Hot bats carry Griffons to big win at Dodge

By Joe Warren

Nevada Daily Mail

Wrapping up a two-game road trip, Nevada Griffons head coach John Hill III was hoping for a quick game so his team could get on the bus and start heading home.

The object was for Nevada to collect their sixth straight win to start the season then get the heck out of Dodge.

Fortunately for Hill, the Griffons got that win over the hosting Dodge City Desperados Wednesday, improving to a perfect 6-0. Unfortunately the game lasted more than four hours as the teams combined for 36 runs in a Nevada victory.

That made for a late start on a bus ride that culminated with the sun already coming up to start the next day.

Fresh off the bus Thursday morning, when the team finally got back to Nevada, a groggy Hill said the game was every bit as long as the score would suggest.

"It was kind of a sloppy game, but I'll take the 'W'," Hill said. "It was a little bit of an offensive explosion. It's a little atypical compared to games earlier this season."

Atypical is a good word to describe a 24-12 game after Nevada had won their previous five games by a combined score of 36-10.

But atypical is not necessarily bad. What appeared to be a good offensive roster going into the season, the Griffons only scored 14 runs in their first four games. Some were left wondering when (or if) the offense would arrive.

That certainly is no longer the case after the Griffons have pounded out 36 runs in their past two contests.

Wednesday the Griffons had two players with five hits each. Mickey Nichol's resurgence continued with his second home run in as many contests as he was one of the two players with five hits. Bill Disselhoff was the other, as two hitters who struggled most of the first week finally hit their stride.

Eli Rumler and Tim Ryan continued their hot starts as the first two hitters in the lineup. Each have proven to be effective table-setters thus far, and were again Wednesday, scoring five runs apiece.

The Griffons are off today, then return to action Friday when they host the Wichita Twins in a Jayhawk League doubleheader. It will be the first Jayhawk League action this season for the Griffons. The twinbill starts at 6 p.m.