Saints Sticks Stay Strong at Frank Phillips

Coming off of a series in which they put up 49 runs in four games, the Seward County Saints continued to swing red hot bats on Wednesday in a non-conference contest in Borger, Texas, pounding out 15 hits and scoring 17 runs, knocking off Frank Phillips 17-11 to win their fifth straight game to improve to 23-18 on the year.

The Saints turned on the merry-go-round early on Wednesday afternoon, watching their first four batters of the game reach base, two of them scoring to jump in front of the Plainsmen early 2-0. Seward picked up another run on an RBI groundout from Antonio Dorado and Josh Nicol doubled home their fourth run of the 1st inning to stake the Saints out to a 4-0 lead before Frank Phillips had a chance to hit.

Frank Phillips took advantage of a walk and a hit batter in their half of the 1st to score two runs in their first trip to the plate, slicing the Saints lead in half to 4-2.

Seward got the runs right back in the top half of the 2nd, getting an RBI single from Justin Graff-Rowe and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Logan Nethercot to push their lead back to four at 6-2.

A two out solo home run from Jared Biddy in the 3rd stretched the Saints lead to 7-2 and Seward blew the game open in the 4th with a seven run frame to make it 14-2. In the 4th Seward got a two run double from Chad Kennedy, RBI triples from Graff-Rowe and Cody Stineman, as well as an RBI single from Errett Edwards to open things up.

It remained a 14-2 game through the 5th as Yates Sutton came out of the Seward bullpen to toss a pair of scoreless frames.

Frank Phillips put together three hits in the 6th to score a pair of runs to start their comeback, cutting the Saints lead to 14-4.

Easton Herring and Biddy smacked RBI singles for Seward in the 7th to give the Saints a 16-4 lead heading to stretch time.

A Seward error in the 7th allowed Frank Phillips to score three times to cut the Saints lead to 16-7 before another Dorado RBI in the 8th pushed the Seward lead back to 10 at 17-7.

Frank Phillips got two runs back on a passed ball and a Seward error in the 8th to make it 17-9 and scored two more in the 9th to make the score respectable before the Saints closed them out in a 17-11 victory.

The game featured 35 hits, 20 for Frank Phillips and 15 for the Saints. Seward committed the games only four errors. Edwards led the Saints at the top of the order, collecting four hits including two doubles, while scoring three times. Biddy finished 2 for 4 with three runs scored while Graff-Rowe was 2 for 3 with a triple and two runs driven home in the victory. Sutton earned the win on the mound, going two scoreless innings to pick up his first win of the year.

The Saints improve to 23-18 on the year with the victory while Frank Phillips drops to 11-27.

Next up for the Saints is a big Jayhawk West road series in El Dorado Friday and Saturday when they take on the Butler Grizzlies in a four game set.

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