Cameron Cooper backs up as RWA second baseman Matt Taylor scoops up a York Prep grounder Monday and looks to first. (Photo/Martha Ladd)
WINNSBORO – The Richard Winn Academy Eagles baseball squad swept both games of a doubleheader Monday, dropping York Prep 5-1 and 5-4.
Jacob Steele earned the win for the Eagles in the twin bill opener, striking out six and walking a pair while giving up only two hits and an earned run through four innings of work. Mitchell Gibbons mopped things up for the Eagles, striking out one, walking one and surrendering one hit. Brian Williams took the loss for the Patriots.
The Eagle offense scattered seven hits against Williams and the Pat’s, with Matt Taylor, Cameron Cooper, Christian Christianson, Nic Stillwell, Blake Pauley and Gibbons each reaching base safely on balls put in play. Christianson collected two RBIs for his efforts and crossed the plate twice. Stillwell also had an RBI, as did Elijah Tucker, who pushed home a run on a sacrifice fly. Taylor, Conrad Sharpe, Cooper and Pauley also came in to score for the Eagles.
Williams walked six Eagle batters and plunked two, while stranding 10 Eagle runners on the bags. Williams’s defense committed two errors behind him, while the Eagles booted the ball only once. All five of the Eagles’ runs came in the opening frame, after which Williams settled down and RWA’s bats cooled off. But Steele had all the support he needed as he kept the Pat’s at bay going into the final inning.
The nightcap was a closer affair as the Patriots got a clutch run in the top of the fifth to narrow the gap to 5-4 on a walk by Cooper, working in relief. But Cooper recovered, hurling a strikeout to end the threat and seal the deal.
Tucker, working under a pitch count, threw two innings for the Eagles and earned the win. Tucker gave up a walk and what would be York Prep’s only hit of the game.
With RWA staked to a slim 1-0 lead, Pauley labored through the third, giving up three runs on three walks while striking out a pair. The Eagles regained the lead in the bottom half, plating three to go up 4-3. Bryant Carvalho came on in the fourth and worked an inning and a third.
Taylor propelled the offense for RWA in game two, going 3-for-3 at the plate with two RBIs, a pair of stolen bases and scoring three runs. Cooper went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs, while Sharpe went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Pauley and Carvalho both went 1-for-2 with a run each.
In all, the Eagles touched up the York Prep staff for eight hits, stranding five runners. The Pat’s left seven on the bags.
The Eagles are now 3-1 on the young season and travel to Great Falls on Thursday for a 5:30 p.m. start, then head to Westwood Friday to take on the Redhawks at 6:30. The Eagles’ next home game is March 17 when they face Great Falls once more.
