Eagles slip past Hawks

The Oran High School baseball team picked up a come from behind victory over the Kelly Hawks on Tuesday.

The Eagles came from behind not once, but twice to pick up the conference win.

Kelly opened the game with a lead off single and two wild pitches to move the runner to third.  Starter Drew Reischman struck out the next two.  But a two out single drove in the run.

The Eagles had chances to score in the first two innings but couldn't get the key hit.  Reischman led off with a single and Preston Hahn drew a one out walk but a double play ended the first.

In the second,  Tanner McVay hit a two out double but was stranded at second base.

Oran finally scored in the third.

Austin Eftink, who was 3-3 on the day, led off with a single and scored on Reischman's double.  Reischman ended up a third on the throw home. A walk and an error followed allowing Reischman to score.

2-1 Eagles after three.

The Hawks came back with two of their own in the fourth.  Kelly had three singles to open the inning to drive in one and then with two outs a bases load walk forced in another.

Oran regained the lead with two in the bottom of the fourth.

Eftink's second hit came with one out.  Reischman had his third hit, he was 3-4 on the day, to put runners at first and second.  Eftink was forced at third as Cole Priggel reached on a fielder's choice.  Hahn beat out a ground ball to short to load the bases and Clay Sauceda dribbled a two out single to center to drive in two.

In the fifth, Kelly put together back to back one out singles.  Then with two outs they attempted to score on another single into center.  Layne Johnson fielded the ball and threw a strike to Sauceda at the plate to get the potential lead runner attempting to score.

It wouldn't be the last strike thrown by Johnson.

After the Eagles stranded two in the bottom of the fifth, Johnson came in to relieve Reischman.  He allowed only one walk over the final two innings striking out four to seal the victory including a swinging miss on a pitch in the dirt to end the game after the throw to Eftink at first base from Sauceda.

Reischman and Eftink both had 3 hits.

Reischman (2-1) picked up the win going 5.  He gave up 3 runs, all earned on 8 hits.  He walked 3 and struck out 5.  Johnson picked up his 3rd save.

Oran improved to 10-8 overall and 5-2 in conference action.

What the professionals said:  seMissouiran