Prep roundup for Saturday, April 8

Apr. 8—Kokomo's baseball team blasted Twin Lakes 9-0 Friday night in the opening slate of games in the Bullpen-PBR Indiana Series at Championship Park. It's a 16-team invitational.

The Wildkats (1-2) scored two runs in the bottom of the first inning. They broke it open by scoring seven runs over the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

Kokomo finished with 12 hits. Nos. 1-3 hitters Chad Washburn, John Curl and Jacob Walker accounted for half of the hits. Washburn went 2 for 4 with a triple, two stolen bases and a run scored, Curl was 2 for 2 with two walks and three runs and Walker was 2 for 4 with two runs batted in and three runs.

Nos. 5-6 hitters Jude Rivers and Isaac Flamino took advantage of the base-runners on in front of them — Rivers went 1 for 3 with three RBI and Flamino was 2 for 4 with two RBI.

Kokomo pitchers Dameion Dixon, Andrew Guerre, Patrick Hardimon and Andrew Barker combined on a three-hit shutout. Dixon started and pitched two innings, Guerre pitched three innings and Hardimon and Barker followed with an inning of work apiece.

The Kats scheduled to play Avon at 4 p.m. today at Championship Park. There are 10 games today at the park — four at 10 a.m., four at 1 p.m. and two at 4 p.m.

WESTERN 6, AVON 3

The Class 3A No. 2-ranked Panthers jumped to a 5-0 lead after the first inning and pitchers Christian Pownall and Deaglan Pleak made the lead stand in the Bullpen-PBR Indiana Series game at Championship Park.

In the big inning, Kyler Norman drew a leadoff walk. Following an out, Mitchell Dean and Zach Gilbert both walked to load the bases and Bret Echelbarger drew a walk to drive in Norman. Evan Stout followed with a single to right that drove in two runs — and when the Orioles misplayed the ball, courtesy runner Brady Comer and Stout also raced home.

"We took advantage of their pitcher's wildness early and did a nice job working counts. Stout's single was big to put us up 3-0 and scoring two extra runs from the error gave us breathing room early," Western coach Ryan Berryman said.

Norman reached base a total of three times (twice hit by a pitch) and scored two runs. Mitchell Knepley and Pleak had a single apiece.

Pownall earned the win after pitching the opening five innings. The Ohio State commit allowed four hits and three runs (all unearned) with five strikeouts and three walks. Pleak took the save after firing two no-hit innings with three strikeouts.

"Pownall did a nice job mixing his pitches, attacking hitters, and working around a couple of our miscues. Pleak threw his slider well and kept runners off base to close it out," Berryman said. "We have some things to clean up, but we got better [Friday] holding off their late momentum."

Western (3-0) plays Lebanon at 10 a.m. today at Championship Park.

ROSSVILLE 2, NW 1

Rossville edged Northwestern in a pitchers' duel on the Tigers' field in the opening round of the Howard County Invitational.

The Hornets scored two runs in the top of the first inning. The Tigers pushed across their run in the bottom of the sixth, but they could not pull even.

The Tigers' Eastin Whaley took the tough-luck loss. He started and pitched six innings, allowed three hits and two runs (both unearned), struck out nine and walked two. Cole VanNatter pitched the seventh inning.

The Hornets held the Tigers to two hits. A.J. Burkhalter and Cole Cardwell had a single apiece with Cardwell driving in the Tigers' run.

"It was a really good game," Northwestern coach Ryan Ward. "The pitchers for both teams, I thought, were light's out. There's five total hits in the game. They were able to just execute a little better than we did. We had our opportunities. We had a guy on third with one out in the bottom of the seventh and just couldn't get him across.

"You have to tip your hat to Rossville, they played a great game. It's a good learning experience for us."

Northwestern (2-1) faces Eastern at 9 a.m. today at Taylor in the consolation bracket. The loser will play in the seventh-place game at 2 p.m. at Taylor and the winner will play in the fifth-place game at 4:30 p.m. at Taylor.

MAC 10, CASS 7

Kaleb Shelton cracked two hits and drove in two runs to help the Braves beat the Kings.

Bennett Isenburg earned the win in relief of starter M.J. Ellis. Isenburg gave up three runs (all unearned). Ellis pitched five innings and allowed seven hits and four runs (one earned).

SOFTBALL

KOKOMO 15, PERU 5, 5 INNINGS

Liliana Lamberson went 2 for 3 with two home runs and drove in five runs as the Wildkats rebounded from Thursday's loss to Harrison to improve to 2-1.

Dani Tate went 3 for 4 for the Kats, Kami Shoemaker and Gwen Hand were each 2 for 3, and Taylor Reed had a three-run triple.

"I thought we had a much better approach at the plate than we did [Thursday] night," Kokomo coach Mike Susong said. "We were able to lay off the high pitches and make them bring the ball to us, and when we did that, good things happened. We scattered 12 hits in four innings and really put some pressure on them with good baserunning as well."

THURSDAY

BOYS TRACK

CASS 75, CARROLL 57

Enoch Hines was a triple winner and Braxton Armstrong, Kale Skiles, Gavin Griffin and Izaac Fale were double winners as the Kings won nine events.

Hines won the 1,600 and 800 individually, and was part of the winning 3,200 relay team with Felix Palafo, Armstrong, and Skiles. Skiles also won the 3,200 individual race while Armstrong also took a leg of the winning 1,600 relay team with Griffin, Keaton Lewellen and Kolten Young. Fale won discus and shot put. Griffin took the 400. And Jamison Douglas won the 110 hurdles.

SOFTBALL

EASTERN 13, OAK HILL 5

Macy Coan, Maggie Johnson, Marly Coan and Kendall Wilson each had multiple hits for the Comets, who improved to 2-1. Macy Coan pitched all seven innings for the win with three hits, a walk, and 11 strikeouts.

WESTERN SWEEPS

Western beat Tipton 11-1 and 14-0 in a Hoosier Conference doubleheader.

Maisy Harlow was 6 for 7 for the doubleheader with two doubles and a triple for Western (5-0, 2-0 HC East). Chloe Hunt was 5 for 7 with two doubles, a homer and six RBI. Brynley Erb was 4 for 6 with a double, two homers and seven RBI. Jocelyn Jeffers hit her first varsity homer to break a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning of the opener.