High School Boys Baseball
Hilltoppers win first game of the season

 

[March 17, 2024] 

Mount Pulaski rolled over North Mac 16-3 last Wednesday in Girard.

The Hilltoppers scored five runs in the first inning with Luke Martin doing the most damage with a two-run double. The Hilltoppers also scored on an error and two groundouts in the opening inning.

Chance Payne added a two-run single to center in the second inning to give Mount Pulaski a 7-1 lead.

The Hilltoppers were up 7-3 going into the fourth inning when they added to that lead with their biggest inning of the day.

Liam Smith’s RBI double made the score 8-3. After Landon Smith walked, Payne hit a triple to right, driving in another run. Mount Pulaski scored two more runs on passed balls. Tyler Cross singled on the first pitch and stole second, went to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch, making the score 12-3. The Hilltoppers were retired in the inning on a double play.

Mount Pulaski would get all the runs needed in the top of the fifth inning to shorten the game.

For starters, Payne had a sacrifice fly to score a run. Landon Smith and Luke Martin each scored on a wild pitch. Jaeden Jackson added an RBI single that scored Carter Clark with the final run of the game.

The Hilltoppers disposed of the Panthers quickly in the bottom of the fifth inning, with Eric Cooper ending the game on two strikeouts.

Mount Pulaski earns victory no. 1 on the season with a 16-3 thumping of North Mac.

Chance Payne (1-0) started the game on the mound for Mount Pulaski and he picked up the win. Payne threw two and one-third innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs. He struck out five batters and walked four. Payne threw 60 pitches and 29 were for strikes.

Landon Smith pitched one and two-thirds innings in relief, walking two and striking out two. Smith threw 28 pitches and 10 were for strikes.

Eric Cooper pitched the final inning, earning two strikeouts. Cooper threw 17 pitches and 10 were for strikes.

Offensively, Chance Payne was 2-for-3 at the plate for Mount Pulaski. He also drove in four runs and scored one run.

Liam Smith was 2-for-2 with four runs scored and an RBI.

Jaeden Jackson, Landon Smith, Luke Martin, Tyler Cross, Franklin Wade and Aaron Volle also had hits for Mount Pulaski.

The Hilltoppers travel to Assumption Tuesday to take on Central A & M at 4:30 p.m.

[Teena Lowery]