E-B-F Bows Out in District Semifinals
by Wade Steinlage
The Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Rocket baseball team moved into the second round of the playoffs, but eventually closed out its 2017 campaign this past week.
E-B-F (17-16) won its opening-round contest 3-1 over Pleasantville two Saturdays ago but then lost to eventual Class 2A District 11 champion Centerville 15-11 in the semifinals last Tuesday.
E-B-F 3, Pleasantville 1
The Rockets, who outhit the Trojans 6-3, did all of their damage in the first inning and held on for the victory.
KJ McCrea and Bracken Taylor both tallied two hits in the win. McCrea also toed the rubber, striking out 11 (three walks) in six innings of work. Wyatt Klyn earned the save with one strikeout (one walk) in a scoreless seventh frame.
Centerville 15, E-B-F 11
When E-B-F met up with the district’s highest seed, patience overcame hitting. The Rockets owned a 13-7 edge in base knocks, but Centerville unfortunately made E-B-F’s pitchers throw strikes and they could not oblige as the Reds drew 13 walks to help their cause.
The Rockets jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the first and made it 6-1 after two innings. The edge was still 6-2 at the midway point, but the Reds struck hard in the middle frames, putting six on the board in the fourth and scoring seven more in the fifth. E-B-F closed the gap late, but could not make up all of the difference.
McCrea, Joey Voyles, Coy Baird, and Kalen Walker all recorded two hits in the season finale. Voyles, Klyn, and Walker each touched home plate twice, while Klyn, who also homered, drove in two runs (McCrea matched that total). Jordan Hawk added a triple and two walks.
