With 90 runs in their first four games, the Crest High School Lancers are off to a hot start after sweeping the Pleasanton Bluejays 17-1 and 17-7 Thursday.
Four games into a six-game road trip, the Lancers remain undefeated, trucking through the competition with double-digit leads at each stop.
“I’m really pleased with our hitters tonight,” Crest coach Roland Weir said. “Pleasanton threw Kamden Staton tonight, who is one of the better pitchers in our league. We were aggressive at the plate and attacked the baseball from the very beginning of the game. Kole Walter, a freshman, doubled in the gap on the first pitch and set the tone early for us.”
Eight runs in the first inning were all the Lancers needed to cruise to victory in the opener. After Walter’s opening double, junior outfielder Henry White drove in Walter, then senior first baseman Kade Nilges drove in White. And so it went as the Lancers batted around the lineup.
A two-RBI double by freshman outfielder Koiy Miller and Walter scoring on a fielder error capped off the opening frame. A pair of two-RBI doubles by sophomore third baseman Roy Gordon and junior pitcher Drake Weir, as well as an RBI triple by junior catcher Jensen Barker, gave Crest an insurmountable 10-0 lead. Crest continued pouring on the runs as Weir and Barker closed the game by the end of the fourth inning while combining for eight strikeouts and allowing two hits and two walks.
Nilges and Weir tied for the team lead in RBIs in the opener with three each while Gordon and Miller had two.
Not much changed in game two as the Lancers put up four runs in the first three frames, then five to seemingly seal the victory. A valiant seven-run effort in the fourth inning from Pleasanton only delayed the inevitable as Crest held them scoreless in the fifth to secure their fourth victory.
Gordon wrapped up the finale with a team-leading five RBIs, followed by Weir with three, then White, Nilges and Barker, who had two each.
“Overall, we hit really well in both games. Kole, Henry, Kade, Drake, Jensen and Roy all hit well,” Coach Weir said. “Koiy Miller, another freshman, who bats in our 9 hole, had some big base hits to drive in runs. I was really pleased with our approach at the plate.” After four games, the Lancers average two runs per game.
Coach Weir is equally excited about his pitching. “Drake Weir and Kade Nilges started each game and threw well and commanded the zone and attacked their hitters,” Coach Weir said. “We are throwing strikes, getting ahead, and not walking too many of the opposing hitters. We were able to get some other guys some innings tonight as well.”
The Lancers wrap up the road trip Monday with games against Northeast before hosting the Yates Center Wildcats Thursday for Crest’s home opener.
