Greenbacks Drop Pair to Indians;
"We Came Out Very Unfocused." Said Coach Stivers
by Dennis Gonzales & The Pratt Tribune
May 12, 2008
With the postseason brackets already set for both squads, Thursday's baseball doubleheader between Medicine Lodge and Pratt at Pratt's Green Complex was nothing more than a final regular season tune-up. By the time it was over it was the Indians who had hit and pitched on all cylinders as they swept the Greenbacks 8-3 and 15-0.
Medicine Lodge sophomore Josh Rogers, who had been troubled by a sore shoulder most of the spring, felt no ill effects in his right arm as he threw a four-inning no-hitter in game two.
The Greenbacks, now 13-6 on the year and seeded second in the upcoming Regional tournament, have played only three dates in the past three weeks. Head Coach Pat Stivers wanted to use these games to knock the rust off and to prepare his pitching staff for the postseason.
"Our plan was to throw as many guys as possible for two innings each," Stivers said. "I wanted everyone to get a feel for the mound again. It was important for us to get these guys work heading into the postseason. Plus, I knew Medicine was going to be good. We just didn't do many things well today."
Pratt starter Stuart Sullivan worked out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning of game one without giving up a run before being touched for a pair in the second. Brad Richardson pitched into the fourth allowing four Indian runs. Zach Pixler relieved Richardson and gave up three more runs. Chase Galle pitched two scoreless innings. The Greenback defense did little to help the pitchers as they committed six errors in the contest.
Offensively, the Greenbacks had several scoring opportunities but failed to come up with clutch hits. Skylar Angood paced Pratt with a triple and double and Richardson also collected two hits, one a double in the seventh inning.
Game two was all Medicine Lodge and Rogers. Relying mostly on his breaking pitches, Rogers struck out five. Angood was the only Greenback to reach base, as his hard ground ball got through the Indian second baseman for an error.
Medicine, now 13-5 overall, scored in all four innings against Greenback pitchers Chris Nicholson, Angood and Galle. Brady Batman struck out the only hitter he faced. Four more errors plagued the Frogs.
"We came out very unfocused. There will be a positive come from this if we learn that we have to come out focused and ready to play everyday," Stivers said. "I just expect so much out of these guys. But we are young and we are going to have our ups and downs. But we have to be prepared mentally to play every game.
"It's not like us to come out and kick the ball around and not make plays. But Medicine Lodge is a good team. Coach Clarke has a solid program. He does a good job."
Pratt travels to Russell Monday to face the seventh-seeded Ulysses Tigers in the first round of Regional action.
Greenbacks Drop Pair to Indians;
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