After starting the week with a tough-luck extra-inning loss to Macomb High, the West Prairie/Southeastern baseball team hit the road again Tuesday and defeated Knoxville 6-2 before returning home on Wednesday where the Cyclones pulled out a 2-1 eight-inning victory over Payson-Seymour in a pair of non-conference contests to improve to 5-4-1 for the season.
At Knoxville, the Cyclones took an early 1-0 lead against Blue Bullets’ starter August Cramer in the top of the second, but the hosts responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning off of WP/SE freshman starter Holden Coplan to go up 2-1.
The score remained 2-1 until the fourth when the Cyclones pushed across a single run to tie the game at 2-2. WP/SE took the lead for good with another run in the fifth and then padded the lead with one run in the sixth and two in the seventh to go up 6-2.
Coplan pitched five innings before Eli DeCounter came on in the sixth to hold Knoxville in check the rest of the way for the victory.
“Holden Coplan had an excellent first career start and Eli DeCounter shut the door,” said WP/SE head coach Grant Bland. “We hit the ball hard offensively and we played really well defensively.”
Coplan got the win after allowing two runs (one earned) on three hits while striking out five in his five innings of work. DeCounter pitched the final two innings and allowed no runs on three hits.
Cramer was tagged with the loss for Knoxville (3-71) after giving up six runs (three earned) on five hits and striking out six.
Freshman Mason Whitman drove in a pair of runs for WP/SE.
On Wednesday in Colchester, Payson-Seymour starter Mason Haden had a no-hitter through three innings and allowed only an unearned run in the third while striking out one, but walking four.
WP/SE freshman Hudson Riebling made his first career varsity start and proved equal to the task by allowing only one unearned run on five hits while striking out five in five innings of work.
The Indians scored their only run in the top of third after an error by second baseman Holden Coplan and two consecutive walks loaded the bases with only one out. Liam Maddox hit a ground ball to Kash Lantz at third, but Lantz couldn’t make the play allowing Nashtyn Wright to score for a 1-0 Indians lead.
The Cyclones tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the third when Matt Whitman reached on a one-out error by Payson shortstop Raulin Zehnle and Mason Whitman drew a walk to put runners on first and second.
WP/SE pulled off a double steal, but an error on third baseman Ransom Zehnle allowed Matt Whitman to score the unearned run.
The score remained tied until the eighth when Matt Whitman led off with a double to center for the Cyclones first hit of the game. Mason Whitman then followed with a single to drive in his older brother with the game-winning hit.
DeCounter got the victory in relief for WP/SE after going three innings in relief, allowing no runs on just one hit and striking out five.
Nolan Sparks took the loss for Payson-Seymour (5-5) after throwing fourplus innings of relief allowing one run on two hits and striking out three.
Both teams committed three errors each.
“Riebling was solid in his first career start and DeCounter shut the door again,” said Bland.
WP/SE was scheduled to face Mendon Unity on the road Friday before hosting South Fulton on Saturday in Augusta.
