The Morris Eagle varsity baseball team earned a 12-4, runrule, win over their arch rivals, the Henryetta Golden Knights this past Friday in Morris.
The difference in the county battle came in the second inning when the host Eagles erupted for 10 runs in the frame to take over the lead, 10-3.
Morris was back in action Monday and Tuesday with a District 3A-5 series against Meeker and will close out the week at the 2023 Dawson Sumner Invitational tournament in Preston this Thursday-Saturday.
Henryetta also returned to action Monday and Tuesday, battling Checotah in a home-andhome District 3A-7 series and will close out the week at North Rock Creek on Thursday and at home Friday against Keys.
In last Friday’s county showdown in Morris, the visitors plated three runs in the top of the first for an early 3-0 advantage.
After Morris took the lead with the 10-run second, the Eagles made it an 11-3 contest with a run in the last of the third.
Both teams tallied a run in their half of the fourth, while Henryetta was held scoreless in the top of the fifth to award the host Morris Eagles the 12-4, run-rule, victory.
Gage Adkins earned the pitching win for the Eagles, allowing four runs on eight hits, striking out four, walking eight, and hitting one in four innings of work.
Junior Walls struck out two and allowed one base hit in his inning of relief in the fifth.
Walls was the top Morris hitter in the county battle, going 3 for 3 with a pair of singles, a double, and 2 RBIs.
The other Eagle base hits last Friday came on a single by Dakota Smith, RBI singles by Trey Daniels and Koen Burgess, and a 2-run single by James Berry.
Five of the 10 Morris runs in the second game courtesy of Daniels (RBI walk), Adkins (RBI walk), Wyatt Clark (RBI hit by pitch), Karston Powell (RBI groundout), and Lance Clark (RBI walk).
The Knights were led offensively by Will Perez (2 for 3, 2 singles) and Taylor Hamric (2 for 3, 2 singles, RBI) with two hits apiece.
The other Henryetta base hits in the county contest came on singles by Austin Palmer, Maverix Randleman, Hunter Bowdler, and Boston Morris, and a 2-run single by Blaze Hill.
Perez got the start on the mound for the Knights and was saddled with the pitching loss, allowing eight runs on three hits with six walks and one hit batter in 1-plus innings of work.
Palmer took over the pitching duties with no outs, the bases loaded, and Henryetta trailing 5-3 and gave up three runs on three hits, striking out one and walking one in one and one-third innings of relief work.
Bowdler went the final inning and two-thirds of relief for the Knights, taking over with two on, one out, and Henryetta down eight, 11-3. Bowdler allowed one run on one hit with three strikeouts, one walk, and one hit batter in the relief appearance.
— Morris 12, Henryetta 4
Henryetta:3- 0 -0-1-0 4 -9-4 Morris: 0 – 10 – 1 – 1 – x 12 – 7 – 3 WP: Gage Adkins LP: Will Perez HR: None