Carter McLaughlin was in trouble in every inning but stranded nine runners and allowed only six hits in a complete game 14-9 win for the Glo-Valve Service Dodgers over the Flogistix Red Sox Wednesday at Optimist Park.
Glo-Valve improved to a Pampa Optimist 11-12 Cal Ripken League best record of 8-1. Flogistix dropped to third place with a season record of 4-3-1, a half game behind the Rotary Club Phillies at 4-2-2.
The winners scored three times in the top of the first on walks to Kale Doss and Nate Haynes. Doss stole two bases and made it home on a wild pitch. Haynes made a pair of steals and tallied on a single by Evan Orand. Orand used an error, a wild pitch and a groundout by McLaughlin to score.
Rhyan Elliff led off the bottom of the first for Flogistix with a walk and a stolen base. He took third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Kamden Snelgrooes. An unassisted double play by Glo-Valve second baseman, Aiden Hammond, and a caught stealing by Doss at catcher to Gage Turner at third and back to Doss kept Flogistix from doing further damage. Glo-Valve led 3-2.
Tristan Shackelford started a rally for Glo-Valve in the top of the second inning by being hit by a pitch. Robert Kreyling walked. Doss was safe on an error which scored Shackelford. A base on balls to Orand loaded the bases. Gage Turner forced Orand at second while Kreyling scored on the play. McLaughlin hammered a double to left field scoring Doss and Turner upping the Glo-Valve lead to 7-2.
Flogistix chipped away at Glo-Valve’s lead in the bottom of the second. Christopher Jackson opened the rally with a single. Consecutive walks to Caidyn Garcia and Travis Williams and a hit by pitch to Ryan Mendoza plated Jackson. Elliff reached base on a fielder’s choice which brought in Garcia. Williams scored the third Glogistix’ run of the inning on a fielder’s choice hit by Snelgrooes. Glo-Valve clung to a 7-5 lead.
Neither team scored in the third inning. Both teams left the bases loaded. A key play by Doss to Haynes at short and to Turner at third for Glo-Valve thwarted a double steal and kept Flogistix scoreless in the inning.
The roof fell in on Flogistix in the top of the fourth. Turner and McLaughlin drew walks. Trip Clark was hit by a pitch. Hammond was also hit by a pitch to force in Turner. Shackelford’s infield single brought in McLaughlin and left the bases loaded. Doss was hit by a pitch to bring in Clark. Orand boomed a base-clearing double to deep center to chase in all three runners. He scored moments later on a single by Turner. Glo-Valve went ahead 14-5.
Flogistix did not go quietly. They batted all 10 players in the bottom of the fourth. Elliff started things off with a double to left field. He stole third and trotted home on a double by Greer. A walk to Snelgrooes and a fielder’s choice set up a RBI groundout by Cy LeBlanc. Gage Gamblin kept things going reaching base on an error while Snelgrooes scored. Trekker Lane was hit by a pitch. Jackson got his second hit of the night. McLaughlin struck out a batter for the second out. A walk to Travis Williams loaded the bases and brought the tying run to the on deck circle. A 4-3 groundout, Hammond to Orand, ended the threat and ended the game by the time limit.
McLaughlin walked seven and hit a pair of batters, but he managed to limit the damage each time and keep Glo-Valve in front. He struck out four. Gamblin, Elliff and Snelgrooes pitched for Flogistix.
Orand was the leading hitter in the game for Glo-Valve. He had a single and a double, scored twice and knocked in four runs. Jackson went two for three with a run scored to lead Flogistix’ offense.
The Pampa Optimist Youth Club is a Pampa United Way agency.
