North Harrison broke a long nine game losing skid as they have battled the elements and a brutal schedule this year. Tate Richardson hit a home run, his second this year, Kayson Sims got his first big league hit, and Lucian Sweeney provided the finishing touch as the Shamrocks beat winless North Andrew for their second win of the year 13-3 in five innings.
The Shamrocks started out with an impressive 17-7 win over North Nodaway, but then ran into a stretch in which seven of their next nine opponents were at or better than .500. They were run-ruled 11-0 by South Harrison 11-0, were edged out by King City 9-5, run ruled by the new three headed monster Gilman City 19-9 and by powerhouse Putnam County 17-2. They showed some improvement over the next three games. Against a solid Princeton squad, they fell 8-6. At their home tournament, they faced off against perennial powerhouse Green City and played a good game before losing 5-4, before going the distance this time in a rematch with South Harrison before losing 11-3. They then had a match with Trenton, who has been a doormat in recent years. But Trenton was on a hot streak and is much better this year, and they beat the Shamrocks 14-4. They then had a chance against Albany, which is struggling to get above .500. But after playing them tough for three innings, the floodgates opened for the Warriors in the later innings and they won 15-2.
Meanwhile, North Andrew had not won a game coming into Monday’s game. The Cardinals had been run ruled in all of their games, gave up 30 runs in one of their losses, and had not scored more than three runs in a game. North Harrison came in having lost nine straight, while North Andrew had lost nine straight as well. Something had to give.
When Jarom Russo, Alexander Sportsman, and Blake Hunzinger all reached on scratch hits to start the game for North Andrew, it looked like it would be one of those games again for North Harrison. But when pitcher Jerry Gilpatrick tagged out Russo trying to come home on a passed ball and struck out the next two to get out of the inning, the momentum swung back in North Harrison’s favor.
Tate Richardson singled to start off the Shamrock first, stole second, and came home on Jerry Gilpatrick’s pop fly single to make it 1-0.
The Shamrocks added to their lead after Landon Johnson walked and Kayson Sims got his first ever varsity hit, a shot between third and short to put runners on first and third. Tate Richardson doubled to right center to score one and put Sims on third. A flood of errors let in three more Shamrock runs before a fluke play nearly derailed the Shamrocks. Karson Ury hit one that looked like it was in the gap, but center fielder Blake Hunzinger made a great catch and in the chaos and confusion, one of the Shamrocks was out passing Gilpatrick trying to scramble back to third.
The Shamrocks led 4-0 after two, but that play gave North Andrew some hope, and they took advantage of a walk, an error, and a botched rundown to make it 4-1. Jerry Gilpatrick had started off strongly on the mound, striking out five in 2 2/3 innings of work, but was lifted when he plunked back to back Cardinals to load the bases. Tate Richardson came in to strike out Colden Ramsey to get out of the inning.
North Andrew handed the momentum right back to the Shamrocks when back to back hit batters and a single started the Shamrock third. Dustin Hamilton struck out, but a walk and a hit batter put North Harrison up 6-1. North Andrew got a force at third, but another run scored. Kyler Kimbrough beat out a scratch hit and a hit batter and a wild pitch let in another run to make it 10-1.
The Cardinals threatened in the fourth, but Kyler Kimbrough made a running catch from center field, sprinting clear into left, to kill the rally. Tate Richardson hit a shot that landed just inside the right field foul pole to make it 11-1 in the fifth. It was his second home run of the year; his first was against Trenton.
A wild pitch dropped third strike, a hit batter, and a dropped force loaded the bases and Rhyder Hughes’ single scored two to cut it to 11-3. But Tate Richardson seemed to be at his best pitching with his back to the wall; he struck out the next two batters to get out of the inning.
Andrew Craig walked for the Shamrocks. Kyler Kimbrough popped out, but Craig stole second and Karsyn Ury singled him home. Landon Johnson reached on an error to put Ury on third, and then Lucian Sweeney hit a grounder to the pitcher. With North Harrison up 12-3 and Ury off on contact, the Cardinals had to come home with it, but Ury dove in safely under the tag to end the game on the ten run rule.
Playing in their last home game as Shamrocks were Keygun Johnson, Jerry Gilpatrick, and Karsyn Ury. Also honored was Erica Gerken, who is a senior on the Track squad. Johnson is also on the Boys Golf team.
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