The Red Ravens baseball team took the first two games of its weekend series with Highland on Saturday, taking the first game 9-7 and the second 13-3.

 

Despite giving up the first run of the first game, it looked like the Ravens would roll to an easy win. Coffeyville scored 2 runs in the second and third inning, and then added another 5 in the fourth. All in all, Coffeyville scored 9 consecutive runs to take a 9-1 lead. Meanwhile, starting pitcher Chat Hayes was efficient despite the early setback, keeping the Scotties down for just 1 more run over the next four innings. Things did get interesting in the final stages, however, with Hayes coming out of the ballgame and reliever Brett Kennett struggling to continue what he had started. Kennett gave up 5 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, including a 2-run homerun to designated hitter Ian Barjam that cut the lead to just 2. Ultimately, it didn't matter, as Tayler Mahoney was brought in to slam the door on the comeback effort. He'd get the 1-2-3 inning in the top of the seventh, ending the first game in Coffeyville's favor, 9-7.

 

The second game was much less competitve. Highland came out quickly once again, taking a 2-1 lead on a 2-RBI double for Jake Bucovetsky, but the Ravens immediately answered with a 3-run, 2-out rally of their own in the bottom half of the third. That'd be enough to win the game, but Coffeyville continued to pour on the offense, including RBI triples for both Kolby Adams and Drake Unrein. Heading into the bottom of the 7th, Coffeyville led 8-3, but a further 5 runs, including a solo homerun for Quinton Carlberg, sealed the deal via run-rule, 13-3.

 

Coffeyville is now 11-7 on the season and are back to 3-3 in Jayhawk Conference play. They'll return to Walter Johnson Park tomorrow for another two games with Highland. First pitch will come at 1 PM, with pregame starting at 12:45 on Sonshine 98.9, KQQF.