(Donnie Cunningham-MyChampionSportsImage.com) Jake Stalder helped pitch LHHS to a double-header win over Taylor last Tuesday.

by Chuck Licata

The Taylor Ducks came to Liberty Hill last Tuesday (June 19) for a doubleheader of summer baseball.

They left LH with a bag full of goose eggs.

The summer squad of Panthers shut down Taylor for 11 straight innings in claiming two victories; a 5-inning, 11-0 win followed by a 6-inning, 9-0 whitewash.

The Panthers remained undefeated (8-0) with the pair of victories. The Panthers will play Taylor again at 7 p.m. Tuesday (June 26) before playing at Rouse at 6 p.m. this coming Friday (June 29).

(Donnie Cunningham-MyChampionSportsImage.com) Tyler Vickers raps a hit.

The following is a summary of the two wins.

LHHS 11, Taylor 0

Liberty Hill pitcher Marshall Brown (4-0) gave up just one hit and one walk in a five-inning gem. Brown gave up a third-inning single to T.J. Stewart, but then picked him off two pitches later. Brown completed the frame by striking out the next two hitters. Brown, who has 18 strikeouts in 13 innings so far this summer, rolled up eight K’s in the win.

Meantime, the LHHS offense struck for a run in the first, two more in the third and one in the fourth before rolling a seven-spot in the fifth inning to win the game on the 10-run rule. Garrett “G” Cunningham completed the rout by drilling a game-ending, three-run homer deep over the left-center field fence. Cunningham was 2-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base to go with the homer and three RBI.

Jesse Cousins also drove in three runs as he went 2-for-2 with two singles and a walk. Kannon Prior (1-for-3) drove in two runs and scored once.

Other LHHS contributors included Tyler Vickers (1-for-2, walk, run scored and RBI); Spencer Pennington (1-for-3, two runs scored and RBI); Jason Reeves (1-for1, reached base on single, walk and hit by pitch, two steals and two runs scored); Cody Remore (2-for-2, reached base on hit by pitch, one run scored); Stephen Greenlees (0-for-1, walk and run scored); Tristan Heidelberg (0-for-3, reached base on error and fielder’s choice, run scored); and, Colt Stofle (0-for-2).

(Donnie Cunningham-MyChampionSportsImage.com) Stephen Greenlees tosses a pitch.

LHHS 9, Taylor 0

The Panthers broke a 0-0 tie with a run in the home fourth then scored four more times in each of the fifth and sixth inning to finish off a double-blanking of the visiting Ducks.

Liberty Hill pounded out seven hits and took advantage of four Taylor errors. The Panthers tallied just four RBI (two by Jake Stalder; one each by Chris Grumbles and Tristan Heidelberg) and one extra-base hit (a double by Jason Reeves). The swift-footed Panthers also tallied two steals (one each by Cody Remore and Brandon Wells).

Three LHHS hitters (Spencer Pennington, Mason Baty and Remore) were hit by a pitch in the win.

Baty led the team with two hits while Reeves, Heidelberg, Grumbles, Stalder and Kannon Prior had one hit apiece.

On the mound, Stalder threw four innings, striking out seven. Baty then came in and pitched the final two innings, striking out four of his own. Defensively, Prior (at shortstop) and Wells (at second base) turned two double plays.