The Marion baseball team swept Bennington Friday in an improved outing following Tuesday?s losses to Sedgwick.
?We worked real hard Wednesday and Thursday on our effort, our attitude, those kinds of things, and I think it showed up for the most part,? coach Roger Schroeder said. ?We still can?t stay locked in for every out, and that?s something that a young, inexperienced team is going to struggle with, but we?re getting better.?
The Warriors won Game 1 in three innings, 21-3.
Marion used three hits and an error to score five runs in the first inning, then blew the game open with 16 runs on five hits and four errors in the second. Mason Pedersen reached base on an error, and Bennington?s starting pitcher walked four of the next six Warriors he faced, prompting the Bulldogs to go to their bullpen.
By the time Bennington went to its bullpen a second time, Kruse and Dylan Pippin each had an RBI single to add to two hit by pitches, an error and three walks with only one out. Seth Savage hit an RBI single and Garrett Hoffner also drove in a run before the Bulldogs finally stopped the bleeding.
Bennington scored three runs on four hits in the third, but Marion earned the run-rule victory.
Kruse was 2-for-3 at-bat and had one RBI. Nathan Baldwin had three RBIs.
Jacob Baldwin (1-0) earned the pitching win. In three innings, he gave up five hits and three runs (all earned). He walked two batters and struck out two.
Marion won Game 2, 14-8. Bennington plated a run in the first inning, but Marion responded by scoring five runs on four hits, including a leadoff single by Bret Voth, RBI singles by Kruse and Cole Srajer and a two-RBI double by Corbin Wheeler.
Marion added a run on two hits and an error in the second inning to lead, 6-1.
After Bennington scored three runs, Marion plated two, thanks to a lead-off double by Srajer followed by singles by Savage and Voth, giving Marion an 8-4 lead.
The Bulldogs tied the game with four runs in the fourth. Marion regained the lead with four runs in the bottom half of the inning, and from there, Marion scored its final two runs in the sixth when Wheeler drove in both with a double.
Srajer was 3-for-4 and had one RBI. Wheeler was 3-for-5 and had five RBIs.
Bret Voth (2-0) earned the pitching win. In seven innings, he gave up 12 hits and eight runs (two earned). He walked one batter and struck out eight.
The Warriors committed four errors in the game, something Schroeder said they will need to clean up moving forward.
?We?re not where we need to be, and they know that, but we?re making strides to get there,? he said. ?This was a much better end of the week than the beginning of the week for sure.?
Sedgwick?A doubleheader loss left little for coach Roger Schroeder to praise Tuesday.
?We didn?t pitch well; we didn?t play defense well; we didn?t hit well; we didn?t coach well,? Schroeder said. ?I didn?t have our guys ready to play against a good team, and that?s on me.?
Marion suffered an 8-1 loss in Game 1. But things only went south from there, as the Warriors lost, 19-2, in four innings in the nightcap.
The Warriors played without starting catcher Nathan Baldwin and right fielder Dakota Stimpson, which created some tough assignments, Schroeder said. Senior Nathan Cyr stepped in behind the plate, as did freshman Corbin Wheeler, a contributor at shortstop who had never caught a varsity game. Seth Savage was called to fill in on the mound, with Bret Voth locked in at shortstop and unable to pitch.
Not one for excuses, Schroeder said the absences did not account for the lack of execution.
In Game 1, Sedgwick built a 5-0 lead through three.
Marion got on the board in the fourth inning. Mason Pedersen, who had two of the Warriors? three hits in the game, led-off with an infield single and later scored on a passed ball.
Brylie Ware, however, led-off the fifth inning with a solo shot, and the Cardinals scored their final two runs in the sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Warriors loaded the bases with two outs but could not score. Marion was retired in order in the seventh.
Pedersen was 2-for-3, including a double. Dylan Pippin (0-1) took the pitching loss. Over five innings, he gave up nine hits and six runs (all earned). He walked one batter and struck out three.
Marion lost game 2, 19-2, in four innings. Sedgwick scored six unearned runs in the first inning.
The Warriors responded with a run in the bottom of the inning, thanks to an RBI single by Jacob Baldwin.
Both teams added a run in the second. Marion used a leadoff walk and two hits?including singles by Cole Srajer and Pedersen. The Warriors left two on base.
The Cardinals, however, plated four runs in the top of the third, using four walks, a sacrifice fly and a two-RBI single, to stake an 11-2 lead.
From there, Sedgwick scored eight runs off of three hits and an error in the fourth to all but seal the run-rule win. Marion walked five batters in the inning.
Sedgwick had six hits to Marion?s three for the game.
Savage (1-1) absorbed the pitching loss. In three innings, he gave up three hits and 11 runs (four earned). He walked six batters and struck out three.
?We didn?t do a single thing well all day, and it started from the first inning of the first game to the last inning of the second game,? Schroeder said. ?We?ve got an inexperienced group, but that?s not an excuse to play that poorly because we practice better than that.?
Coming?Marion (2-2, 4-2)?was scheduled to play at Council Grove Tuesday and will travel to Ell-Saline Friday for a doubleheader beginning at 3 p.m.
