Aviators Double up on Wins During Double Header
July 19, 2019 - Prospect League (Prospect)
Lafayette Aviators News Release
Springfield, OH - The Lafayette Aviators won both games of their doubleheader agains the Champion City Kings. The hot Aviator bats propelled them to a six to two win in game one and a thirteen to seven win in game two.
Game one got off to a slow start, with neither team scoring for the first three innings. The Aviators were the first to break into the scoring column, with a Matt Phipps (Western Kentucky) RBI single that put the Aviators up one. The Kings were quick to respond with two-run homer that gave them the lead. This was Aviators' starting pitcher Matt Burleton's (Marian) only mistake as he went four innings, giving up only two earned runs, while striking out three Kings. The Aviators' then responded immediately, homering twice in the top of the fifth inning, with a two-run shot from Zach Schwartzenberger (Toledo) and a three-run bomb from Blake Schmitt.(Purdue) After this huge inning, it was smooth sailing for the Aviators as Bryce Konitzer (Illinois State) provided three hitless innings on the way to a much needed victory to start the day.
Game two got off to a much faster start, with the Aviators once again striking first. They put up five runs in the top of the first, with Braedon Blackford (Illinois State), Matt Phipps, Nick Mayhofer (Illinois-Springfield), Zach Schwartzenberger and Mason Sykes (Wabash Valley CC) all aided run support. The Kings weren't the only team who struggled in the first inning, as the Aviators pitching staff struggled mightily, giving up three runs in the bottom of the first, followed by two more in the bottom of the second, tying the game at five heading into the top of the third. Starting pitcher Bryce Grossius (Southeast Missouri State), was pulled following this performance and replaced by reliever Hayden Fisk (Milwaukee Area Tech), who pitching four innings, allowing one earned run and four strike outs. The Aviators bats came alive once again in the top of the third, as the Aviators dropped seven runs. The Aviator bats were so hot that every Aviators batter had made it on base before the end of the third inning. The scoring frenzy got started with a grand slam from Designated Hitter Matt Mackey (Eastern Illinois), the first grand slam of the season for the team. This was then followed up with RBIs from Chris Monroe (Illinois-Springfield), Braedon Blackford and Matt Phipps. The Kings would add two more runs but it was too little, too late,with the Aviators shutting down the Kings bats the whole second half of the game.
The Aviators complete their series against the Kings Sunday, before heading into the Prospect League All-Star break, before heading home to Lafayette Thursday against the DuPage Pistol Shrimp.
Prospect League Stories from July 19, 2019
- Aviators Double up on Wins During Double Header - Lafayette Aviators
- Paints Fall to Miners 11-4 - Chillicothe Paints
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