Hearts See Season End In Loss to Mt. Vernon
Published on May 29 2013 6:06 pm
Last Updated on May 30 2013 6:41 am
Written by Brian
Tall and lanky junior righthander Brock Fulkerson was just too much for the Effingham Hearts Wednesday afternoon in Class 3A Sectional baseball action.
Fulkerson and the Mt. Vernon Rams blanked the Hearts 4-0 in a contest heard on 979XFM and www.979xfm.com. The loss ended the Hearts' season.
Fulkerson, who measures 6'4" and weighs a mere 135 pounds, continually kept Hearts' batters off balance, mixing a fastball with a devastatingly effective curveball to fan eight Effingham batters while walking just one and allowing only two hits.
Meanwhile, senior Devin Mayfield pitched five innings for the Hearts, allowing all four runs, three earned, on three hits and two walks while striking out one batter. Sophomore Kevin Daugherty pitched the final two frames, allowing two hits and striking out two batters.
Mt. Vernon scored twice in the third inning when Sawyer Harrison drew a leadoff walk. After a bunt moved Harrison to second and another out was recorded Landon Thomas singled home Harrison. A balk moved Thomas to second and a single by Collin Young brought Thomas home to make it 2-0 after one inning.
The Rams scored twice again in the fifth inning. After a runner reached base on an error to lead off the inning and the next batter reached on a fielder's choice, Jake Pike doubled home a run. After reaching third base, a Landon Thomas ground ball brought him home and that accounted for the scoring in the contest.
Effingham's two hits were important since they kept hopes alive. A single by Alex Carie started the fourth inning but Carie then got picked off second base, ending that rally. The other hit was a line drive back through the pitcher's box by Carter Hayes with one out in the seventh, but the rally ended there.
Effingham ends their season with a 19-14 mark. Mt. Vernon improved to 29-8-1.
Effingham Sectional
Mount Vernon 002 02 0 -- 4-5-3
Effingham 000 01 0 -- 1-1-1
WP -- Fulkenson. WP -- Mayfield.
Mount Vernon -- Pike, single, double; Thomas, single; Young, single; Reeves, single
Effingham -- Hayes, single; Carie, single
