Saints Split a Competitive Day with Cloud

The Seward County Saints and Cloud Thunderbirds competed for six hours on a day with temperatures in the 40’s Friday afternoon and evening at Brent G0uld Field in Liberal.  When the dust settled, there were two one run games and a split of the double header.  The Saints took game one 5-4 on a walk off wild pitch and the T-Birds claimed game two 6-5 despite the Saints placing the tying run on third and the winning run on second with one out.

In game one, the T-Birds jumped on NJCAA Pitcher of the Week Brian Luna early.  The Thunderbirds scored one in the second and two in the third to lead 3-0.   The Saints scored two in the third to make it 3-2.  Ranse Radtke and Elijah Bear singled with one out.  Jaxson Gregg singled home a run.  Tristan Curless singled home a run.  Cloud scored one in the fourth to lead 4-2.  The Saints scored two in the fourth to tie it.  Trenton Rowan launched a home run into the parking garage beyond the right field wall to make it 4-3.  Jarron Wilcox followed that up with a single.  With two outs Elijah Bear was hit by a pitch and Jaxson Gregg walked with the bases loaded to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth.  Rowan laced a double to right center to lead off the seventh.  He moved to third on a Bear ground out to first and scored the winning run on a wild pitch low and outside.  Rowan was the Epic Touch Player of the game going 2-3 with a home run and a double and starting a key sixth inning double play.  Luna pitched 5 and 2/3 allowing four runs on nine hits.  TJ Newman pitched two shutout innings for the win.

In game two, Cloud jumped on Saints starter Aidan Moore for two in the second and three in the third to take a 5-0 lead.  Seward chipped away with two in the third.  Cameron Cartwright led off the inning with a bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error.  Elijah Bear walked and Jaxson Gregg drilled a two RBI single off the second baseman to make it 5-2.  Seward scored an unearned run in the seventh.   Bear’s ground out to first made it 5-3.  Cloud added insurance with a run in the eighth.  Seward mounted a rally in the ninth.  Bear was hit by a pitch and Gregg walked.  Tristan Curless lined an RBI single to right center.  The Saints had runners on second and third with one out but the last two hitters struck out to end the game.  Brady Ritzmann was the Epic Touch Player of the Game pitching six strong innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.  Cameron Cartwright, Jaxson Gregg, and Brody Boisvert had two hits a piece.

Seward is 12-15 overall and 3-3 in the Jayhawk West.  Cloud is 12-9 overall and 3-3 in the KJCCC West. The Saints play at Cloud Sunday at 2pm with Saints Dugout Show at 1:45 on 1270 and 92.3.