Auston Pride Shuts Out Shamrocks as Bluejays Complete Sweep

Auston Pride tossed a three hit 10-0 shutout against North Harrison as the Shamrocks, who had no trouble scoring runs despite their slow start, couldn’t do anything against the Bluejays in the final game of the Northeast Nodaway Tournament.

With the win, Northeast won their home tournament, shutting out their two opponents 18-0. In 12 innings of work, they gave up four hits and struck out 17 batters.

Fielding led to North Harrison’s downfall in the first inning as a pair of dropped fly balls let in all four of Northeast’s four runs in the inning after Ben Boswell had led off the inning with a double.

The Shamrocks tried to fight back in the second with two outs as Jerry Gilpatrick’s shot past third led to a base hit and Pride plunked Evan Schreiber. But Karsyn Ury grounded out to end the threat.

Northeast got two outs in the third, but then Lane Dack walked to keep the inning going and Colton Swalley hit a shot that crashed off the wall in left despite the wind blowing in that resulted in a double and a run. Auston Pride singled to left to bring in Swalley and make it 6-0 after two.

North Harrison got some sticks on the ball in the third, but Northeast was right there to make the plays. Kendall Kimbrough hit a squib in front of the plate, but catcher Colton Swalley was right there to make a strong throw for the first out. Matthew Heintz hit a shot to right that sliced away from center, but right into right fielder Landon Wilmes’ glove for the second out. Brandon Hamilton singled, but Cole Kampman forced him at second for the third out.

The Shamrocks kept Northeast off the board in the third inning as Grant McIntyre’s hard shot was right at center fielder Karsyn Ury and Boston Adwell, who had been swinging well but not connecting, caught hold of one but right at third baseman Cooper Cracraft, whose throw in the dirt was dug out of the dirt by first baseman Cole Kampman for the third out.

Cooper Cracraft tried to spark the Shamrocks in the fourth with a leadoff single, but Keygun Johnson hit it hard to Lane Dack at second, who stepped on the bag at second and threw to first for a double play.

The floodgates opened in the Bluejay fourth as five walks and an error led to four Bluejay runs to make it 10-0. The big blow for the Bluejays was Auston Pride’s two run single to left that scored two runs. Pride struck out the side in the fifth to clinch the game.