​Eagles can’t cool off red-hot Patriots in 6-5 loss

by Michael Smith, Grain Valley News


The Grain Valley baseball team got off to a good start.

The Eagles scored one run in the first inning and another in the second to take a 2-0 lead against a red-hot Truman Patriots team in Suburban White Conference team.

However, after Grain Valley starting pitcher Carter Harmsen tossed two scoreless innings, the Truman bats got hot, and the Patriots scored five runs in the third inning and added an important insurance run in the top of the sixth as the Eagles fell 6-5 Wednesday at home.

The Eagles battled but couldn’t overcome a Truman team that won its seven straight games and started the season with a 9-1 record for the first time since 2009.

Junior John Malicoat drove in a run in the first inning on an RBI double to deep left field, which allowed junior Hunter Nally to score. In the second, Nally drew an RBI bases-loaded walk with two outs allowing Chris Meredith to score, making it 2-0.

The Patriots, who averaged 10.5 runs per game during their six-game winning streak, had their offense come alive in the top of the third.

After two Truman batters reached against Harmsen, Eagles head coach Brian Driskell then pulled him for junior right-hander Carter Gooch. Following a walk from senior Nick Dawson, senior Cole Pleacher drilled a run-scoring run single to right field. One batter later, senior Devin Otten tied it 2-2 following a sacrifice fly.

After that, sophomore Trevor Ottens, senior Landon Armstrong and junior Brayden Branson, whom are in the No. 7, 8 and 9 spots in the lineup, respectively, each had an RBI single to put Truman up 5-2.

Grain Valley responded to Truman’s five-run spurt in the bottom of the fourth. It brought the deficit within 5-4 following senior Aaron Barr’s RBI single to center field and a sacrifice fly to deep left from Malicoat.

Truman later got a critical insurance run in the top of the sixth. Senior Nick Dawson hit a blooper to left field. The high winds made it difficult for Nally, the third baseman, and left fielder Bryce Miller to track the ball down. It dropped just inside the foul line, and Meyer hesitated before he made throw to second base.

However, shortstop Kaden Crandall couldn’t apply the tag in time and Dawson was safe at second.

After Dawson advanced to third on a ground out by Pleacher, Rogers hit a fly ball to shallow right field. Michael Wilkey caught it, but his throw hit Rogers as he was rounding first base, allowing Dawson to cross home.

“That stuff is going to happen, it’s just baseball,” Driskell said. “We just didn’t have enough on the mound to hold them down enough. We didn’t score enough runs to make up for what we weren’t able to do. Truman outplayed us today.”

From there, Truman senior Devin Ottens picked up the save after allowing just one run on three hits, he walked one and struck out one in three innings for the save. The one run came on an error following an infield hit for Malicoat. On the play, Truman shortstop Caden Deeney made an errant throw to first, allowing Eagles junior Logan Bennett to score from third.

John Malicoat sparked the Eagles offense with a 2-for-3 effort and three RBIs. Barr had a strong outing in relief as he gave up just one run on four hits, he walked two and struck out give in 4 1/3 winnings.

​“I think we are right there,” Driskell said. “We just didn’t get it done today.”