by Gregg Meadows
Coach Marc Hadley’s Tri-Valley varsity baseball squad started their Week 5 play of MVL baseball action with a pair of disappointing losses on the road to defending conference champ Sheridan, but bounced back with two league wins over River View and Morgan on their home Kenny Wolford Park diamond to improve their overall record to 14-4 heading into the home stretch of the 2023 regular season.
On Monday night, Apr. 24, the Scottie baseballers headed to Thornville to resume their suspended game with Sheridan from Apr. 5 – with the contest deadlocked in a 0-0 tie in the fifth inning, then play the host Generals in a regularly scheduled game.
Things did not go well for the black-and-gold, as the Scotties took a 1-0 lead into the final inning, but saw Sheridan rally with five runs in their last at bat to win the suspended game 5-1. TV senior Bennet Baker’s two hits and a double from Hansel Holmes were three of the just five hits by the Scotties.
In the following regularly scheduled contest between TV and Sheridan, the Scotties led early in the game 2-1 on the strength of a Bennet Baker double, Brady Kaufman rbi triple, then a Daniel Huffman rbi base hit. But the Generals tied the game in the bottom of the second inning, then scored the eventual winning run in the fourth inning to win the game 3-2. Baker again led the Scotties – who only had four hits in the game – with a 2-3 outing at the plate with a run scored. TV senior Landon Harney was tagged with the loss, going four innings, giving up three hits and three runs, while striking out six Generals. Kyler Brennen threw the final two innings for TV, allowing just one hit, with a strike out as well.
On Wednesday night, Apr. 26, the Scotties bounced back from the Sheridan losses with a 5-2 win at home over the visiting River View Black Bears. Tri-Valley led 3-0 after three innings, then plated two more runs in the fifth inning to secure the win. The Scotties made the most of their five hits – and seven RV fielding errors – to get the win, with Bennet Baker and Kian Drummonds pacing the offense with rbi doubles, and Kelynn Drummonds, Nate Better, and Wyatt Brocklehurst adding base hits as well. Baker also picked up the mound win for the victors, pitching five innings, giving up four hits, with six strike-outs. Kade Hindel threw the final two innings and a pair of KO’s.
On Thursday night, Ap. 27, the Scotties welcomed Morgan to Kenny Wolford Park and rode the strong right arm of sophom*ore Brady Kaufman to a 4-0 shutout win over the visiting Raiders. The winners made the most of their just two hits, with Bennet Baker again leading his team at the plate, driving in two runs with his first-inning base hit, then another run in the fifth inning with a sacrifice ground ball that scored Nate Better with the final run of the contest. Kaufman put the hammer down on the Raiders in his complete game masterpiece, facing just 23 batters, giving up just two hits without a walk, while striking out eight Morgan batsmen. Of the 89 pitches he threw, 65 were strikes.
Coach Logan Scott’s TV junior varsity baseball team ran its overall record to 14-2 on the season with three wins last week, defeating Sheridan 6-1 at home on Monday night, Apr. 24, then road wins over River View (15-2), and Morgan (13-4) on consecutive nights as their season winds down.
In the Sheridan win, the Scottie offense was led by Baiden Everly (2-3, two doubles, 2 rbi’s, 2 runs scored), Carter Dinan (2-2, 2 rbi’s, 2 runs scored), Ryan Lamonica (2-3, with a double), and Isaiah Cullins (2-3). Draven Spinks got the complete game mound win for TV, allowing just four hits with three KO’s. In the RV win, the TV bats were hot, led by Carter Dinan (3-4 with three runs scored), Gavin Harrold (3-4, with a double, 2 runs scored and 2 rbi’s), Casen Baker (2-4, 2 runs scored, and 2 rbi’s with a triple), Ryan Lamonica (2-5 with 3 runs scored), and Keaton Hahn (2-5 with 3 rbi’s). Nash Baughman and Quinton Hindel teamed up on the mound to get the job done, with each getting three KO’s. In the Morgan win, Ryan Lamonica led TV hitters going 3-5 with a pair of doubles, 2 rbi’s and 2 runs scored) and had plenty of help from Gavin Harrold (3-5 with a triple, 2 runs scored and 2 rbi’s), Casen Baker with two triples and two rbi’s, and Keaton Hahn with a 2-5 outing with 2 rbi’s and 2 runs scored. Quinton Hindel pitched 4.2 innings with 5 KO’s and Oliver Lanning pitched 2.1 innings with a pair of KO’s.
The Scotties wrap up the Muskingum Valley League portion of the 2023 regular season this week with a Monday night, May 1 home game vs. Maysville on Senior Night at Kenny Wolford Park, then travel to West Muskingum HS on Thursday, May 4 to tackle the host Tornadoes in the conference closer, then return back to the friendly confines of Wolford Park on Friday, May 5 to host the Dover Tornadoes in a non-league contest. The Scottie seniors pictured below — (l-r) Wyatt Brocklehurst, Bennet Baker, Hansel Holmes, Kelynn Drummonds, Landon Harney, and Caden Leckrone –– will be recognized and honored in a pre-game ceremony on Senior Night, ahead of the TV vs Maysville game.
