Fort Scott baseball splits with Columbus

Herald-Tribune

COLUMBUS, Kan. -- Fort Scott High School's baseball team split a Southeast Kansas League doubleheader with Columbus Thursday night, winning the opener 5-2, but dropping the nightcap 9-7.

The Tigers (7-5 SEK, 8-7 overall) got on the board in the fourth inning when Matt Carillo drove in Josh Durossette and Luke Brown with a single, putting Fort Scott up 2-1.

The Tigers added another run in the fifth on an RBI triple by Mikey Karleskint, which brought in Alex Pemberton.

Two more went up in the top of the seventh. Cole Clayton led off the inning and reached on an error. Jeremy Hull brought him in with a two-out double and scored himself on Karleskint's single.

Columbus (6-8, 7-9) scored its other run in the bottom of the seventh.

Karleskint and Durossette both went 3-for-4 for the Tigers. Carillo pitched all seven innings, allowing one earned run on six hits and no walks while striking out five.

Fort Scott scored first in the second game with three runs in the first. Pemberton drew a leadoff walk and Karleskint drew another with one out. Durossette brought Pemberton in with a single. Brown plated Karleskint with another single. Carillo made it three hits in a row when he knocked in Durossette.

The Tigers got another one in the top of the third to make it 4-0. Karleskint was hit by a pitch with one out and scored on Durossette's double.

Columbus tied the score with four runs in the bottom of the fourth as they cranked out five hits, two of which were doubles. After holding the Tigers scoreless in the top of the fifth, the Titans took advantage of two Fort Scott errors in the bottom of the inning to score five times. Four of those runs were unearned.

Fort Scott scored three in its half of the fifth. Hull doubled to lead off and scored on a error on Karleskint's grounder. Durossette doubled. Then Brown's sacrifice fly scored Karleskint and Carillo singled to score Durossette.

Both teams brought in relief pitchers of their final two innings -- the bottom of the fifth and sixth for Columbus, the top of the sixth and seventh for Fort Scott. Each team only had one baserunner the rest of the game.

Durossette went 3-for-3 with two RBIs in this game, which made him 6-for-7 for the day. Carillo was 2-for-3. Karleskint scored three times.

Columbus' McLaughlin was 2-for-3 in the second game with four runs batted in.

Clayton took the loss for the Tigers. He pitched four innings with only five of the runs against him charged as earned. He allowed eight hits and no walks with three strikeouts. Pemberton finished up, allowing one baserunner on an error while striking out three of the seven batters he faced.

Jones was the winning pitcher for Columbus, allowing six earned runs on eight hits and two walks in five innings. He struck out four. Leonard earned a save as only one of the seven batters he faced in his two innings reached base -- via hit by pitch.

The Tigers remained in third place in the SEK after the split. Pittsburg clinched the championship -- its second in three seasons -- when it swept second-place Independence Thursday. Fort Scott has a chance to pass Indy for second this week.

The Tigers play at Iola Monday and then face Chanute in the final doubleheader of the regular season Thursday. Independence (9-5, 9-9) is at home against Parsons Thursday.