In the Game 2 slugfest, the Warriors scored a single run in the first and second innings before exploding for five runs in the third, two in the fourth, four in the fifth, five in the sixth and four more in the seventh.

Marion pounded out 18 hits. Chamberland, Shipman and DeForest each had four. Shipman drove in three runs as Marion improved its record to 4-10 for the season.

Coming-The Warriors will travel to Herington on Thursday for a pair of games, and await their opponent for the regionals next week at Lyons.

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