The Diamond baseball team played a nearly perfect baseball Wednesday night, by beating the host Commerce Tigers in the 11th Annual Mickey Mantle Wooden Bat Classic.
Diamond’s Chris Epperson threw a 1-hitter and the Wildcats won 8-0 in a five inning game. With the win, Diamond moves into the semifinals Friday, playing Salina, Okla., at 2:30 p.m.
“This is a huge win,” Diamond coach Nathan Cook said. “After giving up 11 runs in the game yesterday, we could’ve kept our head down. We made a number plays, put the ball in play and came out with the win.”
The Wildcats, in snapping a six-game losing streak, scored seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to beat Commerce, who are the defending tournament champions. Until then, it was a 1-0 ball game.
Things unraveled in a hurry for Commerce, as Justin Jinks led off with a walk. Epperson and Austin Singleton both reached on an error to load the bases. Sage Atkinson and Jordan Douglas both collected an RBI on a fielder’s choice and walk, respectively. Keith Reiss’ two-run single then made it 5-0.
Zach Alford singled home another run, before Nathan Olson and Jinks had back-to-back RBI grounders to win it.
Alford and Reiss lead Diamond (5-6) with two hits each.
On the mound, Epperson gave up one hit – an infield single in the third inning – and struck out seven and walked one. He needed only 67 pitches to earn the win.
“He worked ahead and his change-up was good today,” Cook said. “His curveball was OK, but his change-up was really on.”
