Following a pair of losses to district champ Silo to start last week, the Kingston Redskin baseball found itself in a precarious must-win situation against Valliant to maintain their quest to host a Class 3A regional.
The Redskins delivered in a big way, riding a pair of senior pitching gems from Hayden Seeney and Brock Rumer to a sweep of the Bulldogs in 3-2 and 7-0 verdicts. Those earlier matchups against Silo were a mixed bag for Kingston as they were blitzed 10-0 in game one before dropping a 2-1 thriller.
Coach Darron Henson’s squad has four remaining league tilts with Hugo and Atoka this week along with a Friday showdown against MarshallCountyrivalMadill on the schedule.
Kingston saw things slip away in the opener of the week when Silo exploded for five runs in the fourth stanza and never looked back. Ewan Weaver had the only extra base hit for the Redskins with a double while Rumer, Seeney, Lander Burkhalter and Jaksyn Martin notched singles.
The Redskins had a 7-2 edge in hits in the second game of the district series with Silo but miscues with runnersonbaseprovedcostly in leaving the bases loaded several times. Burkhalter had a big outing at the plate with three hits while Reid Patterson, Weaver, Slyder Hill and Martin added one apiece.
In the Valliant opening showdown, the Redskins spotted the Bulldogs a 2-0 first inning advantage before Seeney settled in and fired six shutout frames to finish the contest. Kingston cut the margin in half with a Rumer RBI single in the third stanza but went quietly offensively until the final inning flurry.
Patterson led off with a walk, stole second and scored on a hit by a Conner Waller and Valliant error. Hill then came through with a lined single to left that pushed across the winning tally.
Seeney went the distance while scattering five hits, struck out six and walked one as the Redskins made the most of just four hits offensively.
It was a much better start for Kingston in the second game as they raced out of the gate with six runs in the first frame and outhit Valliant 12-2 for the game.
A pair of bunts and a hit batter loaded the bases right outofthechutebeforeaBlane Henry sacrifice fly scored the initial run. Patterson and Weaver followed with singles ahead of key two-out hits from Hill and Rumer thatweresandwichedaround three walks. They tacked on onemoreinsurancetallywith a Burkhalter RBI single in the sixth inning.
Thatwasplentyofoffensive support for Rumer, who twirled seven strong innings on the mound, yielding a pair of hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.
Patterson had a huge outing at the plate with four hits as Burkhalter and Hill also contributed two each.