SPRINGDALE -- Kord Offenbacker slid into second base, popped up and raised his right fist as his Shiloh Christian teammates celebrated in the dugout.
It was the senior second baseman's third double of the game, and the Saints' lead-off batter set the stage in a 10-1 win over Pea Ridge on a windy Monday in 4A-1 Conference baseball action.
4A-1 Conference Baseball
Shiloh Christian 10, Pea Ridge 1
Pea Ridge^100^000^0^—^1^3^2
Shiloh Christian^105^211^x^—^10^13^2
Wright, Paryzek (5) and Cotton. Reindl, Brown (7) and Butler. W-Reindl, 2-1. L-Wright, 2-2. HRs-Shiloh Christian, Connolly (1), Olsen (1)
Shiloh Christian (6-1, 4-0 4A-1) took over sole ownership of the league race with three games remaining, including a home game today against Lincoln. The loss was the Blackhawks' first in conference play and wrapped up their league slate at 6-1, and 15-3 overall.
The Saints banged out 13 hits, and eight went for extra bases, including a pair of home runs, a triple and five doubles.
"They've been hitting the ball well all year long," Saints coach Moe Henry said of his team. "I was a little afraid of the wind today, afraid everyone was going to over swing and try to hit home runs. But we had some good swings today and the two that went out were line-drive hits that they were able to turn on."
Pea Ridge got off to a quick start after Nick Hardy reached on a fielder's choice, moved to third on a throwing error and scored on Garrett Easterling's infield single. Shiloh starter Jake Reindl (2-1) worked out of the jam with a strikeout and a ground ball.
Shiloh Christian answered back swiftly as Offenbacker crushed a double to center and scored on Reindl's RBI single to tie the score at 1-1.
Pea Ridge never seriously threatened again as Reindl settled in with five straight scoreless innings that included just one more hit and seven strikeouts.
The Saints blew the game open with a five-run third inning off Pea Ridge starter, sophomore left-hander Cole Wright (2-2). Reindl led off with a double that clanged off the wall in right, and Austin Connolly hammered a 1-0 pitch just to the right of the center field batter's eye for a two-run home run and a 3-1 lead. The Saints added three more runs on a two-RBI single from Josh Lantzsch and Offenbacker's RBI double just inside the third-base foul line for a 6-1 lead.
"It's incredible to have that from your lead off hitter," Henry said of Offenbacker's big day. "Not only from a hitting standpoint, but he's a great lead off guy from a base running standpoint and a guy that's going to take some pitches so guys behind him can see what's going on."
Shiloh Christian upped the lead with two more in the fourth and single runs in the fifth and sixth innings, capped by Ben Olsen's home run to right. Seven-hole hitter Gunner Gilbert had three singles for the Saints.
The Blackhawks completed their conference slate, but will take on several nonconference opponents over the next two weeks to prepare for the upcoming 4A-1 Conference tournament in Huntsville, coach John King said. Pea Ridge will look to move past this and focus on key games ahead, King added.
"We've got an older bunch of kids, eight seniors," King said. "You'd think with a bunch of seniors we should be able to put this behind us."
Sports on 04/21/2015