DUNCAN —
In the Demons’ first home games of the season, all was right in the world of Duncan baseball Tuesday.
With an explosion of offense and shutdown pitching, the Demons (2-1) swept their doubleheader against district foe Southeast (1-3) with 11-1 and 13-3 wins in five innings.
“Any time you start 2-0 in district play it’s a good thing and overall I’m happy with our play,” Demons coach Tim Hightower said. “We were able to hit the ball consistently and stayed aggressive on the bases. That’s something we’re going to have to do to be successful.”
Duncan 11, Southeast 1
Duncan wasted no time getting runs on the board, scoring three runs in the first inning.
It all started with a sophomore Bryce Byford walk and sophomore Mason Hightower kept things going with a single up the middle. Duncan drew first blood when senior Riley Peters brought Byford and Hightower with a two run double, and the team never looked back. Senior Dillon Stanley drove home Peters on a sacrifice fly before doing more damage on the mound.
Stanley kept the Spartans hitless in three innings, striking out the side to start the game and allowing just two baserunners on a walk and hit by pitch.
Duncan got all the insurance it would need in the fourth. Senior Cade Baldwin led off with a single, junior Taber Kaspereit followed with a double and Byford brought home Baldwin on a fielder’s choice. The runs kept coming when Hightower knocked a triple on a fly ball to center and brough home Kaspereit and Byford. Junior Trevor Stone, who ran for Hightower, then scored on a Peters sacrifice fly.
After a quick second inning from Stanley, Duncan kept the pressure on. Senior Tanner Norton got to third on an error and a Baldwin triple brought him home. A bunt single from Kaspereit added yet another run.
Neither team could score in the fourth, and the Demons put the game away in the fifth inning when Kaspereit knocked in two more runs with a single.
“We’re going to always try to put a lot of pressure on defenses and force mistakes, and we did that tonight,” Hightower said.
Duncan 13, Southeast 3
Those expecting anything different from game one were left disappointed in the nightcap, as the Duncan offense stayed hot and Peters shut down the Spartans on the hill.
Junior Hunter Phillips got things going in the second, brining in Norton and Stanley with an RBI double.
Not to be outdone, Baldwin earned his second triple of the night and scored Phillips.
Senior Ryan Haley gave Duncan more insurance with the team’s second bunt single of the night, scoring Baldwin.
After Hightower got on with a walk, Kaspereit filled in as a pinch runner and scored on a passed ball after stealing second and third.
Following a three run Southeast effort in the third, Duncan reasserted itself with three runs of its own on the innings’ bottom half. Peters scored on a fly ball single to right from Hunter Phillips, Phillips scored on a Ryan double, and Byford came home on a double by senior Brian Bradburry.
With the game out of reach, Duncan closed the door on Southeast when junior John Campbell turned a game-clinching double play at the top of the fifth.
“In both games, we had steady pitching,” Hightower said. “It’s so important for us to be consistent every inning, and we did a good job at that.”
Duncan returns to action at 4 p.m. Friday at home against Eisenhowe.
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