Lost in the middle

The third and fourth innings didn’t go too well for the Sedalia Post 642 senior Legion baseball team.

The Travelers (15-20) allowed multiple runs in those innings both games, which allowed Warrensburg to sweep a doubleheader at Liberty Park Stadium. Post 131 earned an 8-2 win in the opener and beat Sedalia 12-1 in the nightcap.

Brad Tyler threw well to earn the win in the opener for Warrensburg. The right-hander faced the minimum through the first three innings. He allowed two hits during that stretch, but Post 642 had both runners picked off. Tyler threw a complete game and allowed two earned runs on eight hits. He struck out seven and didn’t walk a hitter.

“He hit his spots and mixed speeds and hit his locations,” Sedalia coach Clyde Ditto said. “He threw a good ballgame, and we just didn’t run the bases very well.”

Warrensburg slugged its way into the lead in the third inning of the first game. Post 131 had two triples and a double in a five-run outburst.

Shane Luehrs led off with a triple off the fence in center and scored on a wild pitch. Chris Pryor followed with a triple to right.

Two batters later, Ben Cox ripped a two-run double to the fence in left to give Warrensburg a 3-0 cushion. 

Cliff Cox drove in another run with a single to center and Troy Sales picked up an RBI on a single through the left side, making it 5-0.

“We didn’t have anything positive to go on,” Ditto said. “It just kept getting negative. We kept going back into, basically, quicksand.”

Post 131 added to the lead in the fourth. Luehrs started things off with a single to left and Pryor singled to put men at the corners for Delby Hannah, who picked up an RBI groundout.

Ben Cox tripled to the gap in right center to make it 7-0 and scored another insurance run on a Post 642 error.

Sedalia finally broke through on Jared Hagedorn’s RBI single to right-center. Hagedorn’s line drive brought home Drew Hutinger, who singled and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.

The Travelers cut the deficit to 8-2 in the sixth when Hutinger ripped an RBI double to the fence in right-center. The hit scored Adam Archibeque from first after he reached on a single off Tyler’s leg.

Hutinger went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Derik Kinde had two infield singles while Logan Smith, Alan Jungnitsch, Archibeque and Hagedorn added singles for the Travelers.

Kinde took the loss, going four innings and allowing eight runs — five earned — on eight hits. He walked one and struck out four.

Mark Pulliam threw three scoreless innings in relief. He struck out three and hit one batter while allowing a pair of hits.

Hagedorn helped the Travelers start the second game off right. Given a second chance after the umpires, correctly, overturned a call and ruled Hagedorn’s first-pitch chopper foul, the catcher laced an RBI double down the third-base line.

Hagedorn’s double scored Hutinger from first when the ball bounded over the tarp and into the corner, giving the Travelers a 1-0 lead.

Post 131 put together a four-run rally with two outs in the third to take a 4-1 advantage.

Warrensburg tied the game in the third when Ben Cox doubled home Pryor after Pryor hit a two-out triple. Post 131 took a 3-1 lead when Tyler reached on an error that allowed Hannah and Ben Cox to score.

A throwing error allowed Tyler to cross the plate on Cliff Cox’s single to left.

Warrensburg added to its cushion with two runs in the fourth on Luehrs’ RBI single to center and Hannah’s triple to the gap in right-center. It was the fifth of six triples on the night for Warrensburg and chased starter Pat Slivkov.

Slivkov went 3 2/3 innings and allowed seven runs — three earned — while walking one and striking out two.

Logan Smith entered in relief and Warrensburg had two more runners score on wild pitches to make it an 8-1 game.

Warrensburg tacked on four more runs in the fifth. It scored two on Pryor’s RBI single to center and Ben Cox ripped a two-run triple to the fence in left.

Josh Reeves earned the win in the nightcap for Warrensburg. He threw all five innings and allowed one run on four hits. He struck out two and walked one.