The Fort Campbell Falcons banged out seventeen hits in route to an 8-4 win over visiting Fulton City on Saturday afternoon. The victory is the Falcons’ first of 2018, and improves their record to 1-2, while Fulton City falls to 0-2.
The Falcons took the lead in the bottom of the second inning when a double by senior RF Arthur Burgoyne scored junior C Peyton Loveall and sophomore 3B Nathaniel Lake. However, Fulton City answered in its half of the third with 2 runs on a wild pitch and an error to tie the game.
Fort Campbell scored 3 in the bottom of the frame to take a 5-2 lead, beginning with sophomore CF Tyler MacKay coming home on a single by 7th grade 1B Dalton Markus. Sophomore RHP Andrew Syester helped his own cause with a double to bring in Markus, followed by a base hit from Loveall to score Syester.
The Bulldogs put 1 on the board in the top of the fifth, but the Falcons took their biggest lead of the game with 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth. Markus topped off his huge afternoon with a double, his second of the game, to plate MacKay and sophomore Logan Hash for a 7-3 score. Fulton City threatened in its last at bat, scoring 1, but 8th grade LHP Ryan Sawyer shut the door to give the Falcons the 8-4 win.
Syester earned the win for the Falcons, going 5.1 innings and only allowing one hit and 3 runs, 2 earned, to go along with fourteen strikeouts and six walks. Sawyer got the last five outs, striking out three and walking one, while only giving up one hit and a run. Freshman RHP Cade Malray took the loss for the Bulldogs, yielding seventeen hits and 8 earned runs, while striking out eight and walking one.
Markus led the way at the plate for the Falcons, going 4-4 with 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. Syester did his part with the bat as well, finishing 3-4 with 2 RBI and a run. Loveall was a perfect 3-3 with an RBI and a run, and MacKay and Lake both had two hits with MacKay scoring twice and Lake once. Burgoyne chipped in with a hit and 2RBI.
The Falcons return to the diamond April 5, looking to even their record when they travel to Stewart County, TN.
