Since the playoffs have begun, Eupora has been in a zone on the mound.
The Eagles took the first round of the Class 2A playoffs when they outscored Potts Camp 17-4 in two ball games despite being the No. 3 team in Region 4. The pitching was even better last week when they took on a tough Baldwyn team and gave up just one run in 18 innings.
A dominant outing on the mound in both games and a couple of big hits did the trick to send the team to round three.
“Cullen (Harrison) and (Chris Robinson) gave us a chance in that first one and Chris came up with a big hit. We turn around to game two and Jude (Hawkins) did some big things that helped us out. We were just looking for an opening and once we got it, we took it,” coach Ben Aldridge said. “You can’t say enough about our guys. Over the course of the year, kids have brought great attitudes.”
Neither team wanted to give in during game one on Tuesday. The Eagles and Bearcats were deadlocked in a scoreless game five frames into it. That was until Robinson came up with the bases loaded and two outs and he singled up the middle for the big hit that the team was searching for all game. That hit made it 2-0 and the pitching could relax a bit.
Relaxation wasn’t happening, however. Robinson came into the game after Harrison gave up back-to-back double to close the lead to 2-1 with one out. After giving up a single through the right side, it looked destined to become a tie game but Ty Murphy threw a rocket of a ball from centerfield and nabbed the runner at the plate.
Robinson struck out the next batter and then three more in the seventh to clinch the 2-1 win. Robinson had two of the team’s five hits and both of the RBI while also going 1.2 innings surrendering no runs on one hit with no walks and four strikeouts. Harrison threw a great start with 5.1 innings, five hits, one run, one walk and eight strikeouts.
In game two, hits and runs were hard to come by once again but errors loomed large for the Bearcats. Two errors and a passed ball in the third inning got home two runs for the Eagles and that would be all they would need in a 4-0 shutout.
Eupora had just two hits with Robinson recording one of them and driving in two more runs. Hawkins followed up 11 strikeouts a week prior by going 7.0 innings, giving up one hit, no runs, three walks and striking out seven.
The team moved to 15-12 on the year with the fourth-straight win but have the biggest test of the season coming up this week. The favorite for the 2A championship in East Union enters the game with a dangerous offense and pitching staff and finished off Choctaw County last week by outscoring the Chargers 24-3 in two games.
“They hit the daylights out of the ball – that’s the common theme that I’ve gotten out of people. They’re going to square some balls up and they’re going to pitch it well on the mound,” Aldridge said. “You’re going to have to limit mistakes and take advantage when you get them. They’re the kind of program that you look at and say that’s the model. We’re going to have to play really well.
“It’s a big challenge, and it’s an opportunity. After we beat Baldwyn, I looked at several of the guys and told them that they have aspirations of playing college ball and they’ll get to see college players this week. That’s kind of how we’re going into it.”
Game one of the series happened on Tuesday night in Blue Springs while the series resumes on Friday at 6 p.m. Saturday’s game will be back at East Union at 2 p.m. if necessary.
