Black Diamonds run winning streak to 3 games, pummels Stilwell Indians
The Sallisaw Black Diamonds baseball team accomplished two things in Tuesday evening’s home district game against the Stilwell Indians.
The Black Diamonds completed the district sweep of the Indians and won their third straight game with an 11-1 victory in a game that was called in the bottom of the sixth inning as it reached run-rule status.
The Black Diamonds (3-2 overall, 2-0 in district play) took the lead for good in the first inning as a bases-clearing double by Brock Streun made it a 3-0 lead.
The lone run for the Indians (0-2, 0-2) came on a two-out RBI double by Jarrett Eagle to cut the Sallisaw lead to 3-1 in the second inning, but that’s as close as Adair County visitors got.
It took a while, but the Black Diamonds’ offense started coming through in the later innings. An error allowed Luke Pack to score from third base to up Sallisaw’s advantage to 4-1 after four innings.
Sallisaw almost put the game into run-rule status in the fifth inning as 12 batters came to the plate, with half of them scoring. Streun got the rally started with a two-run home run which scored Braxton Lamb, who led off the frame with a triple, ahead of him to make it 5-1. It was Streun’s first round-tripper of the season as well as Sallisaw’s first as a team so far this campaign.
The rest of the runs scored with two outs as a two-run single by Pack, a wild pitch and a basesloaded walk to Streun ended the rally, which saw Sallisaw take a 10-1 lead into the sixth inning.
The Black Diamonds got the game into run-rule status with one out in the sixth inning as Cole Stephens led off with a double. After Dagan Drizzle was hit by a pitch, an error advanced both runners to second and third base. On the first pitch thrown to him, pinch-hitter Frankie Sullivan hit a weak grounder to shortstop, who instead of throwing to home to try to get Stephens, threw to first base to retire Sullivan. Once Stephens touched home plate, the game was stopped there and then.
For the game, Pack was 3-for-3 with six stolen bases, three runs scored and two runs batted in, Streun was 2-for-2 with a double, a two-run homer and five RBIs, Stephens was 2-for-3 with a double and two runs scored and Lamb tripled and scored twice for Sallisaw.
Creed Nelson (1-1) got his first win of the season, going five innings with six strikeouts and allowing just Eagle’s RBI double in the second inning. Grizzle retired the side order in the sixth inning.
The Black Diamonds will travel to meet county rival Muldrow at 5 p.m. today before heading to play in the Gulf Shores (Ala.) Tournament, which takes place Monday through Thursday during Spring Break.
