Aviators Dethrone Kings in Doubleheader
June 14, 2019 - Prospect League (Prospect)
Lafayette Aviators News Release
Lafayette, IN - The Lafayette Aviators (9-4) played a pair of games at home against the Champion City Kings (_____) on Thursday in Lafayette. Both games were scheduled to be seven innings in length due to the Prospect League's doubleheader policy.
It took the home team 11 innings, but the Aviators eventually came back to take the first game 4-3. In game two, Lafayette jumped out to an early 5-0 nothing lead in the first inning and eventually won 5-2.Game 1
Champion City wasted no time and slapped up three runs in the top of the first inning. The Kings' leadoff man Jesse Hall lifted a ball over the left field wall off the Lafayette starter Matt Burleton (Marian). Aaron Hughs doubled into right-center field a couple batters later, bringing in two more Champion City runs. It would've been 4-0 Kings if not for the relay from Aviator right fielder Zach Heeke (Central Michigan) to Braedon Blackford (Illinois State) at second and then on to Blake Schmitt (Purdue) at home for the tag at the plate.
Lafayette got one back in the first. Brent Todys (Ohio State) doubled off the wall in left-center to put runners on second and third. After the double, Tyler Powers (Purdue) grounded a ball to the Champion City shortstop to score Trey Sweeney (Eastern Illinois) from third.
After giving up a leadoff homerun and three runs in the first inning, Aviators starter Matt Burleton settled into a groove. Burleton struck out the side in the third inning, and totaled eight K's on the evening. At one point, the Lafayette lefty struck out five in a row.
In the fourth, Chris Monroe (Illinois Springfield) doubled deep to right field to start off the inning. Then with one out and runners on the corners, Lafayette third basemen Kollyn All (Butler) railed a ball to right field to score Monroe and cut the Kings lead to 3-2.
The sixth inning saw the emergence of Kollyn All (Butler). With the Aviators down one run, All belted a tater over the wall to tie the game at 3-3. Playing in his fourth game, All's homer was just his third hit of the season.
Despite the shortened game due to the doubleheader, the first game still went 11 innings.
After both teams traded and squandered scoring opportunities, Brent Todys ripped a ball into right field to score Chris Monroe and walk it off for the Aviators.
The Lafayette bullpen was phenomenal. Brendan Reid (Frontier CC), Bryce Konitzer (Illinois State), and Justin Foy (Western Illinois) shut out the Kings for the last seven innings. Foy got the win on the mound going the final three and two thirds while not allowing a hit. The Aviators totaled 17 strikeouts in the first game of the doubleheader.
Game 2
Lafayette lit the lamp in the first inning with three consecutive hits to start the game. Trey Sweeney and Braedon Blackford both mustered singles through the infield. With two men on, Chris Monroe doubled to left-center field to drive in Sweeney. The next batter, Brent Todys, flew a ball out to center to score Blackford on the sac fly. With a 2-0 lead, Zach Heeke dribbled a ball up the middle to score Monroe from third. The Kings made an error in the field with two runners on to allow a fourth run. After a Matt Phipps (Western Kentucky) sac fly to left, it was 5-0 Aviators after one.
Champion City was able to score two runs in the third inning but couldn't do any more damage on the scoreboard. Lafayette pitching was strong all day. The Aviator arms only gave up five runs in 18 innings.
The Aviators play again at Loeb on Friday to take on the Terre Haute Rex at 7:05 PM ET.
Prospect League Stories from June 14, 2019
- Aviators Dethrone Kings in Doubleheader - Lafayette Aviators
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