Tropics' experience, arm depth shows in W over rivals

Southeast Tropics relief pitcher Ross Peters throws in the final inning against the Aycorp Media Charleston Fighting Squirrels on Tuesday at Kelly High School in Benton.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

BENTON – Veteran Southeast Tropics manager Dustin Schwartz has known all summer season that his team had the experience and pitching depth to win a lot of games, and both were on display in a doubleheader sweep of the Aycorp Media Charleston Fighting Squirrels 4-3 and 5-4 at Kelly High School.

In the opening game, the Tropics (17-4-1) rallied with two runs in their final at-bat, and utilized four pitchers on a “bullpen day,” to grab the victory. It was the Tropics’ fourth in five games this season over their rival.

“That is a big ask,” Schwartz said of using four pitchers in short stints. “These guys are starting pitchers, and it is hard for them to come in in relief. You don’t get as much time to get loose and you get thrown into different situations.”

Former Jackson High pitcher Carson McDaniel got the start and threw a couple of innings while being followed by Kelly High alum Dalton Forck, Oran alum Kolten Payne, and another Kelly arm, Ross Peters, who closed the win with two innings of one-hit, no-run ball.

Forck, who will throw at Three Rivers College in the fall, was the only one of the group to allow an earned run while McDaniel and Peters each tallied three strikeouts.

“Dalton struggled a little bit with his command,” Schwartz said, “but we made plays behind him. Kolten was great again and Ross came in, got the win, and slammed the door.”

McDaniel gave up just two hits and walked one Squirrel while throwing 22 strikes in his 37 pitches.

The Tropics were coming off a trip to Tuscaloosa, Ala., where they competed in the Alabama Wood Bat Tournament. Schwartz expected his team to play as many as six games in Alabama but ended up just getting two games in due to varying circumstances, so he wanted to utilize a lot of arms on Tuesday.

“With Carson,” Schwartz explained, “we didn’t get him a start down in Alabama, so we owed him some innings. I wish we could have gotten him a few more tonight, but he knew the assignment and he pitched great for his two innings.”

The Tropics trailed 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth inning when Payne roped a one-out single to right field off Squirrel reliever Brady Smith.

Mineral Area College signee Mason Adams reached on a Squirrel error, which also allowed Payne to score and tie the game at three.

Former Portageville High standout Trey Benthal brought home Adams, who also played with the Bulldogs, with an RBI single to left field for the eventual game-winning run.

“Our guys don’t quit,” Schwartz said. “We can kind of wait a little late sometimes to get going,

“They are never out of a game.”

Payne paced the offense with two hits and a couple of runs while Adams (one hit, two runs), Benthal (one hit, one RBI), Waylon Hale (one hit, two RBI), and Trey Miller (one walk) also contributed.

Adams and Hale each connected for doubles.

Will Green led the Squirrel offense with one hit, one walk, and two runs scored while Levi McKinnie (one run, one walk), Smith (two RBI), Owen Osborne (one hit, one RBI, one walk), Luke Hester (two walks), Wyatt Friley (one hit), Talan McDaniel (one hit), Jack Evans (one walk), Owen Willis (one walk), and Kaiden Carlisle (one walk) were also productive.

Former East Prairie High pitcher Peyton Hodges threw five innings in the start and allowed four hits, two earned runs, one walk, and five strikeouts.

The teams will compete in the Missouri Babe Ruth State Tournament on July 11-15 at Hillhouse Park in Charleston.

The Squirrels fell to 10-10 with the sweep.