The Neosho County baseball team came into Saturday's doubleheader wanting to pull off the four-game sweep against the Highland Community College Scotties.
Mission accomplished.
The Panthers swept the Scotties 10-4 and 10-0 in a rather lengthy twin bill.
"We weren't in doubt of losing, it was a matter of getting the games over with before the next day," Coach Steve Murry said. "That might have been the longest doubleheader that I've ever been a part of. It was kind of a chess match of who was going win out – the speed up game or the slow down game."
In game one, a one-out walk by Kaleb De La Torre started a three-run top of the third, but Highland countered with four runs in the home half of the inning.
"Joe Todd was not expectantly sharp," Murry said. "He struggled a little bit with his command."
It wasn't until the top of the sixth when the Panthers took control of the game.
"The kid they through against us did a nice job of keeping people from scoring," Murry said. "Then we finally broke through and got to the bullpen, and (Alex) DeBay came in and did a magnificent job of pitching and held them at bay from that point forward."
Nolan Beets two-RBI double sparked a four-run frame which put Neosho County in front for good.
Beets ended the game 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs and two runs scored. Aaron Meers, Joe Mondragon and Tanner Fox added two hits apiece.
Alex DeBey picked up the win, working four innings of relief work. He struck out five and didn't allow a run over the final four innings.
In the second game, Neosho County offense started clicking in the third inning.
Brady Garrison led off the frame with a single, but it was Beets who highlighted the inning with a grand slam.
The score remained 4-0 until the seventh when the Panthers added four more and two more in the ninth.
"We were leaving people all over the bases early," Murry explained. "We were scoring, but it wasn't enough to throw that knockout punch at them. We had multiple chances, but Highland kept making plays to keep it close."
Beets added another three hits and seven RBIs in the second game, while De La Torre and Adam Theis collected two hits each.
Brandon Anderson picked up the win, fanning 11 in seven innings of work.
"Brandon Anderson was absolutely special," Murry said. "He threw a special, special game."
The Panthers (10-0 overall and 4-0 in the KJCCC) now face the biggest test of the season this week. Neosho County will play five games, against five ranked opponents, starting Tuesday with the Crowder College Roughriders.
"Crowder is just a phenomenal team. Cowley is a phenomenal team," Murry said. "There is no easy game this week at all. Not that you have to win them all, but you have to make some noise if you are going to make some noise."
The week begins with hosting the No. 2-ranked Crowder Roughriders on Tuesday at 1 pm in a single, nine-inning contest before traveling to Arkansas City to face the No. 4-ranked Cowley Community College Tigers on Thursday for a 1 pm doubleheader.
"Crowder has been really, really good against a tough schedule. We expect a great team to come in here (Tuesday), and it won't get any easier Thursday when we go to Cowley," Murry concluded. "It's going to be fun, but by the same token, it's an early season measuring stick. You can't get too high or too low. You can't put too much on this, but at the same time, it'll show you exactly where you stand at this moment in March."