Tarkington keeps racking up wins in district
Tarkington’s Ethan Allen takes his lead from second base against Shepherd on Tuesday night. The Vindicator | Jerry Michalsky
It was Little League night in Tarkington on Tuesday night as the Longhorns hosted Shepherd. The Vindicator | Jerry Michalsky
TARKINGTON — The Longhorns kept cruising in district play Tuesday night at home with another win over the Shepherd Pirates 12- 7 on Little League Night on the Prairie.
The win kept Tarkington tied with Anderson- Shiro for first place in the district.
Lance Hawthorne pitched four innings to get the win on the mound. Hawthorne finished with four strikeouts while leading the Longhorns at the plate with two hits and an RBI.
Leadoff hitter Ethan Allen also added a hit while scoring three runs and adding a couple of stolen bases.
A f ter Shepherd scored a run in the top of the first inning, Tarkington responded with a run of their own. Allen doubled and Caleb Schmidt walked. After pulling off a double steal, Keaton Lamberth singled to plate Allen and make it a 1-1 game.
The Pirates moved ahead 3-1 with a couple of runs in the second inning, only to have the Longhorns match that.
Kamden Roberts reached on an error and then Cooper La Buff followed with a walk. Hawthorne singled home Roberts to make it 3- 2. Hawthorne promptly stole second base and on the play, La Buff scored on an error by the Shepherd shortstop and the score was tied at 3- apiece.
Tarkington then took the lead for good in the third frame.
Schmidt reached on an error and then Lamberth reached on a walk. Dalton Bottos followed with a single. Schmidt then scored on a wild pitch and the same play, a bad throw by the Pirates catcher allowed pinch- runner Trenton Fregia to score and the Longhorns led 5- 3.
Three more errors by Shepherd led to four Tarkington runs in the fourth inning.
Bottos had a double in the inning and Hawthorne, along with Roberts, had singles in the frame and after all, was said and done, the score was 9- 3.
The Longhorns scored three more runs in the fifth inning thanks to three Pirate walks. Bryan Mills had an RBI single, Schmidt added an RBI with a groundout, and Tarkington led 12-3 after five innings of play.
La Buff pitched the final three innings and added five strikeouts.
The Longhorns will travel to Shepherd on Friday night.