Sedalia unloads on Travelers

The Travelers nearly scored on Jacob Phillips' single in the fifth inning, but the runner was thrown at the plate from center field. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Drew Hutinger seemed to be on a personal crusade to demolish the Marshall Travelers varsity baseball team Tuesday.

Hutinger went six for six from the plate, scoring five runs and driving in three, and pitched five shutout innings as Sedalia American Legion Post 642 bombed the Travelers, 20-0, in seven of the scheduled nine-inning contest at the MHS field.

For Post 642, which also calls itself the Travelers, the victory tied the 11-game win streak with which it began the summer campaign. That roll includes a 6-0, 13-5 doubleheader sweep of Marshall on June 13 at Liberty Park Stadium.

Hutinger's initial blow was an RBI double in the top of the first inning, which was followed by Dylan Mays' two-run homer. Hutinger also knocked in runs with a single in the second inning and double in the third.

Mays' two-run single in the third greeted Marshall reliever Tanner Dillon, who got the final two outs of the frame and then blanked Sedalia in the fourth. Dillon was the Travelers' most effective hurler, charged with only two runs in two and two-thirds innings of work.

Singles by Jordan Dey, Hutinger and Mays -- followed by two errors -- helped Post 642 produce four runs in the sixth.

Sedalia tacked on five tallies in the seventh. Ivan Pyszka driving in one with a double and Hunter Bunker and Cory Coale contributing run-scoring singles.

Hutinger struck out six batters and allowed only four hits during his starting stint on the mound.

Bryce Johnson, a Drury baseball recruit, yielded one hit during his two innings of work.

Josh Toliver had two of Marshall's five hits, singles in the second and third inning. His second safety followed an error which allowed lead-off batter Brock Musick to reach base, but he was gunned down at the plate.

The Travelers had a couple of other opportunities to erase the goose egg from the scoreboard. Musick singled and Toliver walked to begin the fourth frame, but there were no more hits behind them and Musick was also tagged out at home trying to score on a wild pitch.

Aaron Skinner singled and Brittan was hit by a pitch to start the fifth, but Skinner was forced out at third base and Williams thrown out at the plate by Coale on Jacob Phillips' single to center field.

Mays finished the day with six RBIs and Dey and Alex Lang each scored four runs for Sedalia (25-2).

Despite the lopsided score, Marshall coach Ian Verts found encouragement by a reduction in the mental mistakes which plagued Saturday's doubleheader losses to Warrensburg.

"We played a lot better," Verts asserted. While the Travelers (2-9) "still don't hit well, I'm going to be patient."

Marshall's scheduled Thursday home game at Cole Camp has been cancelled, so next up will be a twinbill Saturday at Macon and a pair of home tilts Sunday versus Fulton.