ADAIR — Walnut bounced back from a tough non-conference baseball loss one night earlier to edge Adair-Casey 5-4 Thursday and improve to 9-2 overall and 5-1 in the Rolling Hills.
Warriors’ junior Lucas Blum (3-2) struck out 12 batters to record a complete-game win on the mound. He allowed five hits and four walks while surrendering only two earned runs.
Offensively, Derek Frahm was just a home run shy of hitting for the cycle. The senior went 4-for-5 on the night with a double, a triple, two singles and three RBI. Blum and Jared Ploen both added a single for Walnut, which totaled only six hits but was able to draw 12 walks from A-C pitchers. Number-nine hitter Chris Guthery walked three times and Ben Kixmiller and Drew Cable both walked twice.
The Warriors are scheduled to play three conference games this week – Monday at Exira/EH-K, Tuesday at C-A-M, Thursday vs. Orient-Macksburg – before playing in the West Central Valley (Stuart) Tournament on Saturday.
CR-B 3, Walnut 2
COON RAPIDS — Walnut battled the No. 7-ranked team in Class 1-A for seven innings Wednesday night before losing a 3-2 decision at Coon Rapids-Bayard.
Derek Frahm went 2-for-4 with a double and Cody Olson added two singles and scored a run to lead Walnut at the plate. Ben Kixmiller was hitless but drove in both Warrior runs.
On the mound, Lucas Blum and Jared Ploen both worked three innings, combining for no walks and seven strikeouts. Blum took the loss, allowing six hits and three runs. Ploen yielded only two hits in three scoreless innings of relief.
Jun 27 2011
