Summer rivals split doubleheader, both look good at times

Charleston Fighting Squirrel baserunner Levi McKinnie speaks with coach Michael Minner after reaching third base in a game against the Southeast Tropics on Tuesday at Hillhouse Park in Charleston.

Tom Davis ~ Tdavis@semoball.com

CHARLESTON – Entering the 2023 summer league baseball season, 19th-year Charleston Fighting Squirrel manager Michael Minner knew that his team was going to have to piece together offense in order to score runs.

“We’re going to run well,” Minner said. “We’re not going to sit and wait for a home run or balls in the gaps. We’re going to try and play fast.”

That was the case in the club’s opening two games, a doubleheader split with region rival Southeast Tropics.

The Fighting Squirrels clawed their way to a 4-2 win in the opening game before the Tropics (3-3) pounded the Fighting Squirrels 14-0 in the nightcap.

“I like this group,” Minner said following the opening win. “I like this group of kids. It was a fun dugout and I think that we have a lot of really good baseball kids.”

In the opening game, the Fighting Squirrels (1-1) scored three runs in the fourth inning, while holding off a fierce bases-loaded rally by the Tropics in the sixth, in which Squirrel reliever Jack Evans got out of the jam with no damage.

“A lot of times in the summer,” Minner explained, “you get some of the top players in Southeast Missouri, and in the first couple of games, sometimes kids try to do too much because they are trying to impress.”

Monday’s Game One wasn’t perfect, as both teams made an error and a Squirrel baserunning gaffe ultimately ended up costing the team a run late in the game. But overall, both teams looked solid for this being the beginning of the summer.

“We’ve got a lot of talent,” veteran Tropics manager Dustin Swartz said. “You look up and down our roster, we’ve got a lot of athletes.

“I think this is going to be one of the quickest teams that we’ve had.”

The Tropics got on the board initially in the second inning off of Squirrel starter Lawson Graff, who finished his 4 1/3 innings by allowing six hits, two earned runs, one walk, and striking out five.

“I thought Lawson competed,” Minner said. “I don’t think that he had his best stuff, but these guys haven’t thrown in a couple of weeks competitively.”

Tropics pitcher Trey Benthal went 5 1/3 innings and gave up three earned runs on seven hits while walking five and striking out two.

“Trey is a guy, who I’ve watched pitch (at Portageville High School),” Swartz said. “He is a bit of a Bulldog. He’s a guy, who I have some faith in.”

Benthal’s high school teammate, Portageville senior-to-be Mason Adams, paced the Tropics with two hits, both being doubles.

Luke Barnes had one hit and two runs in the defeat, while Reece Justice (two hits, one RBI), Wyatt Friley (one hit), and Drew Klipfel (two hits, one RBI) also contributed for the Tropics.

Evans threw 1 2/3 innings for the Squirrels and allowed one hit, and no runs while walking one.

Peyton Hodges threw the final inning in the win and struck out three of the four batters he faced.

Levi McKinnie had a pair of Squirrel hits and a run scored, while Will Green (one hit), Kaeden Kennedy (one hit, one walk), Hodges (one hit, two runs, one walk), Bennett Logan (one hit, one run, two RBI), Owen Osborne (one hit, one RBI), and Preston Van Dyke (one hit, one RBI, one walk) also contributed.

In the second game, Barnes was dominant, as he limited the Fighting Squirrels to two hits, no runs while walking four and striking out six.

Offensively, Benthal had a double and a triple, while Beau-Hunter Warren (three hits, two RBI, two runs), Connor Johnson (one hit, two runs, one walk), Reece Eftink (one hit, one run, two RBI, one walk), Barnes (one hit, one run, two walks), Adams (one RBI, one run), Aaron Dunlap (one hit, two runs, one RBI, two walks) also were productive.

Kennedy and Thomas Frakes had the lone hits for the Squirrels.

The Squirrels will travel to a four-day tournament in Mayfield, Ky. on Thursday through Sunday. They open the event against Lyon County Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Mayfield High School.