Troy Roberts readily admitted it.
Simon Kenton’s baseball coach does not guide a team loaded with power hitters. He was fine with that Monday because the Pioneers shut out Conner, 1-0.
“We’ve got some guys that can run,” Roberts said. “We’ll bunt if we have to, we’ll hit-and-run if we have to. Our goal is to get our leadoff guy on and go from there. We’re not going to hit the ball out of the ballpark very many times.”
Simon Kenton (21-9) not only won its fourth game in the last five – the Pioneers improved to 6-0 in one-run games and allowed Conner just two runs over 17 innings this season. (The Cougars won, 2-0 in 10 at the Doc Morris April 13.)
Two Pioneer seniors were largely responsible.
First baseman Dakota Brown drove in his team-high 30th run when his third-inning sacrifice fly scored second baseman – and leadoff hitter – Evan Sheridan, who had two singles and two stolen bases. The other, pitcher Ben Stephens, normally a reliever, contained the Cougars on six hits in just his second career start.
So is Stephens jockeying for a spot in Simon Kenton’s starting rotation?
“I don’t want to get too ahead of myself because that’s never a good thing,” Stephens said. “Probably not. I’ll keep myself out of there; we’ve got good guys.”
Stephens usually throws his fastball up and inside, but Monday, his low and outside fastballs bedeviled the Cougars.
Roberts said Stephens’ “arm slot,” the angle, relative to the ground, that a pitcher’s arm comes through when he releases the ball, is just about a sidearm.
“His fastball will start away, and it runs back in to a right-hand hitter,” Roberts said. “So a lot of times, he’s getting defensive swings, where the hitter’s protecting (the plate) instead of getting aggressive swings.”
Brown sent a 2-0 middle and outside fastball to Conner center fielder Ayden Lohr.
“I was thinking it was either gonna fall or at least get the run,” Brown said. “(Sheridan’s) got some wheels, so I wasn’t too worried about it.”
Cougars pitcher Zander Allen turned in a solid seven innings, too – he struck out six – retiring the side 1-2-3 in the first, fourth and seventh innings – and stranded five Pioneers.
Conner pitcher Zander Allen struck out six. Photo provided | Sally Schaefer
Conner’s (21-11) first missed scoring chance came in the second inning. After Logan Tucker’s one-out double to left center and designated hitter Brody Mangold’s sacrifice fly, Allen flew out to right.
“We’ve struggled all year getting runners across in certain situations,” Conner coach Brad Arlinghaus said.
Two-out fourth-inning singles from Tucker and Mangold went for naught when Allen popped out.
The Cougars’ sixth at-bat was the most promising – and maybe the most frustrating.
Third baseman Cory Henson started with a single to left and went to second when Stephens hit right fielder Brayden Stidham, and both moved up a base on Jackson Bucks’ sacrifice bunt. The rally died when Tucker popped up and Mangold grounded out.
In the seventh, Allen struck out, Owen Louden grounded to shortstop, Rex Richter walked and Aaron Wichmann flew out to left.
After the win, Sheridan said he preferred a close win to a blowout.
“It’s just more fun and more competitive when it’s a closer game,” he said.
SIMON KENTON — 001-000-0 – 1-6-0
CONNER — 000-000-0 – 0-6-0
Stephens and Atchley; Allen and Tucker. WP-Stephens (4-0). LP-Allen (3-3). 2B-Richter (C), Tucker (C).