Bluejackets improve to 4-0 with win over Bloomfield

Mitchell junior Kody Earl throws a pitch in the team’s Thursday matchup against Bloomfield

By Noah Dalton

MITCHELL – After a 5-3 defeat of Bloomfield yesterday at Gary Seitzinger Field, Mitchell High School remains undefeated on the season, improving to a 4-0 overall record.

“I think we beat a good team,” said Bluejackets’ head coach Jerry Chaney. “They made some mistakes and we made some mistakes and we were able to capitalize and we got some timely hitting and some great pitching. So I’m proud of my boys for hanging in there.”

After a run scored by Simon Gaines in the first inning, thanks to a groundout from Ben Seitzinger, Mitchell took an early 1-0 lead.

Mitchell junior Simon Gaines slides home to score the team’s first run of the game against Bloomfield

The Cardinals came storming back in the second, bringing home three runners thanks to a triple from Dillon Warnick, knocking in two, followed by an RBI single from Boone Holtsclaw to take a 3-1 lead before the end of the inning.

Facing a deficit, Mitchell remained poised as they looked to make their way back into the game and that’s exactly what they did in the bottom of the second, scoring two runs after a single from Bryson Zeeks, followed by two Bloomfield errors that allowed two runners to cross home plate.

“The big thing is they didn’t let it effect them. We jumped right back on them and got more runs, got back in it. A few years ago, being down 3-1, we would have quit, but we didn’t tonight,” Chaney said.

In the third, a sac fly from Ethan Turner gave the Bluejackets the lead. They’d score one more run in the inning when Conner Teague completed a steal of home, as Cardinals’ pitcher Holtsclaw attempted to pick off Kody Earl, who had gotten to first on a single earlier in the inning.

Mitchell junior Gibson Glassco rounds third on his way to scoring for the Bluejackets on Thursday against Bloomfield

They held Bloomfield scoreless from the second inning onward, on their way to victory on Thursday.

Kody Earl picked up the win for the Bluejackets, throwing 94 pitches across six innings. He allowed six hits, giving up three runs and striking out nine. He was relieved in the seventh inning by Gaines, who got the game’s final three outs after facing four batters in the top of the innings and giving up no hits, with only one Cardinal reaching base in the inning after an error.

At the plate, Earl finished the game with two hits which led the team, as well as one run scored. Seitzinger, Turner and Bryson each finished with an RBI.

Mitchell junior Ethan Turner swings at pitch from Bloomfield’s Boone Holtsclaw

Next, Mitchell will head to French Lick to take on Patoka Lake Athletic Conference opponent Springs Valley, in the team’s first PLAC game of the year.

Coming off of last season, where the Bluejackets finished 6-0 in conference play to take home the PLAC crown, they will once again be eyeing a similar result.

“We want to concentrate on this PLAC. Big game coming up Saturday. We’ve got to be ready, we’ve got to be more focused and we’ve got to be ready for Valley because they’re well coached. They’re a good team, so we’ve got to keep plugging at it,” said Chaney.

Stats

Bloomfieldmore stats
LineupABRHRBIBBSO
Dillon Warnick411200
Boone Holtsclaw401102
Brett Sherrard401001
Braxton Clark401000
Kellen Luse300003
Travis Priest300001
Chase Wiles300001
Blake Neill312000
Dalton England210012
Will Dowden000000
Aiden Scott000000
Totals30363110

Batting

2B: Blake Neill
3B: Dillon Warnick
TB: Blake Neill 3, Dillon Warnick 3, Boone Holtsclaw, Brett Sherrard, Braxton Clark
RBI: Dillon Warnick 2, Boone Holtsclaw
ROE: Boone Holtsclaw
FC: Travis Priest
HBP: Kellen Luse
TotalsTeam QAB: 11 (34.38%)
Blake Neill, Dillon Warnick 2, Boone Holtsclaw 2, Brett Sherrard, Braxton Clark 2, Dalton England, Travis Priest 2

Team LOB: 8FieldingE: Dillon Warnick, Boone Holtsclaw, Braxton Clark, Dalton England
DP: Chase Wiles, Brett Sherrard, Dalton England

Mitchellmore stats
LineupABRHRBIBBSO
Simon Gaines310000
AJ Sarver200010
Ben Seitzinger311101
Carsyn Herald301000
Ethan Turner200102
Kody Earl212010
Glassco Gibson310001
Zeeks Bryson201100
Luman Ashton101010
Teague Connor010000
Premo Aiden
Totals2156334

Batting

2B: Carsyn Herald
TB: Luman Ashton, Carsyn Herald 2, Kody Earl 2, Ben Seitzinger, Zeeks Bryson
RBI: Ethan Turner, Ben Seitzinger, Zeeks Bryson
SF: Ethan Turner
ROE: Simon Gaines, Glassco Gibson
SB: Simon Gaines, Teague Connor
CS: Luman Ashton
PIK: Kody Earl
TotalsTeam QAB: 11 (44.00%)
Luman Ashton, Ethan Turner 2, Carsyn Herald, Kody Earl 3, AJ Sarver 2, Ben Seitzinger, Zeeks Bryson

Team LOB: 2FieldingE: Simon Gaines

Bloomfieldmore stats
PitchingIP#PS%HRERSOBBHR
Boone Holtsclaw5.070.714550320
Kellen Luse1.014.500000110
Totals6.084.679550430

Pitching

L: Boone Holtsclaw
Pitches-Strikes: Boone Holtsclaw 70-50, Kellen Luse 14-7
Groundouts-Flyouts: Boone Holtsclaw 3-6, Kellen Luse 0-1
First pitch strikes-Batters faced: Boone Holtsclaw 16-22, Kellen Luse 2-3

Mitchellmore stats
PitchingIP#PS%HRERSOBBHR
Kody Earl6.094.617633910
Simon Gaines1.013.692000100
Totals7.0107.6266331010

Pitching

W: Kody Earl
SV: Simon Gaines
HBP: Kody Earl
WP: Kody Earl 3
Pitches-Strikes: Simon Gaines 13-9, Kody Earl 94-58
Groundouts-Flyouts: Simon Gaines 1-1, Kody Earl 8-2
First pitch strikes-Batters faced: Simon Gaines 3-4, Kody Ea