The Canton-Galva summer Babe Ruth team?consisting of 13- to 15-year-old boys?began Cottonwood Valley league play May 31 by splitting a doubleheader at Chase County.
Canton-Galva lost Game 1, 6-4. Chase County led 3-2 after the first inning, but Canton-Galva tied it at 3-3 with a run in the top of the third inning. Chase County scored three runs in the bottom of the inning to seal the game.
?A two-run error in the third led to three runs that proved costly,? coach Kelly Nelson said. ?We had trouble with the boys from high school adjusting to the slower pitching in our first game of the season.?
Nick Bray had two runs batted in, while Caleb Sovde, Ryan Grant and Tanner Klingensmith each contributed two hits.
Klingensmith absorbed the pitching loss.
The Eagles followed with a 19-3 victory in four innings. After a one-run first inning, the Eagles scored six runs in the second, five in the third and seven in the fourth.
Chase County managed all three of its runs in the fourth inning.
Bray had three RBIs while Logan Ybarra, Klingensmith, Sovde and Grant each drove in two runs. Chris Miller went 3-for-3 at the plate.
Bray was Canton-Galva?s winning pitcher.
Canton-Galva followed with a sweep of Hillsboro Monday, June 3 at Galva.
The Eagles won Game 1, 16-0. Canton-Galva led 5-0 after two innings and scored 11 runs in the bottom of the third inning to extend its lead to 16-0.
Miller went 2-for-3 at-bat, including a triple and a two-run double. He had two RBIs. Grant hit a three-run homer and finished with four RBIs. Reed Wiens went 3-for-4 and Sovde went 2-for-2.
Klingensmith (1-1) was winning pitcher and Wiens pitched in relief.
Canton-Galva followed with a no-hitter 19-2 victory in Game 2 with Bray on the mound.
Jordan Gagnebin and Bray each went 2-for-3 with three RBIs. Grant was 2-for-3 with a triple.
The Eagles followed with a doubleheader sweep at Peabody Friday. Canton-Galva won 11-2 in Game 1.
?We had to play without our starting catcher and leadoff hitter Chris Miller, who was injured, but Ethan Loyd stepped into the leadoff spot going 4-4 with three runs and two RBIs,? coach Kelly Nelson said.
On the mound, Klingensmith gave up one unearned run on two hits while striking out six and walking no one.
The Eagles followed with a 13-1 victory in Game 2. Canton-Galva scored 10 runs before Peabody scored in the bottom of the fourth inning.
The Eagles added three runs in the fifth.
Grant was 2-for-3 at-bat, including a double. Reed Wiens was 3-for-3 at-bat with three RBIs.
Bray earned the pitching win, recording 17 strikeouts.
