Cashion back in the semifinals
8-run first spurs Wildcats past No. 6 Latta at 2A state tournament
CASHION SCORED eight runs in the first inning of Thursday’s 11-3 victory over Latta in the Class 2A state quarterfinals in Shawnee. One of those runs came from senior Chance Acord (10) who celebrates with teammates after crossing home plate. [Photo by R
A massive first inning and 10 hits overall helped Cashion move back into the Class 2A baseball semifi nals.
The third-ranked Wildcats scored eight runs in the opening frame and rode it to an 11-3 victory in a game that wrapped up late Thursday night in Shawnee.
At state for the fourth consecutive year, Cashion is now in the semifinals for the third straight time. The Wildcats were set to play No. 2 Dale in the semifinal round Friday (after press time).
Scheduled to start at 4 p.m., the state quarterfinal matchup didn’t see the first pitch until about 6:45 p.m. due to a two-hour rain delay.
By the time sixth-ranked Latta was able to get out of the first half-inning, Cashion had collected six hits, three walks and took advantage of three Panther errors.
That included consecutive RBI singles off the bats of Hunter Gibson, Derek Sheline and Kyle Yowell.
That gave Gibson plenty of run support as he took the mound.
However, he made it just 1 1/3 innings before coach Blake Mounce made the call to Brody Nichols.
Gibson walked three, gave up three hits and three runs, though only one was earned.
Nichols and Gibson had to work around six Cashion errors overall.
Nichols threw the final 5 2/3 innings and didn’t surrender a run.
He gave up just three hits and struck out three while only walking one.
Latta only got as close as 8-3, but Cashion added a run in each the third, sixth and seventh innings.
Cooper Frazee finished 3 for 4 and drove in three runs.
Sheline added three hits and 2 RBIs.
Kellen Smith and Max Higdon had one hit apiece and both scored twice.
Smith scored both of his runs in that opening frame as he led off the game with a walk, which turned into a run. In his second trip to the plate, Smith singled in a run and later scored on Frazee’s two-run single.
Cashion entered the semifinal with a 31-5 record and a nine-game win streak. Its last loss was April 18 when Dale toppled the Wildcats 5-2 in the Dibble Festival.