The Pleasant Home Eagles’ baseball team secured a spot in the Class 1A playoffs after sweeping area foe McKenzie this week.

PLEASANT HOME 15, MCKENZIE 3

In the opening game of the series, the Eagles stormed out front and held on for a 15-3 victory.

Walt Weaver started the game strong in the mound, as he retired the Tigers in order with a fly out and two strikeouts.

Garrett Barton drew a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the first and later came around to score on a wild pitch to put the Eagles up 1-0 heading into the second inning.

Weaver continued to keep the Tigers off balanced at the plate and picked up two more strikeouts in the top of the second.

In the bottom of the second, Chase Gunter reached with walk to start the inning.

Gunter quickly stole second and then moved up to third on a passed ball. David Baker then hit a hard ground ball to short that scored Gunter for a 2-0 Pleasant Home lead.

Mason Greathouse and R.D. Clark each reached after getting hit.

Joe Gibbs drove in Greathouse with a hard grounder third, and Aaron Warthen drove in Clark with a line drive single to center. Jakob Hartline came in to pinch run for the Gibbs and later came around to score on a passed ball to put Pleasant Home up 5-0.

Warthen, Reid Adams and Josh Ruth each scored off passed balls, giving the Eagles an 8-0 lead heading into the third.

McKenzie battled back in the top of the third with three runs to trim Eagles’ lead to 8-3.

The Eagles loaded the bases off a single, an error and walk to start the bottom of the third, and Gibbs was hit by pitch to add to the Pleasant Home lead.

Warthen followed with a line drive double to center that allowed Barton, Clark and Gibbs to score.

An error off the bat of Adams allowed Warthen to score to put the Eagles on top 13-3.

Adams scored on a passed ball to put Pleasant Home up 14-3.

Weaver went back to work on the mound in the top of the fourth inning and struck out the side.

In the bottom of the fourth, Warthen doubled with one-out and came around to score when Dylan Bradley singled to left.

Weaver picked up another strike out in the top of the fifth to close out the ball game and give the Eagles a 15-3 win.

Warthen had a big day at the plate for the Eagles, going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored.

 

PLEASANT HOME 9, MCKENZIE 5

The Pleasant Home offense remained steady in the second game of the series as the Eagles picked up a 9-5 victory. The win gives the Eagles the area series between McKenzie and guarantees the Eagles a spot in the postseason.

McKenzie went on top in 1-0 in the bottom the first inning, but the Eagles bounced back with two runs in the top of the second to grab the lead.

Chase Gunter and Josh Ruth both scored on a single from David Baker to put the Eagles up 2-1.

Pleasant Home added to their lead in the top of the third inning when Reid Adams came around to score on a passed ball.

R.D. Clark drove in Ruth with a single on a hard hit ball to the right side to put the Eagles up 4-1.

In to bottom of the fourth inning, McKenzie tacked on three runs to tie the game 4-4 heading into the fifth.

Warthen singled to start the fifth inning and then came around to score on single from Walt Weaver. Gunter followed with an RBI single that allowed Weaver to score to put Pleasant Home 6-4.

In the top of the sixth, Garrett Barton singled to start the inning and came around to score on single from Clark.

Joe Gibbs followed with double to score Clark.

Jakob Hartline came in to run for Gibbs and scored on sacrifice from Weaver to put Pleasant Home 9-4.

McKenzie added one run in the bottom of the seventh.

Clark finished the game 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Weaver and Baker each had two RBIs.

Barton picked up the win on the mound allowing five hits, one earned run and nine strikeouts over five innings of work.