Split with the Scots

The offense came easy for both teams as Jay County won a wild game one. The Patriots had trouble hunting down hits in the second half of the double-header.

Pinch runner Ryan Miskinis took third base on a pitch in the dirt and scored the game-winning run as the catcher's throw skipped down the left field line. It was the final of 16 errors in the game as the Jay County High School baseball team eked out a 15-14 win after leading the visiting Anderson Highland Scots by eight runs.

Andrew Hunt dominated the Patriots in the second game, allowing just three hits as Highland defeated JCHS 10-0 in five innings.

Coach Lea Selvey was able to find positives from his Patriots (4-5, 1-3 Olympic Athletic Conference) in both games.

"We jumped out and ... with the wind and everything ... you could score pretty quick in today's weather," he said of the opener. "I'm just proud of them ... that we held on and came back and manufactured (a run) and won. I think that was key for these guys."

Jay County jumped on top in the first game as the first three batters reached base on a hit, an error and a fielder's choice. Willie Mayfield followed with an RBI single to keep the bases loaded, and Phil Powell put the home team up 5-0 with his second career grand slam.

Three more runs each in the second and third innings, which included a Billy Wellman two-run home run, put the Patriots up 11-3.

However, a five-error fifth inning led to five unearned runs for Highland, and it tied the game at 13 with four runs in the top of the sixth. JCHS went up 14-13, and Chandler Sidwell of the Scots tied the game with a solo home run to lead off the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh, Powell led off with a single to center field and Colton Lombardo followed with a walk. Miskinis entered as a pinch runner for Powell and scored the game-winning run.

Skyler Petty also came up big for the Patriots as he entered the game with the bases loaded and the game tied in the sixth. He tossed one pitch, which Nathaniel Brown and Michael Daniels turned for a double play, and went on to earn the victory.

"He jumped in and did his job and got a double play," said Selvey.

Powell finished the game 4-for-5 with five RBIs, and Trey Dunn also had four hits. Wellman and Daniels each scored three times.

The positive note in the second game for JCHS came from freshman pitchers Andy Haffner and Ty Huntsman. The pair tossed 2 2/3 innings of relief and did not allow an earned run. Haffner struck out three batters.

"To see the two freshmen come out there and throw very well, to have a freshman battery in a conference game, that basically did their jobs, makes me get a little excited," said Selvey. "I don't like losing, but I saw some good things."

See Split page 9

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Hunt was in control throughout game two as just two Patriot runners made it past first base. He retired the first nine batters he faced before Dunn opened the fourth inning with a double.

Powell and Jon Pettus each added singles in the fifth inning, but Hunt induced a pop up from Daniels and then struck out Andrew Duke to end the threat.

The Scots (10-2, 1-1 OAC) took advantage of an error in the fifth inning and ended the game on Chase Freeman's home run to left field.

Highland coach Matt Bair said he felt his team's rally in the first game led to the victory in the second.

"I was happy the way they fought in the first game," he said. "I think at one point we were down 11-3 ... On a day like this with the wind blowing out you've got to put the ball in play and make the game fun. I think that's what they started to do. I think that carried over into (the second game)."

Hunt had six strikeouts in the victory and did not walk a batter.

"He just kept us off guard," said Selvey. "We could never put anything back-to-back."

The Patriots, whose 13 hits helped them overcome 10 errors in the opener, play five games this week. They open against Adams Central today before facing Union City, Muncie Central and a double-header against Muncie Southside.

"It's coming," said Selvey of his team. "It gets frustrating because it's win one, lose one, win one lose one, but this group I think is going to put it together and get a streak going ..."[[In-content Ad]]