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Richards' hit sparks Eagles

Oak Grove fails to capitalize on opportunities in MRVC loss

With one swing of the bat, David Richards changed everything.

Up with the bases loaded and no outs, Richards' triple propelled Grain Valley to a five-run third inning and an 8-2 Missouri River Valley Conference win over host Oak Grove Friday.

"I was just trying to push it to the right-field gap and get all the runs in," he said. "I was a little in front of it, but I kept my hands back and put it in the right area."

Oak Grove responded with a run on a Grain Valley throwing error in the bottom of the third.

But the game may have officially ended in the bottom of the fourth, when the Panthers left the bases loaded and were unable to bring a run in.

Oak Grove's Adam Hightower hit a grounder to first base to end the inning, unable to take advantage of the strong wind to right field while batting left-handed in that at-bat.

"That was the key, getting Hightower out," Eagles coach Mark Lyford said. "With the wind the way it was, one pitch and it could have been 6-6. It was good for us to limit the bad inning."

The inning also left a bad taste in Oak Grove's mouth. The Panthers (13-6, 6-2 MRVC) were unable to get a runner past second base the rest of the game, mustering only two hits the final two innings.

"We should have scored something," said Panthers catcher Darrick Smith, who had two of Oak Grove's five hits. "We can't keep leaving people on base.

"This game was irritating. They hit the ball well. We just didn't play up to par."

Part of the offensive woes for Oak Grove was the pitching of Payton Bosserman, who threw a complete game, scattering the five hits. He struck out four.

"I just hit my spots," Bosserman said. "I threw my off-speed pitches well and had a lot of movement."

Smith said Bosserman's breaking ball was a problem for the Panthers.

"He threw the curveball well on his first pitch," he said. "After we saw that, we started swinging at curveballs in the dirt we shouldn't have swung at."

Grain Valley (10-12, 6-3 MRVC) took a 1-0 lead in the first off an RBI single by Jordan Oddo. Oak Grove answered in the second when Riley Glasgow sprinted home with Michael Mendenhall was caught in a rundown.

After building the 6-1 lead, Grain Valley added two more in the fifth on back-to-back RBI singles by Jacob McKay and Greg Spartz, both coming with two outs.

In total, four of Grain Valley's runs came with two outs.

"We talked before the game how Oak Grove is a team that finds ways to win games," Lyford said. "And we had been in that situation a lot this year. We had a lot of two-out hits today, and that was key for us."

The loss spoiled Senior Night for the Panthers, particularly for starter Grant Reid, who took the loss.

"It didn't help," Reid said. "But it's just another baseball game. You can't put one game ahead of another one."

The Panthers don't have much time to think about the loss - the second in a row for Oak Grove after falling to Boonville Wednesday. The Panthers play host to Bishop Miege at 11 a.m. Saturday.

"They outplayed us, pure and simple," Oak Grove coach Kirk Sears said of Grain Valley. "They were the better team.

"The good thing about baseball is you step right back in and go right back out there."

GRAIN VALLEY 7, HIGGINSVILLE 5: Tyler George didn't know at the time how big his fifth-inning sacrifice bunt would be.

But the bunt advanced Jordan Oddo and Greg Spartz up a base, setting the stage for Derek Kelton's game-winning hit in a Missouri River Valley Conference victory over visiting Higginsville.

Oddo hit a two-run homer that sparked a four-run first inning for the Eagles (7-9, 4-2 MRVC).

Higginsville tied it entering the bottom of the fifth inning,

Jake Mann scattered seven hits, struck out two and walked two in a complete-game victory for the Eagles.

"Mann pitched well once again," Grain Valley coach Mark Lyford said. "We took advantage of a couple of mistakes in the first inning. Oddo's homer got us off to a good start, and Mann did the rest and pitched well."

