Having lost the first three games of the season, Eupora needed to get right quick with rival Choctaw County due up last week.
The Eagles got the Chargers not once, but twice during the week and would have their challenges to beat them. In the end, they were able to come out and take both of them before dropping a game against Bruce.
“We talked to our guys about how hard it is to win. You have to have a lot of things that you do right and it was really nice to be able to do that,” coach Ben Aldridge said. “With some of the losses, we’ve talked about what we couldn’t do when we watched the film but in those games we got to talk about why something good happened.”
Tuesday night at home was a big first one to get for the Eagles. The team came out firing on all cylinders with two runs in the first inning and a six-run third had many questioning whether or not a run-rule was a possibility. Leading 10-0 with the Chargers’ backs against the wall in the fifth frame, the Eagles allowed a seven-run inning and CCHS got right back in the game.
That would be as close as the Chargers would get as CCHS finished them off the last two frames and got the 11-7 victory. It was a strange ball game for Eupora as the team pounded out 11 hits and had just one error while allowing only one hit to the CCHS lineup.
13 walks from Eupora pitching was the culprit as starter Landry Winter worked around seven of his for 3.0 shutout and hitless innings. He also struck out eight batters. The next four pitchers combined to walk six batters and strike out three while giving up just one hit and seven runs.
Ames Conrad, Brooks Powell and Dale Britt all had two hits in the game with Britt bringing in three runs while Conrad and Powell had two each. Winter and Conrad also had doubles in the win.
Round two between the teams worked out similarly for the Eagles. Eupora scored three runs each in the second and third and cut down on the walks on the way to an 11-5 victory to sweep the season series. Eupora only had five hits with Britt, Cole Cummings and Peyton Allred all getting a couple of RBI each. Allred added a double and Powell was hit three times in the game.
Conrad started the game and went 3.0 innings giving up zero hits, two earned runs, four walks and he struck out six. Britt was the team’s best in relief with 2.2 perfect innings to close out the game. He struck out three.
Eupora held the Chargers to a combined two hits in two games.
Four Eupora errors helped prevent the Eagles from getting win number three in a row on Saturday. Eupora gave up 10 runs in the last two innings and a 6-4 deficit going to the sixth inning turned into a 16-5 win for Bruce.
Winter, Cummings and Carson Swindle all had two hits with Swindle driving in two runs. The pitching staff walked six batters and had four earned runs out of the 16. Joseph Rollins started the game and threw 3.2 innings, gave up four hits, four earned runs, four walks and five strikeouts.
“When we threw strikes, it turned out ok,” Aldridge said. “That’s the name of the game - to dominate the strike zone whether you have the bat in your hand or are on the mound. We got a really good outing from Ames and Landry and Saturday had a good outing from (Joseph) Rollins.
Rivalry week part two is here this week for the Eagles (2-4) as the team renews its matchup with the East Webster Wolverines. They each played each other on Tuesday night at Eupora with a Friday rematch in Cumberland set for 7 p.m.
The Eagles are looking to hand their rivals their first loss of the early season.
“They’re a good, quality team. Coach (Blake) Hutchison has done well over there with them,” Aldridge said. “The big thing is to teach our guys that they can’t get wrapped up in the emotions of playing East Webster. A lot of these guys go to church with each other, see each other at the vo-tech and outside of school. You can’t let that distract you. We’re playing this right before division time, and you want to be able to be ready.”
After the EWHS games this week, the Eagles are back in action on Saturday on the road at Bruce at 2 p.m. Next week begins division play with a home game against Union on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
