Unearned runs lead to South Adams' first loss (04/08/04)

Just when it looked as if South Adams was headed for a 2-0 record everything fell apart.

The Starfire baseball team grabbed a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth only to give all of it away and more in the sixth in a 14-5 loss to the Blackford Bruins Wednesday.

Blackford posted nine runs — mostly unearned — in the six inning to pull ahead 10-4. It added three more in the seventh before South Adams scored one more time for the final margin.

Tyler Sprunger suffered the loss, giving up eight runs — two earned — in 52/3 innings. Aaron Givens tossed 11/3 innings and gave up six runs with only two of them being earned.

Kyle White paced the South Adams offense with two hits, including a home run. He finished with three RBIs and one run scored.

Justin Caffee had two hits and scored twice, Givens notched an RBI and a stolen base and Kyle Neuenschwander had a hit and a run.

South Adams (1-1) will visit New Haven today at 4:30 p.m.

Jay JV blanks Jets

The Jay County junior varsity baseball team had just one more hit than the Adams Central Jets Wednesday, but it was enough to support an outstanding pitching effort from Josh Atkinson.

Atkinson tossed a two-hit shutout as the Patriots took a 3-0 victory over Adams Central.

Atkinson allowed just two hits in the contest as he went the full seven innings. He struck out four and did not give up a walk.

Jay County (1-0) scored once in the first inning and twice in the second, garnering just three hits in the contest. Casey Waters, Travis Towell and Atkinson each had one hit and scored one run.

Patriots finish 2nd

The boys picked up a couple more event wins than the girls, but the Jay County track teams finished with nearly identical scores in finishing second in a triangular meet at Blackford Tuesday.

The Patriot boys scored 62 points behind 77 from Blackford and 29 by Muncie Southside. The girls got an extra half, finishing with 62.5 compared to 84.5 for Blackford and 14 for Southside.

Three athletes totaled the seven victories for the boys team, with senior Paul Imel setting the pace with a trio of wins.

Imel swept the sprints, running more than a second faster in the 100-meter dash than he did at last year’s sectional as he won the event in 10.44 seconds. He was also first in the 200-meter dash in 22.77 and the 400-meter dash in 52.58.

Adam Grile posted a pair of wins in the hurdles, finishing first in the 110-meter event in 16.30. He ran the 300-meter hurdles in 43.75 to take the victory.

David Stith had the two other wins for the Patriots as he led a dominating effort in the throwing events.

Stith was the top finisher in a Jay County sweep of the discus, tossing at a distance of 135 feet, one-half inch. Sophomores Joseph Vormohr (129 feet, 41/2 inches) and Steven Castillo (119 feet, one inch) were second and third respectively.

Stith also took the shot put at 46 feet, 91/2 inches, with Vormohr in second place at 44 feet, six inches.

As expected, the distance runners carried the day for the girls team with sophomore Alyssa Johnson posting a pair of individual wins.

After missing much of last season with a broken foot, Johnson started her 2004 campaign with a win in the 1,600-meter run in 5-minutes, 48.72 seconds. Jay County senior Nicole Van Skyock was second in 6:04.72.

Johnson was also first in the 3,200-meter run, with teammate Vanessa Wilkins in second place.

VanSkyock added the only other individual win in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:43.03. Freshman Jessica Mosier placed second in 2:47.05.

The Patriots also took first in the 4x800-meter relay in 10:46.04. They will compete today at Bellmont at 5 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]