Baseball dropped by Pats

For the second straight night, Oakland?s baseball team made short work of the Pioneers, scoring six runs in the second to take command on the way to a 14-3 win Tuesday at Ramsey Field.

The Patriots clinched the District 7-AAA regular-season championship with the win, upping their league record to 11-1 and their overall mark to 33-1 for the season. The Pioneers, who stand in fourth place entering this weekend?s series with Lebanon, dropped to 13-17 on the year and went back to .500 (6-6) in the district standings.

Warren County is scheduled to travel to Lebanon Saturday, and will wrap up its league schedule with a home game against the Blue Devils on Sunday.

Oakland got things started with a three-run first inning capped by Marcus Barnes, who belted a two-out, two-run homer to left off WCHS starter Derrin Rogers. But the Pioneers answered with two of their own thanks to a gapper from Clint Newman which scored Lane McCoy and Kyle Mullican.

Just as they had in Monday?s series opener, however, the Patriots scored in bunches, and sent 11 men to the plate in the second inning, connecting for just two hits but taking advantage of four walks ? including two with the bases loaded ? a hit batsman and a two-out error to plate six runs and take a 9-2 lead.

What would prove to be the Pioneers? final run came in the bottom of the second, when Zack Fisher led off with a single to left and scored on a one-out hit from Newman, who finished the night 3-for-3 with an RBI.

Oakland responded with a five-run third, once again sending their entire lineup to the plate and chasing Rogers from the mound after four of the first five batters he faced reached base. Andy Southard came on in relief, giving up an RBI single to Barns and a two-run hit to Seth McConnell before getting out of the inning, but the damage had been done as Oakland held on behind starting pitcher Tyler Burnett to end the game in five via the 10-run mercy rule.

Barnes finished 3-for-3 at designated hitter for the Pats, driving in four runs and scoring three more. The Pioneers got a single hit each from McCoy, Mullican, Casey Talbert, Justin Bouldin, Rogers and Fisher.

Burnett struck out seven batters and walked three on his way to the win, while Rogers took the loss for WCHS, giving up four hits and walking seven Patriots while fanning two. Southard allowed two hits and two walks, and also recorded two strikeouts.

Saturday?s game at Lebanon, as well as Sunday?s game at Ramsey Field, are scheduled for 4 p.m. starts.