Travelers drop four to close out summer

Jerrad Kelly socked a pair of doubles, but the Travelers were unable to catch up after falling behind by seven runs early in its opener against North Callaway. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge]

Rain had kept the Marshall 18-and-under baseball team on the shelf for two weeks, wiping out the entire Mid-Missouri River League Tournament last weekend, before a pair of non-conference doubleheaders.

The Travelers were competitive in the first game of both twinbills, but were nonetheless swept -- falling Monday at Sedalia, 2-0 and 22-1, and Tuesday at North Callaway, 10-6 and 14-3.

Sedalia 2-22,

Marshall 0-1

SEDALIA -- Pitching led the way for Sedalia American Legion Post 642, especially a five-hit shutout tossed by Bryce Johnson in the opener.

Marshall had its chances, especially when Kaleb Brashears stroked a one-out double in the top of the first inning and Tanner Dillon and Brian Day hit back-to-back singles with two outs in the fourth. Dillon tried to score on a two-out error, but was gunned down at the plate.

Meanwhile, Travelers starter Ryan Smith worked his way out of trouble through four frames -- leaving the bases loaded in the third and stranding 10 Sedalia runners in all. However, Post 642 broke through in the fifth when Alan Jungnitch singled, reached third base on a bunt and passed ball, and scored on an error.

A lead-off walk, followed by another boot, produced a run for Sedalia in the sixth -- more than needed by Johnson, who struck out 12 batters.

Sedalia won the nightcap easily, putting together four crooked numbers in as many turns at the plate -- Jared Hagedorn leading the charge with three hits and five runs batted in. He had a two-run double as Post 642 -- also calling themselves the Travelers -- tallied eight times in the third and knocked in two of his team's five fourth-inning runs with a single.

Sedalia pitchers Ivan Pyszka and Mark Pulliam combined for a three-hitter, allowing no earned runs and fanning nine. Brittan Williams led off the Marshall third with a double and came home on an error.

Logan Smith had three hits, Drew Hutinger scored three runs and drove in three, and Jungnitch and Adam Archibeque each had two hits and scored seven runs between them for Sedalia (15-18).

North Callaway 10-14, Marshall 6-3

FULTON -- Despite giving up seven runs to North Callaway on two errors, five walks -- two with the sacks packed -- and Josh Gathright's two-run single, Marshall made the first game close until the home team's final at-bat.

Trailing 8-0, the Travelers put together a five-run rally in the fourth to close to within a deuce. Smith singled and Nathan Cato, Dillon and Bradley Boling followed with RBI doubles.

Singles by Josh Toliver, Brock Musick and John Lozano produced the last two runs.

The Thunderbirds added two insurance runs in the sixth, Jacob Stafford and Cundiff singling before coming in on grounders. Jerrad Kelly had a two-out single to bring in a Marshall run in the seventh.

North Callaway gradually built an insurmountable lead in the getaway game. After getting two unearned runs in the first, the Thunderbirds scored three runs in the second when Zach Brinker stroked a bases-loaded double in the second.

Two more tainted runs in the third were followed by a seven-run fourth for North Callaway -- with four free passes and an error to go along with singles by Gathright and Brett Martin.

Brinker threw three scoreless innings for the Thunderbirds (12-15) before Jon Phillips singled and scored on an error in the fourth.

Singles by Smith and Khristian Chamberlain sandwiching a hit batter loaded the bases in the fifth, but all the Travelers (8-10) could get out of it was two forced-in runs when Jacob Lueck and Nathaniel Williams drew walks.