GIRARD, Kan. — Girard coach Chris Dunlap and Frontenac coach Kaleb Terlip both focused on the little things in their postgame interviews after their respective teams split a CNC League doubleheader in a pair of one-run games Monday night at Red Wutke Park.
Frontenac won the opener 2-1 and Girard earned the split 8-7 in the nightcap.
"That's been a focus of doing the little things," Dunlap said. "In that first game, great timely hitting on their part. We didn't get it done and when we do those little things, that's when those sweeps start to happen. We preach to them all the time that if you take care of the little stuff, then the big stuff takes care of itself."
"We did a good job of doing some little things to get the Game 1 win," Terlip said. "I thought after the Game 1 win, we probably need to put the gas pedal down a little bit and for four innings, we really didn't. We scored three runs on a home run, but we let them have three runs and get some excitement back. In the bottom of the sixth, they had four or five balls that found holes. Right now, we're in that middle ground whether we're going to be good or just an average team. We'll be fine. We'll go back to work and just do what we do."
Down 7-4 in the bottom of the sixth, Girard put together a four-run rally. With one down, Bryor Schultz worked a walk and Weston Bruning doubled against Frontenac starter Jack Capehart. The Raiders then called on Gage James in relief.
Sylar Sammons' infield single scored Schultz and Ben Cullen's single brought home Bruning for a 7-6 score. Sammons hurt himself at second base on Cullen's single and pinch runner Mason Crozier entered for Sammons.
With two outs, Robbie Bruning's infield single scored Crozier for the tie and Aiden Ashbacher scored Cullen for the lead with another RBI infield single.
Freshman reliever Schultz worked through a pair of walks to shut the door on the Raiders in the seventh.
"Very proud of these guys," Dunlap said. "Even the first game, it didn't end like how we wanted, but they battled all night. Game 2, guys stepped up in big spots and very proud of them for never giving in. They just kept fighting and knowing they could get it done.
"Frontenac is a very good team. We knew that coming in. That's what I told them after the game. We're going to see these guys again and you should have confidence because you beat them and you played great with them. You should be confident and when we see them again, just go play ball the way that we know how and good things can happen."
Girard's Kam Smith hit a two-run double to spark the Trojans' three-run first. Frontenac tied it up with three in the second on a Jake Wegner RBI double and freshman Gunner Horyna's two-run home run.
Girard went back ahead 4-3 with Smith's RBI single plating Ashbacher in the third. Ashbacher singled, stole second and reached third on a passed ball.
The Raiders built their 7-4 lead with three in the fifth and one in the sixth. Grant Nickle hit a tying RBI single, Horyna a go-ahead sacrifice fly and James an RBI single in the fifth. Korbin Niegsch's solo home run closed out the Raiders' scoring.
Niegsch and Smith dueled in the opener in classic fashion.
Niegsch earned the win and he allowed one run on three hits with nine strikeouts and one walk in 6 2/3 innings. Niegsch maxed out at 105 pitches with two outs in the sixth and Capehart stepped up for the final out and save.
Smith took a tough loss with 15 strikeouts and no walks in 87 pitches over seven innings.
"I thought our pitchers were good," Terlip said. "I thought Capehart was good, Korbin was incredible ... Cape just ran out of gas there at the end with finishing the other game and the break. We wanted to get him out. He was around 90 pitches."
McCoy Jones and Brock Wiemers started the Frontenac sixth with back-to-back singles. Jake Murphy sacrificed Wiemers and Jones over to second and third. Go-ahead run Jones scored on a Niegsch RBI groundout.
Both teams scored their first run in the third. James' double scored Horyna for the game's first run. Korvin Bowin tripled and scored on Robbie Bruning's RBI single.
Frontenac moved to 7-3 on the season and 5-1 in CNC play. The Raiders are back on the road Friday against Chanute.
Girard remained at .500 overall at 6-6 and earned a second league split in a row to go to 2-4 in the CNC. The Trojans host league and regional foe Riverton on Thursday.
