By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
After losing the bulk of its pitching staff from the 2023 season, Washburn Rural baseball coach Jay Mastin had to turn to several players to fill those holes, including senior left-hander Colin Redeker, who has taken full advantage of that opportunity.
Washburn Rural senior Colin Redeker threw a two-hitter and struck out 11 hitters as the Junior Blues earned a split with a 4-0 win over Seaman on Friday at Rural. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
After winning his first start of the season, Redeker improved to 2-0 on Friday with a dominating performance against Seaman as the Junior Blues earned a home doubleheader split with a 4-0 second-game win after Seaman took a 12-6 win in the opener.
Redeker twirled a two-hitter on Friday while recording 11 strikeouts and not allowing a walk as Washburn Rural (3-4) handed perennial Class 5A power Seaman its first loss of the year.
"I think the key today was just keeping the ball down and taking away the big hits, eliminating that, and letting my curve ball work from there,'' Redeker said.
Redeker has primarily played outfield in his Washburn Rural career, but said he's enjoying the opportunity to get the ball for the Junior Blues.
"I love pitching, I love it,'' Redeker said.
Redeker set the tone early on, striking out two Vikings in each of the first two innings and then striking out the side in the third.
Redeker struck out another Seaman hitter in the fourth and struck out the side for the second time in the sixth.
"He was in the zone, he was dealing tonight,'' Mastin said of Redeker. "I think he threw 80 pitches so you can't ask for anything more than that. He was very efficient tonight.''
Seaman senior Jack Unruh singled in the fourth for the Vikings' first hit of the nightcap and Redeker didn't allow another hit until junior David Dobbs stroked a one-out double in the top of the seventh.
Redeker then ended the game in style, snagging a line drive and doubling up the baserunner for the final out.
Washburn Rural never trailed in the second game after scoring three runs in the bottom of the first.
The Junior Blues loaded the bases with a walk and back to back hit batsmen before senior catcher Connor Wells cleared the bases with a long double.
Washburn Rural senior catcher Connor Wells celebrates his three-run double in Rural's 4-0 second-game win over Seaman. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Kyle Walker reacts after hitting a solo home run in Rural's 4-0 second-game win over Seaman. [Photo by Doug Walker/Special to TSN]
Rural made its 4-0 in the second when senior shortstop Kyle Walker hit a two-out home run to right-center and Redeker kept the Vikings (4-1) in check the rest of the way.
Seaman never trailed in the first game after scoring three runs in the second and third innings to go up 6-0.
Washburn Rural cut its deficit to 6-3 with a three-run third, but Seaman scored five runs in the top of the fifth to take a commanding 11-3 advantage.
Rural scored a run in the bottom of the fifth and two in the sixth before Seaman added an insurance run in the top of the seventh.
Seaman's players congratulate Viking junior catcher David Dobbs (10) after his two-run home run in Seaman's 12-6 first-game victory over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Dobbs hit a two-run home run for the Vikings while Unruh had a double and a triple, senior Jack Bloom had a two-run single and senior Zach Wilson had two bunt singles.
Seaman senior Kaiden Griffin picked up the pitching win in the Vikings' 12-6 first-game win over Washburn Rural. [Photo by Rick Peterson/TSN]
Senior Kaiden Griffin pitched into the fifth inning to pick up the win before junior Dalton Smith closed out the victory.
"Our first game, honestly, there's some things I think we can clean up and be better at and there's some things we can do better pitching-wise,'' Seaman coach Trent Oliva said. "But all in all, we get a win, and then Game 2 their kid throws well and you tip your cap to them.
"The two or three balls we did hit hard were right at them, but it happens. That's baseball.''
FIRST GAME
SEAMAN 12, WASHBURN RURAL 6
Seaman 033 050 1 -- 12 7 1
Washburn Rural 003 012 0 -- 6 7 3
Griffin, Smith (5) and Dobbs. Figgs, Ansley (2), Haas (6) and Wells. W -- Griffin. L -- Figgs. 2B -- Seaman: Unruh. Washburn Rural: Wells, Blankenship, Omitt. 3B -- Seaman: Unruh. HR -- Seaman: Dobbs.
SECOND GAME
WASHBURN RURAL 4, SEAMAN 0
Seaman (4-1) 000 000 0 -- 0 2 0
Washburn Rural (3-4) 310 000 0 -- 4 4 1
Cross, Hayes (4) and Dobbs. Redeker and Wells. W -- Redeker. L -- Cross. 2B -- Seaman: Dobbs. Washburn Rural: Wells. HR -- Washburn Rural: Walker.