Lose to Moberly 12-6

Lose to Boonville 8-5

Lose to Centralia 9-2

(Examiner) 

GRAIN VALLEY 3, LEXINGTON 2: Tyler George's two-out line-drive single to left field scored Austin Gouldsmith from second base in the top of the eighth inning to lift visiting Grain Valley to a Missouri River Valley Conference victory over Lexington.

Jake Mann allowed only five hits, struck out three and walked two in a complete-game victory for the Eagles (6-6, 3-2 MRVC).

"Mann pitched really well," Grain Valley coach Mark Lyford said. "He gave up only one earned run. George came up with the big hit for us."

Gouldsmith walked and stole second base to set up George's game-winning hit.

Lexington tied it 2-2 with two runs in the bottom of the third inning.

Ryan Skinner had two singles to help spark the Eagles.

Defeated Savannah:  10-0

Defeaded Marshall:  17-2

Lost to Pleasant Hill:  3-2

Lost to Chillicothe:  7-6

Friday April 4th: 

5:30pm vs. Savannah;  8:00pm vs. Marshall

Saturday April 5th:

3:00pm vs. Pleasant Hill;  5:30 vs. Chillicothe

The Eagle broke the bats out Monday in a MRVC win versus the Odessa Bulldogs.  They scored nine runs on eleven hits in getting the win for starter Payton Bosserman.  Payton pitched six scoreless innings giving up only one walk and recording five strikeouts in his second win as a starter this season.  David Richards saw his first action as a pitcher in the seventh.

 Offensively the Eagles were led by David Richards (2 for 3; double and triple) and Jake Talamonte (1 for 3; 3 run homerun).  Ryan Skinner had two hits with a double and three RBI to increase his season average to .375.  The Eagles scored in every inning but the fifth taking advantage of four Bulldog miscues.  Every Eagle player hit the ball hard at some point.  The Eagles are currently hitting .318 as a team.

The Eagles started the 2008 season off with a bang as David Richards blasted a three run homerun in the top of the first inning Thursday night in Smithville. That was more than enough as Payton Bosserman and Braxton Anthony combined to give up one unearned run and five hits in defeatng the Warriors 6-1.  Austin Gouldsmith entered the game in the seventh inning as a pinch hitter with the bases loaded and blasted a three run triple on the first pitch he saw this season.  Jacob McKay went 2 for 3 with a single and a double.  David Richards went 3 for 4 with a single, double and a homerun. Greg Spartz had two singles in the game.

The Eagles squandered scoring opportunities in the third, fifth and sixth.  They had eight men left on base in innings 1-6.  Timely hitting will need to improve as the season continues.

Thanks so much to those kids who participated in our annual youth baseball camp.  This year we had 37 campers learning the fundamentals of baseball.  The kids and parents were very enthusiastic and seemed to have a great time.  Coach Lyford gave some prizes for correct answers to baseball trivia and all campers recieved an Eagles Baseball T-shirt.  We look forward to next year!

In game one, Central managed to just two runs as they fell to the Owls of William Woods University 13-2.  The Eagles two runs game with on run in the fourth and one in the fifth.  Picking up the loss for CMU was Matt Jankowski as he threw 3 1/3 innings giving up seven runs on six hits.  At the plate Central managed just five hits in the game.  Sean Groff (pictured left) led the team with a 2-3 performance and a double.  John Piatt was 1-4 with a double while Jay Paxton homered to go 1-3. 

In the nightcap, Central fell behind for most of the game until they scored four runs in the bottom of the sixth as they fell to the Owls 14-4.  Ryan Short was the starting pitcher picking up the loss throwing three innings giving up three runs on four hits. 

Sean Groff led the Eagles again with a 3-3 showing.  Steve King, Aaron Vinson, and John Piatt each recorded a hit with Vinson and Piatt having doubles.  King recorded two RBI’s and a stolen base.

Central moves to 1-5 overall on the season and will face McKendree College on Thursday in a non-conference double-header starting at 1pm.