Pirates Win Crane Fall Wood Bat Tournament for the First Time
September 24, 2020
Left to right back-row: Assistant Coach Tyler Martin, Trapper More, Wyatt Howard, Seth Steele, Blake Evans, Isaiah Smith, Lukas Erickson and Wade Allivato. Middle row: Head Coach Bryan Harmon, Hayden Shepard, Harley Hebert, Isaac Robinson, Chase Conrad, Koy Essary, Zane Compton, Assistant Coach Nick Brannan, and Assistant Coach Clay Stumpff, Front-Row: Brayden Faucett, Wyatt Murray, Lane Howard, Joey Thompson, Landen Boone, Jeffery Bain
The 2020 Crane Fall Wood Bat Tournament opened at four sites for pool play action last Wednesday. Crane hosted a pool that included Blue Eye and Spokane. In their opening game, the Pirates scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to erase a 3-1 deficit and held on for a 4-3 win. Seth Steele was
masterful on the mound as he gave up no earned runs in the complete-game effort. The offense led by Hayden Shepard, who was 2-for-3 with one RBI. Later that night, the Pirates clinched the top spot in the pool with a 4-1 win over Spokane behind the pitching of Chase Conrad, who had 13 strikeouts. Isaac Robinson led the offense by going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
The Pirates opened bracket play with a semi-final matchup against Conway. After entering the fifth inning in a 1-1 tie, the offense broke out with 11 runs in the final three innings to take a 12-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Conway rallied but came up short as the Pirates held on for a 12-6 win, which advanced them to the championship game. Conrad (2-for-5, 2 runs) and Zane Compton (3-for-4, 3 runs) led the offensive attack for the Pirates in the semi-final win.
This would be only the second time the Pirates have played for the championship in the tournament’s 12 year history. The opponent would be a Hartville team who had beaten the Pirates 12-2 in the season-opening game three weeks before.
The championship game looked like it would be a back-and-forth affair as the teams each scored two runs in the first inning. The Pirates then opened things up in the top of the second with a five-run inning to take a 7-2 lead. After Hartville pulled within 7-4, Koy Essary took over on the mound and held the Eagles scoreless through six as the offense took over with three more in the fourth, one in the fifth, and seven in the seventh for a resounding 18-4 championship game win. All nine batters in the lineup had hits as the Pirates had their biggest offensive explosion in quite some time. Isaiah Smith (3-for-5, RBI), Conrad (1-for-4, 2 RBI), Robinson (4-for-4, 2 RBI) Compton (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Shepard (4-for-5, 4 RBI), Wyatt Howard (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Wesley Clark (2-for-5, 3 RBI), Blake Evans (1-for-4) Koy Essary (1-for-4), Harley Hebert (1-for-1) and Steele (HBP, run) all contributed the offensive efforts. The 18 runs set a championship game record for the tournament. The Pirates moved to 13-3 on the season with the win.
masterful on the mound as he gave up no earned runs in the complete-game effort. The offense led by Hayden Shepard, who was 2-for-3 with one RBI. Later that night, the Pirates clinched the top spot in the pool with a 4-1 win over Spokane behind the pitching of Chase Conrad, who had 13 strikeouts. Isaac Robinson led the offense by going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
The Pirates opened bracket play with a semi-final matchup against Conway. After entering the fifth inning in a 1-1 tie, the offense broke out with 11 runs in the final three innings to take a 12-1 lead into the bottom of the seventh. Conway rallied but came up short as the Pirates held on for a 12-6 win, which advanced them to the championship game. Conrad (2-for-5, 2 runs) and Zane Compton (3-for-4, 3 runs) led the offensive attack for the Pirates in the semi-final win.
This would be only the second time the Pirates have played for the championship in the tournament’s 12 year history. The opponent would be a Hartville team who had beaten the Pirates 12-2 in the season-opening game three weeks before.
The championship game looked like it would be a back-and-forth affair as the teams each scored two runs in the first inning. The Pirates then opened things up in the top of the second with a five-run inning to take a 7-2 lead. After Hartville pulled within 7-4, Koy Essary took over on the mound and held the Eagles scoreless through six as the offense took over with three more in the fourth, one in the fifth, and seven in the seventh for a resounding 18-4 championship game win. All nine batters in the lineup had hits as the Pirates had their biggest offensive explosion in quite some time. Isaiah Smith (3-for-5, RBI), Conrad (1-for-4, 2 RBI), Robinson (4-for-4, 2 RBI) Compton (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Shepard (4-for-5, 4 RBI), Wyatt Howard (2-for-4, 2 RBI), Wesley Clark (2-for-5, 3 RBI), Blake Evans (1-for-4) Koy Essary (1-for-4), Harley Hebert (1-for-1) and Steele (HBP, run) all contributed the offensive efforts. The 18 runs set a championship game record for the tournament. The Pirates moved to 13-3 on the season with the win.