High School Boys Baseball
Mount Pulaski takes down Raiders 10-2
Hilltoppers improve to 12-0

 

[April 11, 2024] 

Chance Payne was on the mound for Mount Pulaski Thursday afternoon as the Hilltoppers remained perfect on the season with a 10-2 win over the Midwest Central Raiders.

Mount Pulaski trailed 1-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning when the bats heated up.

Eric Cooper and Liam Smith each singled to start the rally and Landon Smith brought each of them home on a triple to right. Luke Martin’s sacrifice fly allowed Smith to score and the inning ended with Mount Pulaski on top 3-1.

The Raiders scored a run on wild pitch in the top of the fourth inning.

With two outs and runners aboard thanks to an error and two walks in the bottom of the fourth inning, Liam Smith scored on a wild pitch and Mount Pulaski distanced themselves from Midwest Central 4-2.

Mount Pulaski blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring six runs after two quick outs. Two runs scored on an error after the Raiders pitchers had already walked two batters and hit Liam Smith with a pitch. After a walk to Payne, Luke Martin’s double to center brought home two more runs for Mount Pulaski. Tyler Cross put the icing on the cake when he added a two-run single to make the score 10-2.

Payne took care of the Raiders lineup rather easily in the top of the sixth inning.

Landon Smith closed out the game in the seventh inning, tossing 13 pitches to three batters. He struck out two batters as the Hilltoppers walked away 10-2 winners.

Chance Payne (5-0) earned the win for Mount Pulaski. Payne worked six innings, allowing two hits and two unearned runs. He walked five and struck out nine. Payne threw 107 pitches and 63 were for strikes.

Eric Cooper and Tyler Cross had multi-hit games for Mount Pulaski.

Cooper was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

Cross was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.

Luke Martin was 1-for-2 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Landon Smith was 1-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

Franklin Wade and Liam Smith each had one hit.

Mount Pulaski’s next game is Saturday at 10:00 a.m. at Lexington.

[Teena Lowery]