Chisum Mustangs Take Down Prairiland Patriots 5-2 || Content Sponsored by: Weezy’s

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In a game that was remarkably similar to their matchup one week ago, the Chisum Mustangs defeated the Prairiland Patriots 5-2 to complete the series sweep.

The Patriots’ Achilles heel once again was stranding runners on base. Meanwhile, in step with their 5-1, Game 1 win, the Mustangs bats came through when needed. Despite being outhit by the Patriots 7-3, the Mustangs made the most of their opportunities.

Prairiland fell to 5-3 in district play with the loss while Chisum improved to 3-3. Chisum faces district-leading Mt. Vernon (7-1) tonight and again Friday. The Patriots are off on their bye week but have two games with Mt. Vernon when they return to action next week.

The Patriots got their first two batters of the game on base when Austen Gordon and Mason Pusateri both reached base via Mustang errors. After a sacrifice bunt by Keeton Kinabrew advanced the runners, Chisum starting pitcher Kason Fortner shut the door on the Patriots’ rally with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.

As in the first contest, Prairiland got on the scoreboard first. Jayden Whitaker doubled and scored when Dakota Berquist tripled to the gap in right-centerfield for a 1-0 lead in the second inning.

The Patriots added to that total in the third. After back-to-back singles by Pusateri and Kinabrew, Madox Yaross hit a bouncer up the middle to drive in Pusateri and put Prairiland up 2-0. The Mustangs then intentionally walked Wyatt Moore to load the bases, and Fortner again worked out of the jam, enticing two infield ground outs to end the inning.

Prairiland starting pitcher Luke Rhoades made it through the first two innings unscathed but ran into trouble in the third. A pair of walks and a hit batter loaded the bases with two outs. Ky Fortner came in to score on a passed ball, and one pitch later, older brother Kason Fortner singled up the middle, plating Drake Howard and Casen Bult, putting the Mustangs in front 3-2.

Chisum tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth after a Patriots miscue on a Bult ground ball allowed Ky Fortner and Zeke Baird to both come around and score.

With a 3-run lead and Kason Fortner at 82 pitches for the game, Chisum brought in Howard to start the 6th inning on the mound. If Fortner stayed below 85 pitches, he would remain eligible to pitch Friday in the key district contest versus Mt. Vernon.

After two base on balls and a single by Kinebrew, the Patriots once again had the bases loaded with two outs. But again, the Mustangs’ pitching stopped the rally, recording the third out before Prairiland could push a run across.

In the top of the 7th inning, a single by Moore and walk to Whitaker had the Patriots once more with a pair of runners on base, no outs and the potential tying run at the plate.

Mustangs head coach Dustin Cope made the seldom seen move of putting his starting pitcher back on the mound. Kason Fortner had moved to first base after being removed two innings earlier. Because he did not come out of the game, he was eligible for re-entry at pitcher.

Kason Fortner retired the next three Patriots hitters in order to save the game in which he was on record at the time as the winning pitcher. In total, Fortner pitched 6 innings striking out 10 and walking 3.

Rhoades and Yaross combined to surrender just the 3 hits, and struck out 4, while issuing 6 free passes.

Kason Fortner and Bult each had 2 RBIs for the Mustangs. Kinebrew and Yaross each had 2 hits for the Patriots.