Eads Baseball Takes the Broom to Crowley
April 25, 2003
It has been a long hiatus for the Eads Eagles between cancelled and postponed baseball games and it showed, as they looked a little shaky on yet another cold and blustery Tuesday afternoon in Eads. But the Eagle bats managed to keep pace long enough to take the lead and hold on winning the first one, 16-15, and the nightcap, 9-6.
It would take three pitchers in each contest to get the job done for Eads. In the early game, Levi Kraft would get the starting nod on the mound and would struggle with the high winds and cold weather through four innings. He would be behind 11-8 when Kelly Lindholm took over for the fifth and sixth innings for Eads. Lindholm held Crowley scoreless in the two innings when Steven Gilmore would take over in the top of the seventh. However, it was "do-or-die" for Crowley. Gilmore would walk the first two and then give up two singles before he settled in with a fly out to left field and two strike outs to end the game.
The Eagles did their damage in the fifth inning coming from a deficit of three runs after four complete. With one out, Kraft, Marcus Gilmore, and Miles Philpy all singled to load the bases. Catcher Dain Barnett would then hit a double to drive in Kraft and Gilmore. Lindholm would reach on an error to put two more on when left fielder Will Johnson hit a double driving in Philpy and Barnett. Lindholm and Johnson would also score when Steven Gilmore’s hard liner drive got past the Crowley short stop. By the end of the inning the Eagles had managed six runs on five hits taking the lead. They would extend the lead into the sixth with two more runs coming from a walk to Philpy, a single by Barnett, an RBI single from third baseman Randy Wilson, and a sacrifice fly from Lindholm.
In the second game, considered a JV contest, Keyvis Gilmore had some much-needed pitching time starting on the mound and going two innings. He would hand over the reins to younger brother Steven, ahead 8-5. Steven would throw for one before Lindholm once again took the role as the closer for two more innings.
Eads got their scoring production in the nightcap primarily in the first two innings with Steven Gilmore starting off with a single in the one spot and scoring off a Kraft triple. Kraft would score off a Marcus Gilmore triple, and Marcus would score off a Philpy single. Philpy would add one more when a Wilson fielder’s choice put Philpy across the plate. In the second, Johnson would start off with a double followed by Keyvis Gilmore with a double that scored Johnson. Steven Gilmore’s singled and Kraft’s single scored both Gilmores. Miles Philpy would get on base once again with a single and score off a single from Barnett that hit the right field fence. After the two innings were complete Eads was up 8-6 and added a security policy in the bottom of the fourth when Philpy would score off a Barnett double.
Eads is now 12-4 on a season that has been plagued by terrible weather. They will next put their sights on non-conference Fowler this Saturday in a double-header beginning at 10 a.m. in Eads.
BOX SCORE
Game 1
Eads 114 262 X 16 14 5
Crowley 224 300 4 15 8 7
Kraft, S. Gilmore (5), Lindholm (6) and Barnett. J. Janssen, Ringle (4) and Reeves.
Game 2
Eads 440 1X 9 11 2
Crowley 141 00 0 6 4 3
K.Gilmore, S. Gilmore (3), Lindholm (4) and Barnett. Walters and Beaber.