The only question left after Tuesday’s contest was how best Weston senior Kaden Shirley led his team to the convincing 13-3 victory over Jackson Parish and district 2B rival Quitman. Was it with his arm or was it with his bat?
Both played huge roles in the anniversary edition of “Chase the Win”, which was what this game was dubbed a year ago in honor of former coach, Chase Frasier who tragically lost his life two years ago.
Through the use of his left arm the crafty hurler limited the #1 ranked team in Class B to just six hits and three runs, that included putting up zero’s over the final three innings of his complete game.
At the plate Shirley reached base in three of his four plate appearances. By drawing a walk in the second he scored Weston’s first run of the game and his single in the third helped give the Wolves their first lead of the game. Nothing was as big though as his three-run home run in the sixth inning that led to the Wolves putting up an eight spot and blow the game open.
Caleb Waters also came up big by going 3 for 5 that included the second homer of the decisive inning and Weston’s only stolen base of the game. Braden Theriot (3 RBI), Drew Browning, Cooper Delaney (2 RBI) and Tait Henderson all chipped in with two hits and two runs scored. Cole Tolar added a hit and 2 RBI with Davis Tolar and Layton Garrett scoring a run each.
Early on it looked like Quitman would be the one winning going away as they scored twice in the first and again in the third to take a two-run lead. With four runs in the bottom of the third though Weston reversed the two -un difference. The Wolves broke it open in the sixth when Davis Tolar reached on Quitman’s third error of the game that led to four straight singles by Browning, Delaney, Henderson and Theriot. After the first out was made Shirley blasted his three-run jack to right center, followed by Waters smash an out later. Tolar coaxed a walk to reach base for the second time in the inning and Browning then hit his second hit of the frame setting up Delaney’s walk off single that upped the lead to ten.
Luke Morgan reached base in all three at bats with two hits and getting hit once to scored two of the three Quitman runs. Logan Ponder scored the other and added a hit and an RBI. Ian Tilley got two hits that included a double and knocked in a run as well. Blake Carter also got a hit and Riley Duck knocked in a run. Ty Simonelli took the loss.
Weston improved to 16-9 overall and 3-2 in district play while Quitman dropped to 1-2 in 2B play and saw their overall record evened at 12-12. The two teams will play again on Thursday at Quitman.
| TEAM | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | R | H | E |
| Quitman | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 3 |
| Weston | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 13 | 14 | 1 |
WP – Shirley
LP – Simonelli
2B – Tilley (QHS)
HR – Shirley (WHS), Waters (WHS)
RBI – Shirley (WHS) 3, Theriot (WHS) 3, Waters (WHS) 2, Delaney (WHS) 2, Cole Tolar (WHS) 2, Zehr (WHS), Ponder (QHS), Tilley (QHS), Duck (QHS)
RS – Browning (WHS) 2, Delaney (WHS) 2, Henderson (WHS) 2, Theriot (WHS) 2, Shirley (WHS) 2, Morgan (QHS) 2, D. Tola (WHS), Garrett (WHS), Waters (WHS), Ponder (QHS)
SB – Waters (WHS, Morgan (QHS)
