Arabians show progress in defeat

April 10--PENDLETON -- Sometimes the scoreboard isn't the sole measure of success.

The Pendleton Heights baseball team fell to 0-3 Wednesday with an 8-4 loss against Class 4A No. 9 Hamilton Southeastern at Bill Stoudt Field. But the Arabians' improved play after a lackluster doubleheader against Hoosier Heritage Conference rival Greenfield-Central on Saturday left second-year coach Travis Keesling feeling good about the future.

"I'm not happy we lost," he said. "But I'm pleased with the response from Saturday. We took a couple on the chin, but we came back and except for a couple of plays we played pretty well."

The teams combined to use nine pitchers -- not uncommon for a mid-week non-conference contest -- and early season rust was evident on both sides.

It cost the Arabians most.

Pendleton Heights committed four errors -- including three in the pivotal fifth inning -- leading to five unearned runs for the Royals. The hosts outhit their visitors 7-5 and produced the game's three extra-base hits but couldn't overcome the physical and mental miscues.

In addition to the errors, the Arabians walked four batters and hit three more. Still, they managed to remain competitive with one of the state's top teams until the end.

"We're so close," Keesling said. "If we can clean up a couple of plays -- mental mistakes and defensive errors, but especially the mental mistakes -- if we can clean that up, it would have been a whole different ballgame. It was a lot closer than the 8-4 score."

Pendleton Heights took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning with a two-out rally. Justin Kirkpatrick got things started with a double and scored to tie the game on a single by Austin Ellingwood. Thomas Hall's double off the fence in right field scored Ellingwood from first and put the Arabians in front for the final time.

Hamilton Southeastern answered with four unearned runs in the top of the fifth, getting only an infield single from Alex Akers to go with three Pendleton Heights errors, one walk and one hit batter.

The Royals (2-1) added an insurance run in the top of the seventh when Aaron McGee led off with a single, stole second and third and scored on a groundout by Bryan Roberts.

"It's kinda emotional coming over and playing Pendleton for me," said Hamilton Southeastern coach Scott Henson, a member of the Arabians' 1991 semistate team. "I know so many people over here, so many coaches. I love playing at Pendleton also because they have a great baseball tradition."

Henson reminded his team it was traveling to play a 14-time sectional champion earlier in the day, and the Arabians made an early impression with two runs in the first inning.

Hall led off with a single on the opening pitch, and Austin MacMillan and Hunter Cook each drew walks to load the bases. Spencer McCool beat out a double-play grounder to plate the first run, and Noah Etchison scored the second with a sacrifice fly.

Tre Gantt's two-run single tied the game in the third inning, and the Royals took the lead after an error on a flyball to left field.

Pendleton Heights' pitchers mostly acquitted themselves well. McCool surrendered two earned runs on just two hits in the first 2 1/3 innings. Quentin Miller entered in the third and struck out three of the first five batters he faced before becoming the victim of the defensive lapses in the fifth.</p>

Nate McCormack threw 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief -- allowing just an infield single and hitting one batter -- and Kirkpatrick surrendered just a single and the run in the seventh.

The Arabians host New Castle today.

"They're gonna play Pendleton Heights baseball," Henson said. "They're gonna be fine. I think they'll be ready to make some noise in conference play."

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