SHORT GAP, W.Va. — No. 1 Frankfort capitalized off early scoring chances on Tuesday while Hampshire didn’t.
It ended up being the difference as the Falcons (4-2) run-ruled the Trojans (0-8) in five innings 14-4.
“Uriah (Cutter) did a nice job for us,” Frankfort head coach Matt Miller said. “Got us four innings which was good. We weren’t sure how many innings he’d go, hasn’t been able to throw a lot of bullpens because he had some basketball stuff late in the year.”
Hampshire loaded the bases in the top of the first off a Cannon Mowery walk, Mason Wolford double and a hit batter.
Two pitches later, Cutter forced a popup to end the inning and keep the game scoreless.
“We just couldn’t get the big hit,” Hampshire head coach Chad VanMeter said. “Seemed like most of the year, we’ve had trouble getting baserunners in.”
In the top of the second, Wyatt Adams reached on an error at short and reached third base after a sacrifice bunt.
Once again, Cutter put up a zero on another popup.
He went four innings, allowed two hits, two runs and three walks with three strikeouts.
“The thing about Uriah is, he doesn’t let things bother him,” Miller said. “He knew if he just kept the ball down, got some strikes, he’d be fine.”
The Falcons put up five runs in the bottom of the second and scored four runs with two outs.
Frankfort recorded four consecutive hits from Lanson Orndorf, Jaxon Hare, Blake Jacobs and Cutter with the final three driving in a run.
In the bottom of the third, a popup to shortstop was dropped, scoring two runs for the Falcons.
Frankfort added four runs in the fourth including RBI singles from Cutter and Jacob Nething.
“We put some barrels on the ball that inning,” Miller said. “We didn’t swing at bad pitches that inning. The two outs thing, we were working really hard in the cages of taking the plate away and trying to drive it up the middle with a barrel.”
Trailing 11-0 heading into the fifth, Hampshire put two on and Mowery drove in a run on a ground ball to left.
Wolford scored two on a ground ball to center before a sacrifice fly extended the game with the Trojan deficit at 11-4.
“You wanna build off that inning,” VanMeter said. “Hopefully we come out Saturday, we play at Berkeley Springs. It’s a regional game, hopefully we come out and battle.”
Frankfort filled the bags and a hit batter scored a run, then a one-run single from Gunnar Bradshaw and a four-pitch walk by Peyton Durst ended the game.
Hampshire starter Ayden Crabtree was charged with six hits, six earned runs and three walks across three innings.
The Trojans were charged with three errors, however, several other plays were ruled hits on bobbled ground balls or dropped popups.
“Our mistakes defensively was the difference,” VanMeter said. “You can’t do that with that caliber of a team. Ayden threw very well for us. Proud of him, he battled, continued to battle. But we just didn’t play behind him tonight.”
Cutter and Hare each had two hits for Frankfort while Wolford recorded a pair of hits for Hampshire.
The Falcons host Southern (2-1) on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
“I’m expecting them to be a very good team,” Miller said of the Rams. “They were solid last year, we’ve got Lanson able to go tomorrow. Rhett’s (Sensabaugh) gonna be able to go tomorrow, so we’re pretty good with pitching.”
The Trojans head to Berkeley Springs on Saturday at 11 a.m.