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Griffons win, then get drubbed
By Joe Warren
Nevada Daily Mail
Three up, three down. That's how the roller-coaster ride that is the Nevada Griffons' season has gone during the past three Jayhawk League doubleheaders.
The Griffons have split all three twin bills now after doing so Wednesday against the El Dorado Broncos at Lyons Stadium.
The Griffons won the first game, as they had during their previous two doubleheaders against the Southwest Slashers and the Wichita Twins.
Nevada had strong pitching performances by starter Chris Klick and closer John Christian as they held the Broncos (7-8 overall, 2-5 in the Jayhawk League) to five hits in the seven inning game.
Klick went six innings, allowing four hits and only one earned run while striking out seven for his third win in as many starts this season.
"That's where it all starts every single time, having a key outing from a starting pitcher," Nevada head coach John Hill III said. "The starting pitcher sets the tone.
"Chris pitched outstanding. This was a bigger test for him (than his previous two outings). It was really his first challenge."
Hill praised the work of Klick with catcher Mike Flower, who was making his third start after only joining the team recently.
"Klick and Mike Flower did a great job of mixing things up," he said.
Christian came on during the seventh and allowed a leadoff single but retired the next three Broncos batters for his second save of the season.
The Griffons got a solo home run from Chris Taylor -- his third RBI of the game -- in the bottom of the fifth to break a 3-3 tie. Batting left handed, Taylor jumped on a 3-1 fastball and hit it out to right field to give Nevada the lead. Neither team scored again the rest of the way.
Taylor had given Nevada the lead previously in the game as well when a two-run single drove in Tim Santiago and Tony Lewis to make the score 3-2.
El Dorado had tied the score at three in the fourth inning on a solo shot of their own by catcher Eric Beck.
The Broncos had scored the first two runs of the game in the third inning after an error by Nevada third baseman Eli Rumler and three singles.
The Griffons then scored three times of their own in the bottom of the inning. The first came when Rumler scored from third on a wild pitch by El Dorado starter Nick Cobler. Rumler had walked and went to third on a single by Lewis. After Rumler scored, Taylor's two-out single later in the inning gave Nevada the lead.
In the second game Nevada was completely dominated.
The Broncos pounded out 18 hits and the Griffons were held to two as El Dorado put the game to bed early and cruised to a 15-1 victory.
The Broncos scored twice in the top of the first inning off Nevada starter Ryan Wagner (0-1).
In the bottom of the first Mickey Nichol provided the only Nevada highlight with a tape-measure shot over the right center field fence that was estimated around 400 feet.
El Dorado took advantage of four Nevada errors in the game, scoring three times in the second inning, five times in the third, three times in the fifth and twice in the seventh.
"Every once in a while, you're going to get thumped," Hill said. "You only get one loss for this and they only get one win. Does that make it any easier to swallow? No."
The Griffons (9-3, 3-3) may have lost more than the game as Rumler, who was catching in the night cap, took a foul ball off his right (throwing) shoulder and had to leave the game.
"We'll give him tomorrow off and see where he is Friday," Hill said. Rumler is questionable for this weekend's four-game Jayhawk League series against the Hays Larks.
Making matters worse is fellow infielders Al Smith and Trent Thompson have been out with injuries, as has been catcher Steven Billokur.
"Everyone that's gotten hurt has been a key contributor so far," Hill said.