|
 Lowery was also 2-3 with a single and home run and 2 RBIs at the
plate. Brett Huff also continued to swing a hot bat. Huff was 2-3
with two doubles and 2 RBIs. Huff, hitting in the no. 2 spot, batted
in the Toppers first run in the top of the first after Blake Collier
walked. Lowery took the mound in the bottom of the inning and
quickly struck out the side.
Both teams failed to score in the second inning, however, and Mount
Pulaski was back to the top of the lineup in the third inning.
Lead-off man Blake Collier walked, as did the third hitter in the
lineup, Lowery, and both players stole a base. Even though Matt
Amidon struck out, Collier and Lowery were alert on the base paths
and both flew home on the dropped third strike. The Topper lead was
3-0. A couple errors by the Toppers in the bottom of the third
inning resulted in two base runners and the those Tornadoes came
home to score on a missed fly ball in the outfield.
 Mount Pulaski was holding on to a 3-2 lead until the top of the
fifth when again the top of the order was up for Mount Pulaski.
Following a strike out of Blake Collier, Huff smacked his second
double of the afternoon and he came home to score on the single that
followed by Lowery. Beau Collier then sent the next pitch to left
center for a two-bagger and the Toppers had gotten back those two
runs they had given up a couple innings before and now led 5-2.
Lowery single-handedly took care of the Tornadoes in the fifth
inning, on a ground out and two strikeouts but the sixth inning
would not be so easy for the right-hander. Two singles and an error
would result in two runs scoring for Tri-City and once again the
game was close, with Mount Pulaski leading 5-4.
Moving to the top of the seventh, Blake Collier led off with a smash
to third that he beat out at first and he wasted no time stealing
the next two bases. Blake Collier then scored easily on Huff's
sacrifice fly to center. Lowery, who appeared to be just a little
agitated at the close game, then sent a 3-1 pitch over the left
field fence and when the ball landed it nearly cleared the batting
cages some 400 feet away.
[to top of second column] |
Beau Collier singled following Lowery's shot and after he stole
second he came around to score as Amidon ripped a single, knocking
in the final run of the day and giving Lowery and Mount Pulaski an
8-4 lead to smile about. Three more strikeouts by Lowery in the
bottom of the seventh inning would end the game and give the Toppers
their third win of the week, improving to 3-4 on the young season.
The Toppers are certainly on a hot streak as just this week the team
has been responsible for scoring 37 runs and recording 34 hits.
Lowery meanwhile picks up his first win of the season by going the
distance with 17 strikeouts and 5 hits allowed. Lowery issued no
walks and allowed no earned runs in the contest. He did hit one
batter as he threw 89 strikes and 17 balls. Not a bad outing for the
Illinois Central College recruit.
The Toppers will host Decatur Eisenhower in a doubleheader this
Saturday at 10 am at Bob Gasaway Field.
[Teena Lowery]
 |
