Near miss for Warriors baseball

By Lenny Sementi

Tuscola was a near miss in the baseball version of the Cola Wars falling at home this past Thursday to the Purple Riders in a thriller 5-3. Caden Russo took the loss despite a solid 4-innings of action. The freshman scattered 4 hits and a walk during his time on the hill allowing just one to cross the dish. Cooper Lyons and Isaac Halverson fired the final three frames.

Tuscola jumped out with a 2-spot in the bottom of the first on the back of a 2 for 2 night at the plate by JJ Reynolds that included a home run, 2 RBIs and a run scored. Colton Musgrave posted the only other hit for the black and gold and scored on a hit by Reynolds, while Jacob Waugh reached on a walk and scored.

One night earlier, coach Caleb Englehardt and his staff celebrated Musgrave their lone senior. The Blackhawk College commit reached on a hard-hit ball and scored, giving the Warriors a 2-1 lead heading to the second frame. The Storm tied it up in the next half inning and took full advantage of a few miscues in the third to blow it wide open with a 10-run frame collecting a 15-5 non-conference win.

Reynolds provided some pop at the plate, pounding out a double and 2 RBIs, hitting safely two of the three times he had the bat in his hands. The junior also took the loss on the bump, working 2 and 2/3’s, giving way to Halverson and Austin Cummings.  Waugh was one for one on the evening, scoring twice while Nate Thomson drove in and scored a pair of runs.