Cardinal baseball sweeps Nickerson

HOISINGTON – When Tony Moore hit the pitch from Nickerson pitcher Colton Morrell, there was no doubt. The Mighty Moore was congratulated by happy teammates after his game-winning 2-run homer delivered a 6-4 Central Kansas League victory over the Panthers Tuesday.

Hoisington (2-0, 2-0 CKL) routed the Panthers 15-0 in the second game.

CARDINALS 6, PANTHERS 4 (G1) – Hoisington’s batters jumped for joy when Nickerson starting pitcher Kamden Cornelius was shockingly removed after a dazzling 70-pitch, 10-strikeout performance. The Cardinals roughed up Nickerson relievers Bronson Nuss and Morrell for six runs in two innings.

The Panthers tagged Cardinal starter Leyton Haxton for four runs. Mario Ortiz doubled home Keastin Abernathy. Ortiz scored on Morrell’s triple. Morrell scored on a Cornelius single. Koehn Starnes scored Cage Kelly with a single for a 4-0 lead.

Moore tripled and scored on a sixth-inning error. Gratton Dalton’s double scored Chase Steinert. Ethan Graff’s single scored Carson Mason for a 4-3 score. Haxton doubled and scored on Lane French’s seventh-inning triple. Moore’s homer triggered a wild celebration.

CARDINALS 17, PANTHERS 2 (G2) – Hoisington kept momentum with a 10-run first inning. French scored two runs and drove in four runs with three hits. Rhen Galla scored in three runs with two hits. Graff drove in two runs. Haxton, Moore, Steinert, Preston Roat and Dalton drove in runs.

Nickerson’s Taylor Engelland scored on an error. Morrell scored on a Cornelius groundout. Morrell singled twice.

Nickerson 040 000 0 – 4 8 3

Hoisington 000 003 3 – 6 7 2

Cornelius, Nuss (6), Morrell (6) and Starnes. Haxton, French (4) and Dalton. W—French, 1-0. L—Morrell, 0-1. 2B—N—Ortiz; H—Haxton, Dalton. 3B—N—Morrell; H—Moore, Fremch; HR—H—Moore.

Nickerson 002 – 2 2 4

Hoisington (10)61 – 17 11 1

Starnes, Abernathy (1), Engelland (1), Byard (3) and Hedrick. Moore and dalton. W—Moore, 1-0. L—Starnes. 2B—H—Graff, Galla. 3B—H—Moore