MORAN — Although scheduled for 14 innings, the Marmaton Valley High School Wildcats needed only eight as they swept Oswego 11-0 and 15-0 Monday night.
Having won three of their last four games, and eying a doubleheader against Three Rivers League rival Crest, MVHS coach Adam Barth likes his team’s chances heading into Thursday’s contest against the Lancers.
“This is the most fun I’ve ever had coaching a team,” Barth said. “I mean no offense to the guys we’ve had before, but this group works hard for us. We can go out and compete on a daily basis, and we’re competitive with every team on our schedule. Winning is always nice, especially when you can pitch well.”
Barth may have the right to be confident after his team marched past the Oswego Indians Monday night. Senior pitcher Dominic Smith pitched a 10-strikeout no-hitter in the opener while also driving in the first of his eight RBIs that night.
Junior catcher Garrett Morrison put the Wildcats on the scoreboard with an RBI double, then stole home to give Marmaton Valley a 2-0 advantage. The Wildcats extended their lead to 4-0 on RBIs from junior outfielder Chris Ferguson and junior first baseman Todd Stevenson.
“I just got into a rhythm in the first game. I threw strikes and let the defense work behind me,” Smith said.
Marmaton Valley put the game out of reach with a seven-run fourth inning, which was a mixture of bases-loaded walks and RBI singles from Stevenson, Ferguson and freshman outfielder Kris McVey. Ferguson ended the opener with a team-leading three RBIs, followed by Stevenson with two.
The Wildcats cruised to victory in the finale with junior pitcher Tyler Lord pitching a three-inning no-hitter with six strikeouts.
“I just went up there and did what I normally did,” said Lord, who threw a no-hitter in 2024 against Yates Center. “I didn’t do anything else. Someone let me know (about the no-hitter) right after. I didn’t even know. It helps a pitcher when you have a defense helping you out.”
As Lord succeeded on the mound, Oswego’s myriad of pitchers struggled. Marmaton Valley capitalized on their struggles with the highlight of the evening coming on a Smith in-the-park grand slam.
“It felt pretty nice. I lost track of it in right field, and just ran after that,” Smith said.
Smith ended the night with a team-leading seven RBIs in the finale, followed by Morrison with three. With the win, the Wildcats improved to 9-7 and 8-4 in Three Rivers League play. The next face Crest, who sits atop the TRL standings at 13-1 and 13-3 overall.
“When we have this sort of pitching effort from these two (Lord and Smith), it carries on into the next game,” Barth said. “We need any momentum we can take against Crest. We have to go out, compete, throw strikes and play defense. They’ve had our number these past few years and I think we have a team that can compete with them.”
First pitch for Thursday’s game is 3:30 and 5:30 p.m.
