Skip to content

Raiders tame Wildcats for first win

On a cold, windy and wet Monday evening, the Raiders used a 13-run seventh inning to power past a pesky Lynn Camp team for their first win of the season, 23-10.

The Raiders batted around twice in their final at-bat, sending 18 batters to the plate in an inning where the Wildcat pitching gave out – issuing eight walks and allowing two hits.

With temperatures falling, and rainfall increasing, the Raiders jumped to an early lead, but Lynn Camp kept fighting back as the two teams battled for control in the sloppy game.

A combined 17 hits, 13 errors and 20 walks were issued in the three-plus hour game, but the Raiders never trailed and finally broke free in the top of the seventh inning.

McCreary took a 5-0 lead in the top of the second inning after sending 10 batters to the plate. Back-to-back walks started the frame when a dropped third strike sent home the first run of the game. A wild pitch and singles from Tyler Vaughn and Devin Rose drove in three more before Alex West capped off the frame with a sacrifice fly to left.

The Raiders added a pair more in the next inning when Vaughn’s two-run base hit drove in Chase Terry and Ethan Stephens.

Lynn Camp answered in the bottom of the inning after a hit batter, a throwing error and three straight singles allowed three runs to cross the plate, making it a 7-3 game.

In the top of the fourth McCreary attempted to put more distance between them and the Wildcats. West reached on an infield single, stole second and would score on consecutive wild pitches from the Lynn Camp hurler. Cole Kidd would draw a one-out walk and scored on a misplayed fly ball to right off the bat of Stephens.

Lynn Camp would score solo runs in the fourth and fifth innings, cutting the Raiders’ lead to 9-5.

McCreary added an insurance run in the top of the sixth after West would reach on a base hit and was forced in with a bases-loaded walk to Vaughn.
The Wildcats rallied in the sixth, scoring four runs off four walks and two hits, making it a one-run game, 10-9.

The wheels finally came off for Lynn Camp in the top of the seventh as their pitching wore down. After the Raiders first two batters reached on an error and walk, the Wildcats recorded the first out of the frame with a strike out, but McCreary pounced after that. The next nine batters all reached safely, on four walks, three hits and error and a hit batter. The rally continued when Lynn Camp misplayed a routine pop-up to the infield off the bat of Kidd. An infield fly ruling retired Kidd, but the Wildcat fielder dropped the ball then was caught napping as two Raider runners crossed the plate on the bizarre play.

Four more batters would reach for McCreary after the play on walks and a hit batter, with three scoring on wild pitches for a 13-run inning and giving the Raiders a 23-9 lead.

Lynn Camp would not give up, however.

Reliever Ethan Stephens retired the first batter on a strike out, then gave up a single on the next at-bat. The runner was retired on a grounder to short, but an error and back-to-back hit batters forced in a run before Stephens recorded the final out on a strikeout to end the game.

The Raiders improved their record to 1-7 on the year, and travel to Jackson County Thursday afternoon. After that game they will have a week off before hosting Southwestern next Thursday at home.

Leave a Comment