Warriors edge Cardinals in nonconference action
DONALDSON – After outscoring Carlisle 11-10 for the win this past Tuesday, the Harmony Grove Cardinals baseball team would get edged Thursday in nonconference action by the Ouachita Warriors, 3-2, in Donaldson.
The defeat puts the Cardinals at 13-5 overall, remaining 2-1 in 7-3A Conference action, which they resumed Friday at Centerpoint.
On Thursday, it was a pitchers’ duel throughout between Harmony Grove junior Lucas Seely and Ouachita’s Hunter Rook, but it was the Warriors taking the early advantage.
Seely, who finished with 11 strikeouts, struck out two of the first three batters, but Kelton Fowler sandwiched a single between the Ks, stole sec
ond and scored on Riley Adams’ two-out single for the 1-0 lead after one.
Seely struck out the side in the second but gave up consecutive singles in the third with Keith Miller stealing second and later scoring on a fielder’s choice to put the Warriors up 2-0.
Seely was excellent the rest of the way, but the Cardinal offense didn’t make noise until the top of the sixth. Senior Chase Chilton doubled and went to third on senior Cooper White’s bunt single to put runners at the corners with one out. After a strikeout, senior Trey Miller came through with a two-out, 2-run double to left to tie things at 2-apiece before a strikeout ended the inning.
Seely pitched around an error and hit by pitch to strike out the side in the bottom of the inning, but running into a pitch count he could not pitch in the seventh, as a walk and two hit by pitches led to the winning run for Ouachita.
Seely scattered seven hits and walked one, giving up two runs in six innings for the no-decison, striking out 11 in the process.
The Cardinals outhit the Warriors 10-7, but left eight men left on base. White finished 3 for 3, Miller 2 for 3 with two RBIS and Chilton was 2 for 3 with a run. Senior Jared Palmer also went 2 for 3, with West Lock adding a hit in the win.
On Tuesday vs. Carlisle, it was a back-and-forth affair as the Bison took a 2-0 lead after the first half inning before Harmony Grove responded with four in the bottom to lead 4-2. The Cards went up 6-2 after two before the Bison started to chip away with one each in the third and fourth innings to get within two. The Cards got one of those back, but Carlisle put up a 5-spot in the fifth to take a 9-7 lead, but again Harmony Grove responded in the bottom of the inning, scoring three to retake the lead at 10-9. Each team put up one run the next half innings to set the final.
Cardinal Cameron Palmer went 3 for 3 with two runs, while Ty Baker went 3 for 4 with two RBIS. Chilton was 2 for 2 with two runs and two RBIS, with Lock 2 for 4 with an RBI. Jared Palmer went 2 for 3 with two runs and two RBIS, with Hayden Lumpkins and Troy Potter adding a hit each in the win.
The Cardinals return to conference play Monday, hosting rival Glen Rose Beavers in Haskell.