Caston sweeps Manchester, LaVille in 3-way doubleheader

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Baseball

Parker Zimpleman Gavin Mollenkopf

Caston 11, Manchester 5 (April 11)

Caston 11, LaVille 6 (April 11)

Parker Zimpleman had two hits and three RBIs at the plate, and he pitched a six-hitter with three walks and two strikeouts for Caston in a win over Manchester as part of a three-way doubleheader at LaVille April 11.

Brodie Howard had a pair of RBIs, and London Herd walked three times and drove in a run. Eli Holloway had two singles and an RBI. Carson Harness and Tucker Woolever also had RBIs.

Gavin Mollenkopf reached base three times on a single, a double and a hit-by-pitch, and he scored three times.

Corbyn Bailey added a single.

Manchester pitchers walked seven and hit two batters. Manchester also had five errors, which led to four unearned runs.

Harper Sturtsman homered for the Squires.

Caston trailed 4-3 but took the lead with three runs in the third. Zimpleman had an RBI single, and a second run scored on the play on an error. A wild pitch on a dropped third strike pushed the lead to 6-4.

Caston added three more in the fourth.

Mollenkopf hit a two-run homer as part of a two-hit game, and Holloway, Herd, Zimpleman and Howard also had two hits each as Caston topped LaVille in their second game of the day.

Lucius Edson had three RBIs, Holloway had two RBIs, and Herd had an RBI for Caston.

Carson Harness had a single.

Howard pitched the first 6 ⅓ innings for the win. He allowed 10 hits and six runs (all earned) while walking two and striking out nine.

LaVille trailed 11-3 going into the bottom of the seventh but scored three runs and loaded the bases with one out before Herd struck out Asa Coplen and Caleb Soike to escape the jam and end the game.

Caston trailed 3-0 after two innings before Gavin Mollenkopf’s homer with younger brother Logan on base cut the margin to one in the third.

Caston was the home team against Manchester and the visiting team against LaVille.

Caston 11, Manchester 5

Manchester 004 001 0 – 5 6 5

Caston 123 311 X – 11 7 1

WP – Parker Zimpleman (7 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K)

LP – Mugford (3 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K)

2B – Carroll (MAN), Bean (MAN), Mugford (MAN), Gavin Mollenkopf (CAS), Parker Zimpleman (CAS)

HR – Sturtsman (MAN)

Caston 11, LaVille 6

Caston 002 410 4 – 11 11 2

LaVille 300 000 3 – 6 10 6

WP – Brodie Howard (6 ⅓ IP, 10 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 9 K)

LP – Christy (4 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K)

2B – Foster 2 (LV)

HR – Gavin Mollenkopf (CAS)