Olson's Gem Earns Seward a Split

Seward County freshman JB Olson spun 6 1/3 innings of shutout baseball Saturday afternoon in Odessa, Texas to give the Saints a 5-0 win in game one of their double header with the host Wranglers.  Game two wasn't much to write home about for the Saints however, as Odessa came back to split the twinbill with an 11-1 run rule over Seward. 

Game one didn't start off so great for the Saints as their first two hitters of the 1^st inning struck out, but with two outs in the inning Brent Williams doubled and Jordan Leinweber drove him home to put them on the board 1-0. 

Seward starter JB Olson got three outs in three different ways in the bottom of the 1^st, getting a strikeout, groundout, and fly out to keep the Saints in front 1-0. 

Both teams stranded a runner in the 2^nd without scoring and the Saints added to their lead as Bryson Allen doubled and Williams tripled to push another run across to make it 2-0. 

Olson remained in control of the Odessa lineup in the 3^rd, blanking the Wranglers to keep it 2-0 and the Saints rewarded her with some more offense as they came to hit in the 4^th. 

Connor Smith and Brandon Rix both singled to start the Seward 4^th and with one out in the inning Jake Fuller drove Rix in to make it 3-0 Saints.  Later in the inning an Odessa error gifted the Saints another run and Williams picked up his third hit of the game with an RBI single to make it 5-0 Saints after 3 ½. 

That was more than enough for Olson who cruised through the 4^th and 5^th innings to keep the Saints up 5-0.  In the 6^th Odessa threatened, putting two on with two out, but Olson got a big strikeout to end the inning and the threat to keep his shutout bid intact and his Saints in front 5-0.

Olson got an out in the 7^th before being replaced by sidewinder Thomas Garland and Garland finished off the shutout, getting a pair of fly outs to end the game to secure the 5-0 win for Seward. 

Olson earned his first career win with the gem, going 6 1/3 shutout innings, allowing 5 hits while striking out 6. Williams led the Saints offensive attack, finishing just a home run away from the cycle, going 3 for 4 with a double, a triple, and 2 RBI's.  Fuller and Allen each had an RBI and a run scored at the top of the Saints lineup. 

SEWARD COUNTY/ODESSA GAME ONE BOX SCORE

In game two, the Saints had a chance to get on the board early once again, getting a pair of 1^st inning singles, but both runners were left at innings end, and little did Seward know, it would be one of their best scoring chances of the game. 

Odessa scored two 1^st inning runs on just one hit as Seward pitching walked two hitters and the defense committed two errors to allow the Wranglers to take an early 2-0 lead. 

The 2^nd inning was a disaster for the Saints.  After going down in order in the top half of the inning, Odessa kept the Saints in the field for a while in the bottom half.  Odessa scored their first run on a passed ball and a second on an error to go up 4-0.  Two more two out Seward errors allowed three additional Wrangler runs to come around to open it up to 7-0 and a double plated their sixth and seventh runs of the inning to blow the game open to 9-0. 

Another Saints error allowed Odessa to take a 10-0 lead in the 3^rd and it wasn't until the 5^th that the Saints finally got something going on the offensive end.  The first three Saints of the inning reached base and Seward got their first run of the game on an RBI single from Hudson Bilodeau to make it 10-1.  The Saints loaded the bases with one out later in the inning and were a hit or two from getting back in the game, but a strikeout and a lineout left the bases loaded and the Saints out of luck, still down 10-1. 

Both teams went without a run in their next at bats and Odessa finished the game in fitting fashion in the bottom of the 6^th, on a Seward error to win it 11-1. 

Odessa actually only outhit Seward 8-7 in the game, but it was another 7 that doomed the Saints in the loss. Seward committed 7 errors, leading to 9 unearned runs in the 11-1 defeat.  Allen, Bilodeau, and Kevin Connolly each had 2 hits for the Saints while the rest of the Seward order was a combined 1 for 16 in the loss.  Chris Juracek took the loss for Seward, as he lasted just 1 inning, allowing 2 hits and 1 unearned run to start the game. 

SEWARD COUNTY/ODESSA GAME TWO BOX SCORE

The Saints go to 8-4 with the split. Odessa is now 9-2 on the season.  The Saints will continue their Texas swing on Sunday when they go to Midland to take on the Chaparrals in a double header.  Seward finishes their trip on Monday when they take on New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs.