“I think I just maybe lost a little focus there at the end,” said Kates, who has signed with High Point (N.C.) University. “I should’ve been more into it. When they got runners on, I kind of beared down and tried to keep doing what I was doing the whole game.”
Austin Andrews and Austin Broshear delivered back-to-back singles to start the Big Blue seventh. Jack Schlichter advanced the runners with a ground out, and Matt Myers struck out.
Jackson Stewart then singled up the middle to plate Andrews, leaving runners on first and third. Kates retired leadoff hitter Reid Ruhl on a fly ball to end the game.
“If that next guy got a hit, there was a chance we were going to go out and get him,” West coach Greg Leurck said. “They had gotten a few hits, and his pitch count was getting up there. He was at 95, and the pitch count rule is 125, but I don’t really like to go over 100 for the most part. You want to save him for the whole season, not just one game.”
Not that Kates would’ve taken kindly to getting pulled.
“There was no way he was pulling me out,” he said. “I would’ve been very mad.”
Kates struck out five and had no walks for the Firebirds, who improved to 4-1 overall and 2-1 in the GMC. The right-hander added a double at the plate.
“He throws mid-80s, but he has a very good changeup and curveball,” Leurck said. “He just tries to mess up their timing and keep them off balance all day. Plus, he throws a lot of strikes.”
Lefty Ryan Kellum tossed a six-hitter with three strikeouts for Big Blue (3-2, 2-1).
“It was a well-played game,” Leurck said. “To see two pitchers go out there and pitch the way they did, that’s what baseball’s all about.”
Kellum allowed all three LWHS runs in the first inning. He issued two-out walks to Brennen Martin and Kates, Dominic Schivone had an RBI single, and Michael Medley added a two-run double.
Hamilton did very little against Kates until the seventh.
“It was a disappointing day up to that point. We didn’t string enough good at-bats together,” HHS coach Joe Lewis said. “We got outplayed, plain and simple.”
Stewart had a pair of singles for Big Blue, who lost to Fenwick 6-3 on Saturday. They’re scheduled to host the Firebirds on Monday.
“We’re at a pivotal point,” Lewis said. “We’ve got a lot of good competition ahead of us this week. We have to play better than we’ve played the last two days if we want to be able to compete with these teams.”
Alex Dodson is slated to start on the mound for West on Monday. Lewis said Jake Pennington will pitch for Hamilton if he’s recovered from having his wisdom teeth removed. If not, the Big Blue starter is TBA.
The Firebirds’ only loss came at the hands of Colerain. Leurck said he likes West’s chemistry.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys that’ll help us out on the mound and a lot of seniors at the plate,” Kates said. “I think we’re going to be good this year.”
Hamilton 000-000-1—1-6-1
Lakota West 300-000-x—3-6-0
WP — Jacob Kates (2-0); LP — Ryan Kellum (1-1). Records: H 3-2, 2-1 GMC; L 4-1, 2-1 GMC
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