Can’t rain on their parade: Marauders beat Yorktown, storms on senior night

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FORTVILLE — In what has become a recurring theme for Hoosier Heritage Conference baseball this year, Mother Nature decided to wreak some havoc just before the final doubleheader of Mt. Vernon’s season was about to start.

Despite the delay and starting the game in a steady downpour, the Marauders won the opener 7-4 on senior night. They were leading 4-2 entering the bottom of the fifth inning of the second game at the time of deadline.

After an approximate 45-minute delay to get the field ready due to earlier rain, Mt. Vernon’s Caleb Rush took the mound for Game 1 and the rain immediately began falling.

Rush struggled a bit in the first inning, as Yorktown was able to plate three runs as the rain made pitching difficult.

“With all the rain and the delays I don’t think Caleb was ready to start, and we rushed it a little bit,” Marauders coach Ryan Carr said afterwards. “But once that second inning started he was a different pitcher.”

The Marauders plated seven runs in the game with nine singles and aggressive base running. After scoring one run in the first inning, the Marauders took the lead in the second when they scored five runs.

The lead could have stretched even further, but two Marauders were thrown out at home plate in the inning.

Rush and fellow pitcher Cooper Williams were helped by stellar defense throughout the game. Mt. Vernon turned two double plays and the final out of the game featured an outstanding back-handed grab deep behind third base by Luke Smoot who threw out the runner to end the game.

“When our pitchers throw strikes, it helps our guys be locked in on defense,” Carr said with a smile. “Our guys are so inconsistent on defense, but they seem to do better when the pitching is in a groove.”

When asked about his seniors, coach Ryan Carr showed some emotion.

“Our season hasn’t gone the way we wanted it to,” Carr said. “But this is a special group of guys.”

Mt. Vernon takes the field again tomorrow afternoon against Class A No. 1 Hagerstown.

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Mt. Vernon 7, Yorktown 4

YHS (14-9, 6-7); 300;100;0;—;4;4;1

MVHS (9-16, 4-9); 150;010;x;—;7;9;0

WP: Caleb Rush (3-7) LP: Sullivan Swingley (4-2) SV: Cooper Williams.

Notable: Thomas Obergfell 3-3, RBI, 2 R.

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