One-run losses to Stigler cost Poteau in district
Poteau’s baseball team faced the Stigler Panthers on Monday, and the Pirates’ porous defense was the main cause of the Pirates trailing the Panthers 5-0 at the end of five innings. Poteau staged an epic comeback in the sixth and seventh innings. Poteau scored four runs in their final at bat but they were still short as they lost 6-5 to Panthers.
In the opening five innings of the game, two key factors were obvious. Stigler’s starting twirler, Jay Gould, was well in control. Four of the first five runs scored by Stigler were the direct response to defensive errors by the Poteau defense. Gould did not allow a hit until Garrett Fincham drilled a ball in the 3-4 gap. The Poteau starter, Coby Bell, scored the first Pirates’ run in the sixth as he doubled to the right-center field wall and then was plated on a Dodson single.
Caston Fox, Dax Collins, and Aiden Sockey all managed to juice the bases in the bottom of the final inning for the Pirates. That brought Calloway Warren, the third hitter in the Pirates’ lineup to the plate. Warren made up for an empty first three plate appearances. Warren finally time a fast ball, easily clearing the left centerfield wall, for a grand slam. Poteau then made the final out and lost the game 6-5.
Poteau lost its second game in a row against Stigler 3-2 in Stigler after taking an early 2-0 lead.
Collins led off the game with a single and scored on a hit by Jagger Dodson. A run-scoring single in the second inning by Sockey made it 2-0.
Sockey held the Panthers hitless until the fifth inning.
Stigler scored on a single in the sixth and won with two runs in the seventh after Sockey had left the mound, having thrown six strikeouts and allowed three hits and two walks in six innings.
The tying run came on a fielder’s choice and the winner on a single after a walk.
Finchum hit 2-for-4. Collins and Sockey each had a hit and a walk.
Poteau must beat Muldrow Friday and Saturday to finish fourth in the district.