LAMAR, Mo. — Zach Hoenshell hit two home runs and drove in five as the Tigers defeated the Butler Bears 13-3 in their final game of the Lamar Tiger Varsity Classic. The Tigers are now 4-0 to open the season and have outscored their opponents 38-6.
Blayne Lilienkamp (1-0, 0.00 ERA) earned the win for Carthage scattering two hits and one unearned run over three innings. He struck out six and walked two. The Tiger starters have a combined 4-0 record with a 0.00 ERA over 14 innings pitched to start the season.
“This was a big win for us. Blayne did a great job on the mound today,” Carthage Head Coach Kevin Burgi said.
The Tigers started their scoring barrage in the bottom of the first inning, plating five runs on three hits, including the first of Hoenshell’s home runs, driving in Mason Adams and Ethan Stark – both whom walked. Bradyn Tate added two RBIs in the inning when he singled to left, scoring Brady Carlton and Langston Morgan.
In the Tiger second inning, Ty Perry walked on four pitches, then took second and third on consecutive wild pitches. With one out, Hoenshell took a 1-0 fastball and deposited it over the left field fence in almost the same spot he did the previous inning to give Carthage a 7-1 lead. Taylor Stevens-Diggs followed with a double to left center, Carlton walked and Morgan singled to left to plate Austin Mitchell, who ran for Stevens-Diggs.
“Zach had a big day at the plate today,” Burgi said. “We have continued to run the bags well.”
Later in the inning, Adams drew a bases-loaded walk that scored Cooper Lilienkamp and Ty Perry was hit in the back on a 2-2 pitch to score Morgan and give the Tigers a 10-1 lead. Stark added a four-pitch walk to score Lilienkamp before Kayleb York grounded out to end the six-run inning.
Carthage pushed another run across in the third when Jordan Brunnert drew a bases-loaded walk to score Brodie Cole and give the Tigers a 12-1 lead.
Eider Lyckman replaced B. Lilienkamp on the mound and pitched a scoreless fourth inning before running into a bit of trouble in the fifth. Two singles and a balk put runners on second and third with no outs. A ground ball up the middle plated one run for Butler and a ground out to Colson Brust at third plated an additional run for Butler to bring the score to 12-3. Lyckman limited any further damage with a strikeout and a ground out to end the inning.
In the Tiger half of the fifth, Tate led off the inning with a walk before stealing second and third. With C. Lilienkamp batting and a full count, he hit a hard grounder up the middle to score Tate and end the game 13-3 on the run rule.
Carthage (4-0) faces Aurora and Strafford in the Roy B Shaver Classic Tournament starting Thursday. The first three games are in Aurora, then they finish the tournament in Neosho on Saturday.
