Plains-Hot Springs baseball has mixed results

In what looks more like a hockey record than a baseball record, the Plains-Hot Springs Savage Horsemen baseball team posted a 1-1-1 mark last week.

They opened their week with a 10-0 loss to Florence-Carlton in a five inning game. Plains-Hot Springs then took down Mission 13-3 in a Mercy rule shortened three-and-a-half inning contest.

This past Saturday they evened the score, if you will, by playing the Columbia Falls junior varsity to a 4-4 stalemate in a game in C Falls that was called in the bottom of the seventh inning without resolution.

Against Columbia Falls, the home team struck first in the bottom of the second when they scored three runs after neither team scored in the first inning. The home team scored three runs on three singles and a passed ball, giving them a 3-0 lead heading into the third.

Plains was once again held scoreless in the third, as was Columbia Falls. That trend continued in the top of the fourth when another zero adorned the scoreboard in the Plains half of the inning.

Columbia Falls upped its lead to 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth when they plated a solo run thanks to a hit batsman and a pair of Savage Horsemen errors.

The Savage Horsemen finally got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth via four singles and a sacrifice that resulted in three runs and cut the CF lead to 4-3.

Neither team scored until the top of the seventh when Plains-Hot Springs tied the game when Zander Czifro scored on a wild pitch.

The game was halted in the bottom of the seventh and ruled a tie. Plains-Hot Springs outhit the home team 5-3, including singles by five different players. Savage Horseman pitcher Garth Parker had another strong outing, pitching 4.2 innings and surrendering just one hit and no earned runs. Parker struck out 10 and walked two.

This past Friday Plains journeyed to St. Ignatius for a contest with the Mission Bulldogs. After a scoreless first inning the Horsemen scored three in the top of the second. Parker led off the inning with a walk, then advanced on a stolen base and a passed ball. He scored the first run of the game when he came home on a Joe Pullen single. Pullen stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored on a fielder’s choice grounder by Sam Feliska.

Heading into the bottom of the third, Plains-Hot Springs was on top 3-0. Mission scored three runs in their half of the inning to tied the game at 3-3.

The Savage Horsemen added a pair of runs in the top of the third when Aiden West walked, moved to third on a pair of Mission errors, then scored on a wild pitch. The same scenario unfolded for Beau Crabb, who singled, advanced to third on Mission miscues, then scored on a wild pitch, putting the visitors ahead 5-3. The Bulldogs could not score in the bottom of the third.

Then, in the top of the fourth, Plains-Hot Springs erupted for eight runs, most of them on Mission errors and shaky pitching. The game was called in the bottom of the fourth with Plains-Hot Springs ahead by 10, 13-3.

Last Wednesday the Savage Horsemen traveled to Florence for a game with the Falcons. The home teams plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning, then, after holding Plains-Hot Springs scoreless, they added two more in the bottom of the third as the Savage Horsemen defense started to come apart.

While Falcon pitching was holding the Horsemen scoreless and allowing just two hits for the game, Florence scored four more times in the bottom of the fourth, then added a pair of game-ending, Mercy rule invoking runs in the bottom of the fifth, putting them up 10-0 after five innings.

Plains pitching surrendered just seven hits for the game, but the team committed eight errors against the 5-3 home team. Joe Roth had a home run and two RBIs for the victors. Aiden West had both of the Plains-Hot Springs hits.

The deadlocked week left the Plains-Hot Springs crew with a 6-6-1 record for the year. No future games are on the schedule as of Sunday.