Saints Outslug Frank Phillips

Don’t look now, but the Seward County Saints might just be getting hot at the right time of the year. Seward outslugged Frank Phillips on the road Wednesday afternoon in Borger, getting back to back home runs from Alex White and Brandon Urquizo to open the game in a 15 hit attack to knock off the Plainsmen 11-9.

Things couldn’t have started much better for the Seward County Saints Wednesday afternoon as they traveled to Borger, Texas to take on the Frank Phillips Plainsmen. The Saints opened the game with back to back home runs from the unlikeliest sources in Alex White and Brandon Urquizo to give themselves an early 2-0 lead, both players first home runs of the season. The Saints didn’t stop there as with two outs in the inning Alec Isaac ripped a two run double to make it a 4-0 game and they added another run on an RBI single from Nic Ricigliano to make it 5-0 before Frank Phillips even got to hit.

The Plainsmen didn’t wait long to get their scoring going either, getting a two run home run in the bottom of the 1st to make it a 5-2 game and it looked like they wanted more, loading the bases with two outs in the inning before Seward starter Thomas Garland got what would turn out to be a big strikeout to leave the bases full and keep the Saints on top 5-2.

Seward got two more runs in the top half of the 2nd, using an RBI groundout from Antonio Dorado and a sacrifice fly from Isaac to make it 7-2.

The score remained 7-2 in favor of Seward to the bottom of the 3rd when the Plainsmen picked up their third run of the game on a pair of doubles to cut the Seward lead to 7-3.

In the Saints next at bat they gave themselves a little bit more cushion, getting a solo home run from Brent Williams with one out in the 4th and two more runs on an RBI double from Isaac and an RBI single from Ricigliano to make it a 10-3 game.

The carousel on the bases continued as the Plainsmen came to hit in the bottom half of the frame as Frank Phillips got three runs back in the inning to close the gap to 10-6.

Things slowed down a bit from there as both teams bullpens settled in and neither team got a runner past first base in either of the next two innings to send the game to the 7th with the score still 10-6 in favor of Seward.

The Saints added an insurance run in the top of the 7th on a double play to make it 11-6 and Frank Phillips answered the tally with one of their own after stretch time to make it 11-7.

Seward couldn’t get anything more with the middle of their lineup up in the 8th as they went down in order on just eight pitches and Frank Phillips made them pay, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the Saints lead to 11-9.

The Saints got a leadoff triple from Dorado to start the 9th but couldn’t do anything with it and they went to the bottom of the 9th clinging to an 11-9 lead.

Seward’s seventh pitcher of the game, Grant Glaze came up big for the Saints in the 9th, retiring the Plainsmen in order to squelch any thoughts of a comeback bid, locking down the 11-9 win for Seward to earn his first career save.

The teams combined for 29 hits in the contest, 15 for the Saints and 14 for the Plainsmen. Isaac led the Saints attack with a pair of doubles and 4 RBI’s in the win while Ricigliano had 3 hits and a pair of runs driven home. Thomas Garland earned the win on the mound for Seward to improve to 2-1 on the year, starting the game and going 2 innings before giving way to six Saints relievers that eventually finished with Glaze earning the save with 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to close the game out.

SEWARD COUNTY/FRANK PHILLIPS BOX SCORE<http://www.sewardsaints.com/sports/bsb/2014-15/boxscores/20150401_dovy.xml>

The win is the Saints fifth in a row to improve to 17-17 overall on the season. Frank Phillips down year continues as the Plainsmen fall to 9-21 in 2015.

Seward will look to keep their momentum going this weekend as they return home to Brent Gould Field in Liberal to host Jayhawk West rival Colby in a four game set. The Saints and Trojans will get the series underway at 1:00 on Friday and will play another doubleheader at 1:00 on Saturday to wrap the series up.

Roy Allen