The Vian Wolverines baseball team went 2-3 last week, which ended with a 9-2 road loss Saturday afternoon to Sallisaw.
The week started with a 6-3 home loss to Cameron on March 4, then an 11-2 setback on the road against Wagoner on March 5.
The Wolverines got back-to-back wins in a 24-hour stretch of time as they won a 20–14 slugfest against the host Poteau Pirates on Thursday evening at Poteau’s Town Creek Park, then knocked off smallschool power Red Oak 6-2 on Friday afternoon in Red Oak.
In the loss to Sallisaw, the Wolverines (3-3) broke the scoreless deadlock on an RBI grounder by Riley Ellis, scoring Fletcher for a 1-0 lead for Vian, but the Black Diamonds scored twice in the third and fourth innings for a 4-1 lead. After a bases-loaded walk to Cash Collins forced Fletcher home to cut the deficit to 4-2 in the fifth inning, Sallisaw put away the game with a four-run fifth inning and a single run in the sixth inning for a 9-2 lead.
In defeat, Fletcher singled and scored once, Ellis singled and had an RBI, Michael Polecat singled and Collins had an RBI for Vian.
Gabe Gilbert (0-2) took the loss, going the first four-plus innings with three strikeouts. Lastyn Taylor went the final two innings with a strikeout.
In the March 4 home loss to Cameron, the Yellowjackets stung the Wolverines with a fourrun seventh inning to get the come-from-behind victory.
In defeat, Gabe Gilbert doubled and scored once, Garrit Hunt singled with two runs batted in and Michael Polecat had an RBI.
Lastyn Taylor (0-1) took the loss in relief, going the final two innings with two strikeouts. Polecat started and went the first five innings with four Ks.
In the March 6 road loss to Wagoner, the Wolverines scored first on Michael Polecat’s RBI single in the first inning, but from there it was all Bulldogs as they scored twice in the first inning and six runs in the second inning for an 8-1 after two innings.
Riley Ellis hit a sacrifice fly in the third inning to cut Vian’s deficit to 8-2, but the Wolverines got no closer.
In defeat, Polecat and Ellis each singled and had a run batted in, while Draighton Fletcher and Gilbert each singled. Gilbert took the loss, going four innings with a strikeout.
In Thursday’s road win over Poteau at Town Creek Park, the Wolverines trailed 5-4 after three innings but scored five runs in the fourth inning for a 9-5 lead. After the Pirates cut the deficit to 9-8 after four innings, Vian scored three runs in the fifth inning and five runs in the sixth inning for a 17-8 lead. After the Pirates cut the deficit to 17-12 after six innings, the Wolverines put away the game with a threerun seventh inning for a 20-12 lead.
For the game, Riley Ellis was 3-for-4 with a double, five runs scored and two RBIs, Kaden Fulbright was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, Hunt was 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored, Fletcher was 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and four runs scored, Polecat was 2-for-6 with a double, an RBI and a run scored, Gilbert was 2-for-5 with two doubles, four RBIs and a run scored, Ethan Pollock was 2-for-5 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored and Cash Collins tripled with three runs scored and two RBIs.
Fulbright (1-0) got the win, going the first four innings with five strikeouts. Ellis got the save as he went the final three innings with seven Ks.
In Friday afternoon’s win over Red Oak, the Wolverines jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. After the Eagles scored twice in the sixth inning to cut the deficit to 3-2 after six innings, the Wolverines scored three big insurance runs in the seventh inning.
For the game, Fletcher was 2-for-3with a run scored, Ellis was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI, Collins was 2-for-4 with a double, two RBIs and a run scored, Pollock was 2-for-4 with a double and Gilbert doubled with two RBIs.
Polecat (1-0) got the win, going the first six innings with five strikeouts. Taylor went the final inning by allowing no hits or runs scored.
After welcoming Prairie Grove, Ark., to town on Monday and visiting Oktaha on Tuesday, the Wolverines will play in the three-day Dewar Festival on Thursday through Saturday. Then, Vian will be part of a road three-way with Central at noon next Monday at Muldrow.
