Oracles are sectional runners-up

The Oracles made it to round two of the North Montgomery Baseball Sectional after defeating Sheridan 7-1. This time the opponent was Fountain Central.

Sophomore Kyle Bender took the mound. It did not start out great for Bender. The second hitter hit a triple over the center fielders head. The next hitter hit a shot up the middle and Ryan Replogle laid out to snag the shot and nearly doubled off the runner at third. The next hitter grounded back to Bender to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the first Brock Zarse kept his hitting going with a lead off single. Banes followed with a single of his own, as did Scott Seabolt plating Zarse. Scott Brothers hit yet another single, scoring Kory Banes. The Oracles were up 2-0 at the end of one.

Fountain Central came back in the second and scored two runs of their own, hitting the ball hard. In the bottom half of the second, Cameron Norman had a single to start the inning. Corbin Beamer moved him to second on a fielder's choice. Josh Mullin flew out to center giving the Oracles two outs with Zarse coming to the plate. Zarse laced his second hit of the game up the middle scoring Cameron Norman. Zarse ended at second. Then the storms came.

There was nearly a two hour rain delay before play started again. At the end of the second, the Oracles were ahead 3-2. The rain delay settled Bender down and he shut the potent bats of Fountain Central down for the next three innings. In the fourth inning Mullin stepped to the plate and hit his first home run of his career. Zarse followed with a triple and Banes knocked him in again leaving the score at 5-2.

In the sixth Bender surrendered a double to the lead off hitter and walked the next batter leaving two men on and no outs. Brothers entered the game here. On his first pitch a fast ball moved the runners to second and third, nobody out. A few pitches later there was a wild pitch to plate the first run of the inning. The hitter grounded out to second for the first out yet their second run of the inning scored.

Brothers got a great defensive diving catch in foul ground by Zarse for the second out and his 99th strike out of the season to end the inning. The Oracles were up 5-4 going into the top of the seventh. The first hitter flew out to Norman at second. The second hitter was Brother's 100th strike out victim. An Oracle error gave the Fountain Central squad hope but the next hitter hit a ground ball to Mike Myers who made a strong throw to first to end the game.

The Oracles fell to Seeger 8-6 in the championship game. Seeger led the entire game.

Vs. Sheridan

The Oracles played their first sectional game Memorial Day. The Delphi squad played North Montgomery in game one. The Oracles came out on top 7-1. Brothers got the win on the mound. He struck out seven and allowed only six hits. The game started in the first inning when Banes walked and Scott Seabolt reached on a North Mont error. Brothers came to the plate and reached on another error which scored Banes. Seabolt came in and scored on a Ryan Replogle ground out

In the second inning Cameron Norman walked and was sacrificed to second by Mullin. Zarse hit a single to score Norman. In the fourth inning Coy Pennington walked and was sacrificed to second by Norman. Mullin reached on another error. Zarse doubled in Pennington. Banes followed with an RBI single scoring Mullin.

In the seventh Tyler Cooper pinch hit for Mullin and led off the inning with a home run. This was Cooper's' first varsity at bat. Zarse followed that with another double. Zarse was thrown out at the plate on Seabolt's fielder's choice. Brothers knocked Seabolt in with his second single of the game.