Wednesday’s baseball game looked like a Kickapoo blowout early. The Chiefs led Republic 6-0 through four innings, and Tigers batters couldn’t figure out Chiefs starting pitcher Zach Light.
Then came an utterly weird and unpredictable fifth inning.
Republic sent 15 men to the plate. At one point, 10 batters in a row reached base. There were five base hits. There were seven walks. By the time the third out was recorded, the Tigers had scored 10 runs, and Kickapoo had used four different pitchers. Two of them never retired a batter. Here’s how the inning went down:
Cooper Pilkinton singled.
Carter Nation singled.
Ryder Davis grounded out. (Pilkinton scored.)
Garrett Lester singled. (Nation scored.)
Devon Hughes singled.
Trace Harrington walked.
Lester scored on a wild pitch.
Jackson Overstreet walked.
Hughes scored on a passed ball.
Wyatt Woods walked.
Brett Hendrickson walked. (Harrington scored.)
Pilkinton walked. (Overstreet scored.)
Nation singled. (Woods scored.)
Davis walked. (Hendrickson scored.)
Lester walked. (Pilkinton scored.)
Devon Hughes flied out. (Nation scored.)
Harrington grounded into a fielder’s choice. Inning over.
Just like that, Republic led 10-6. For good measure, they added six more runs in the sixth inning. Myles Lozano made sure the Chiefs didn’t mount a comeback, tossing two scoreless innings to end it. The Tigers finished with a 16-6 run-rule win in six innings.
At the plate, Garrett Lester and Carter Nation did the most damage. Lester was 3 for 4 with four RBIs, two runs and a walk. Nation went a perfect 3 for 3, scoring three times and driving in one. Ryder Davis and Trace Harrington chipped in two RBIs apiece.
Caide White started for Republic and was unhittable at times, striking out nine in four innings. But he battled his command, walking five and hitting two batters. Lozano grabbed the win with his two shutout frames. Kickapoo’s Connor Smith, the first of the Chiefs relievers, took the loss.
The win improves Republic’s record to 7-6. Kickapoo falls to 3-12.