Sheridan routs junior Wolves in state tourney
SHERIDAN — Lake Hamilton’s junior American Legion team “came out flat” and never could find its footing as Sheridan’s Shelby Taylor Trucking team cruised to an 18-0 rout of the Wolves in the first round of the junior American Legion state tournament Monday.
Sheridan got off on the right foot as eight runners crossed the plate in the first frame of the game as all but one runner reached base.
“We came out flat-footed completely,” said head coach Andrew Williams. “We didn’t look very energized, kind of lackadaisical, and you can’t come out to compete, whether it’s baseball or any sport, you can’t come to compete like that. We went with Eden Fite pitching today. He hasn’t been on the mound too much. I wanted to get him some work and give him a starting spot there and see how we’d come out and respond.”
Fite struggled in his short time on the mound, giving up seven runs, four earned, off three hits, two walks and one hit batter while striking out one before leaving the mound before earning his third out to collect the loss. Hadyn Estrada
stepped in to get the Wolves out of a bind, securing the third out of the first inning.
“They hit the ball well,” Williams explained. “They hit it into spots where we weren’t when they did hit it to our defense. We made some errors, which didn’t really help out our confidence a whole lot. Got in a pitching change, brought in Hayden Estrada. I thought Estrada did well; he came in and did what he was supposed to do. But you can only throw it down the middle so much before they start hitting it.”
Sheridan picked up an unearned run in the bottom of the second after Estrada allowed just two runners to reach, but the host team found the sweet spot in the third inning, as they scored eight off of him to take a 17-0 lead.
“After they started getting on him, I made a few changes, put some younger guys in there — some guys that we’d like to see get some more work in,” Williams said. “They came in, played defensively really well in my opinion (with) a lot of energy. Right now we’re looking for a good mindset; we’re looking for a lot of energy. The baseball is getting there, but as far as our mental attitude and our approach to the game, that’s what has to change right now.”
Estrada gave up a total of 10 runs, seven earned, off eight hits, one walk and one hit batsman in two full innings on the mound. Landon West finished out the game on the mound, giving up an unearned run off five hits in 1 2/3 innings in the mercy rule-shortened game.
Dalton Pitts led the Wolves at the plate, going 2 for 2, and Ben Varner and Easton Hurley each had a hit.
Wick Purifoy earned the win for Sheridan, giving up four hits while fanning six in his complete-game effort. Blane Shumate led Sheridan at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a double, three RBI and four runs scored. Aaron Webb scored three runs, Landen Fewster, Brodie McElroy and Gabe
Kuttenkuler each scored two, and Camo Jones, Addison Savage and Landon Kizer each scored one.
Lake Hamilton will face North Central Arkansas today at 5:30 p.m. on Field 2 in the consolation bracket while Sheridan will face Crossett at 5:30 p.m. on Field 1.