BASEBALL: Pioneers win decisively for second straight game, 11-1

BY GREG BURTON

Special to Southern Indiana Preps

CLARKSVILLE — The Class 3A No. 6 Providence Pioneers have hit upon a successful formula in the last two games. It is one they apparently intend on repeating through the end of the season.

After Tuesday night's beating up on Corydon Central, the Pioneers repeated that performance with an 11-1 victory in six innings over visiting Switzerland County on Wednesday. The victory moved Providence to 14-3 on the season.

"It was a new day, same thing," said Providence coach Scott Hornung. "We're having a challenge to make sure they're going to concentrate. Right now, they are proving they're up to it."

Providence removed all mystery about the game in the first two innings, scoring six times in the first two frames to build a quick 6-0 lead.

The Pioneers’ Kaden Williams, coming off a recent injury to play in the two last games, got things rolling with a one-out triple in the first inning. Timmy Borden singled Williams in for the first run of the game.

After Borden stole second base, Reece Davis singled him home to make the score 2-0 at the end of the first.

The second inning the Pioneers sent 10 men to the plate, scoring four more runs. Nathan Proctor led off the inning and was hit by a pitch. The next two batters, Zach Tackett and Preston Taylor, walked that loaded the bases.

Williams drove in two runs with a single to make the score 4-0. Later in the inning, Adam Uhl doubled in a run to go up 5-0. Christian Graf singled with two outs to drive in the final run of the inning, making the deficit 6-0.

Starting pitcher Ray Reisinger, meanwhile, cruised through the game, going the six-inning distance, giving up just three hits, one run (unearned), striking out four and not walking any.

The victory upped Reisinger's record to 3-1 on the season.

"Reisinger pitched well. But he needs to understand in the offseason, his breaking pitch needs to break a little sharper," said Hornung.

By the fourth inning, Hornung began substituting freely, and by the fifth inning, the only starter remaining in the game was Reisinger.

The Pioneers pounded out 14 hits in the game, including four of the extra-base variety. Besides Williams' triple, Eli Watson tripled, while Uhl and Brandon Shafer doubled.

Leading 7-1 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, Providence scored four more times in the last two innings to end the game with the 10-run rule. Providence subs powered the last two innings, collecting five hits.

Shafer doubled in one run to put the Pioneers up 8-1 in the fifth. In the final inning, Watson’s triple drove in 2 runs to go up 10-1. Bryce Hutchings then singled Watson home to end the game at 11-1.

"The hits were spread out pretty well," said Hornung. "I was pleased with the hitting. From the subs, too."

Switzerland County dropped to 6-8 on the season. Nate Thomas pitched the first 4 1/3 innings and absorbed the loss. His record dropped to 0-1.

The Pioneers will travel to New Washington on Friday at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, they return home for a make-up game with North Harrison. That game is a 7 p.m. scheduled start.

PROVIDENCE 11, SWITZERLAND COUNTY 1

Switzerland County     000 100—  1   3  2

Providence                    241 013—11 14  1

W — Ray Reisinger (2-1). L — Nate Thomas (0-1). 2B — Patrick Stow (S), Adam Uhl (P), Brandon Shafer (P). 3B — Kaden Williams (P), Eli Watson (P).

Records: Providence 14-3, Switzerland County 6-8.

Multiple hit players: Switzerland County — Stow 2-2, 1 RBI; Providence — Timmy Borden 2-3, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB; Uhl 2-3, 1 RBI; Williams 2-3, 3 R, 2 RBIs.

Reisinger pitching line: 6 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB.

Thomas pitching line: 4 1/3 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 1 K, 5 BB.