BASEBALL: Lewis Cass knocks off TRC leading Northwestern

WALTON — The Cass Kings baseball team showed what they are capable of against one of the best teams in the TRC on Thursday night.

The Kings were in command from the outset in an 8-5 win over the rival Northwestern Tigers at Flip Marschand Field.

The Kings (6-6, 1-2 TRC) snapped a four-game losing streak with the win against the defending league champion Tigers (7-3, 2-1).

They jumped out to a 5-0 lead after two innings of play and led the rest of the way.

Kaison “Frank” Hipsher-Walker (3-1) recorded a complete-game victory, allowing five runs on seven hits and three walks, striking out four.

“It was a good team win,” Hipsher-Walker said. “We hit the ball. We didn’t make too many errors. Good catcher behind the plate (junior Tyler Foley). And it was really rewarding and deserving for us.”

The senior left-hander said he relied on good ol’ No. 1 for a lot of the night.

“I think my fastball worked really well,” he said. “I think they were expecting a lot of curveballs because I’m a lefty. But I kept working and attacking them with fastballs and I think they just couldn’t really catch up to it that much.”

Hipsher-Walker got run support early and often.

Julian Davidson led off the game with an infield single followed by a bunt single by Andy Emmons. They completed a double steal. With one out, Carson Rowe hit an RBI fielder’s choice ground ball to second and the throw home got away allowing another run to score. Brennan Deeter and Landen Goldsberry followed with back-to-back singles to make it 3-0.

The Kings put together another inning in the second. Connyr Mack drew a leadoff walk. Davidson followed with a sac bunt. Emmons had an infield single. Rowe drew a two-out walk to load the bases. Deeter lined a two-run single to center to make it 5-0.

Hipsher-Walker got out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third by getting William Rees to ground into a 6-4-3 double play. Rees appeared to be safe at first on the play but runner’s interference was called on the runner at second.

The Tigers did get on the board in the fourth on a two-out, two-run double by Ayden Giles to make it 5-2.

The Kings got those runs back in the fifth. Goldsberry led off with a single. Devin Lacey drew a walk to put two on with one out. Mack followed with a two-run single up the middle to make it 7-2.

The Tigers struck for three in the sixth. They loaded the bases with one out. Giles grounded into a 6-4 fielder’s choice to make it 7-3. Sam Jones followed with a two-run double down the left field line to make it 7-5.

The Kings got a run back in the bottom of the frame. Owen Cotner-Graves drew a leadoff walk. Deeter followed with a one-out RBI double to right to make it 8-5.

Hipsher-Walker pitched around a one-out single in the seventh to finish off the Tigers.

Deeter went 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs to lead the Kings. Emmons, Cotner-Graves and Goldsberry added two hits apiece.