Longhorns romp in game two, move to second round
Wyatt Hale got the win for the Longhorns in game two Friday.
LINDEN — After a suffocating 17-0 victory in game one, Marengo Academy showed little mercy in the back end of a first round playoff double-header as it thrashed Sparta 17-4 Friday evening.
Wyatt Hale struck out five batters over the first two innings and proceeded to cruise to the victory on the mound for the Longhorns.
The Longhorns, who were playing the game as the visiting team, staked Hale to a 12-run lead before he ever toed the rubber. Marengo sent 16 batters to the plate in the first to put Sparta’s hopes of forcing a game three squarely underfoot early.
Hale reached on an error to open the game, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a Carson Huckabee RBI grounder. Hayden Huckabee walked, stole second and scored on an errant throw that allowed Carson Huckabee to reach.
Brant Lewis followed with a RBI double to plate Carson Huckabee for the 3-0 lead. After a Tait Sanford walk, Hayden Hall doubled to score Lewis and Sanford for the 5-0 advantage. Hall later scored on a Tyler Barkley RBI single to push the lead to 6-0.
Josh Holifield reached on an infield single and gave way to courtesy runner Caleb Broadhead, who stole second and scored on a Hayden Huckabee RBI grounder for the 7-0 lead.
Barkley scored the eighth run on a wild pitch before Hale walked and ultimately scored on an error. Sanford legged out an infield hit to pick up the RBI for pushing Brant Lewis across. Carson Huckabee added another run before Sanford scored on a wild pitch for the final run of the frame.
Marengo Academy is scheduled to travel to Edgewood Thursday for the second round of the AISA state playoffs.