GALION — The Northmor Golden Knights baseball team continued their home stand on Saturday with a Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference doubleheader against the visiting Cardington Pirates.
In game number one, things got off to a rough start for the home team as they allowed five Cardington runs in the opening frame to find themselves in a large deficit early. After Northmor remained scoreless in their portion of the first, the Pirates tacked on two additional runs in the top of the third. The Knights would finally produce some offense, scoring two in the home half of the inning to cut the Cardington lead to 7-4. The visitors would add their final run in the fifth and despite a late, sixth inning rally, Northmor would see themselves come up short, falling by a final score of 8-6.
The home team would score their six runs on six hits, leave eight runners stranded and commit two errors in game one while the Pirates needed just four hits to score eight while stranding four runners on the bases and committing five total errors.
Brayden Black took the loss on the hill for the Golden Knights, working 2⅓ innings while giving up four hits and six runs (five earned). Black walked four and struck out four in the outing. Mostyn Evans came on to work three innings, giving up two runs, three walks and striking out five. Hunter Mariotti rounded out the staff in game one, throwing 1⅔ innings while recording a strikeout.
Black had the only multi-hit performance in the first game, notching two singles. Evans and Mariotti both finished with a single and an RBI apiece.
Other offense in the opener came from: Wyatt Reeder- 1B, R, 2RBI, 2SB; Ryland Thomas- R, RBI, SB; Pierce Lower- 1B; Chris Bood- R; Dakota Downard- R; Kalob Barney- R and Bryce Downard- R.
Game two, in which the Northmor squad served as the visitors, saw them dropping their third consecutive contest, this time by a final tally of 10-4. With the loss, the Knights fall to 3-4 overall on the season and 3-3 within the KMAC.
Cardington scored twice in the bottom of the first and two in the bottom of the third before Northmor found the scoreboard with a lone run in the fourth. The Pirates answered in their portion of the fourth with an additional three runs to take the score at the time to 7-1.
After the Pirates tacked on a run in the fifth, Northmor would score two in the sixth and a run in the seventh but would come up short again in the six-run loss.
The Knights finished the game with four runs on eight hits, four runners stranded and two errors in the field. Cardington racked up 14 hits en route to their 10 runs, stranded eight and were spotless in the field on defense.
Bood was handed the loss, throwing three innings and giving up nine hits and four earned runs on the day while fanning three hitters. Reeder worked three innings as well, allowing five hits and six runs (four earned) while walking four and striking out four.
D. Downard finished the game with two singles for Northmor’s only multi-hit performance while Reeder, Mariotti and Evans belted a double apiece. Reeder also recorded an RBI, Mariotti picked up an RBI and a stolen base and Evans scored one of the four Northmor runs.
Other offense in game two was provided by: Thomas- 1B, 2R; Lower- 1B, RBI and Black- 1B, R.
The Golden Knights are set to host the Buckeye Central Bucks in non-conference play on Tuesday before hitting the road on Thursday, April 11 to face conference foes, the East Knox Bulldogs.
Bucyrus 7, Northmor 3
GALION — Back on Friday afternoon, Northmor welcomed the visiting Bucyrus Redmen to their home field for some non-conference action on the diamond.
Bucyrus got off to a hot start, scoring four in the first and two in the second and would never look back. The Knights scored one run apiece in the third, fourth and fifth innings but would not be able to muster a comeback in a 7-3 defeat.
Pitching stats for Northmor against Bucyrus were: LP Lower- IP, 4H, 4ER, BB; B. Downard- 2IP, H, 2R, BB, 3K; Tyler Brown- 3IP, 4H, ER, 2BB, 6K and D. Downard- IP, BB.
Offensively for the Knights against the Redmen: Reeder- 1B, R; Thomas- 2B; Evans- 1B, 2RBI; Mariotti- 1B, 2B; Lower- 2B, R; D. Downard- 1B, 2B, RBI and Garrett Corwin- 2B, R.
