VIAN - After back-to-back trips to the Class 2A state tournament, the Vian Wolverines are off to a good start at making it three in a row.
The Wolverines pounded out 24 hits and scored 30 runs in a two-game sweep of Okay on Wednesday, as the Class 2A district playoffs got under way in Vian. The two victories improved Vian's record to 27-9.
In a 16-0 triumph in Game 1 of the series, the Wolverines scored seven runs in both the second and third innings to pull away and win by the run rule after five innings.
Roger Lane sparked Vian in the bottom of the second with a two-run homer, his second of the spring. Ryan Hanshew belted his fourth home run of the season, a two-run shot in the third inning, to cap a 2-for-4, four-RBI effort.
Chase Moser went 3-for-3 at the plate for Vian and drove in four runs while senior hurler Jerry Morris was the winning pitcher. Morris had eight strikeouts and four walks and limited the Mustangs to one hit while notching the shutout. He also batted 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
Vian won Game 2 14-0 after exploding for 10 runs in the first inning. Morris cracked his 10th home run of the season in the rout, while Moser had three hits and was the winning pitcher after tossing a one-hit shutout.
The victory gave the Wolverines their seventh-consecutive district championship and qualified them for the upcoming regional tournament.
Central 12, Picher-Cardin 4
The Tigers battled back from an early deficit to defeat Picher in a first-round contest at the Class A regional tournament on Thursday afternoon at Central.
Cardin scored three runs in the top of the first inning, but Central surged in front with a five-run third inning to grab a 6-3 lead. the Tigers added another run in the fifth and scored five times in the bottom of the sixth to seal the victory.
Tyler Kutil went the distance on the mound for Central, allowing six hits to get the win. Andy Edwards and Dustin Turner both provided offensive support with home runs for Central.
The Tigers moved to 24-7 with the win and were set to play Oaks in a semifinal matchup on Friday, weather permitting. Oaks beat Welch 8-6 in the first round and Welch late eliminated Picher 7-0.
