Eagles wallop Crusaders

The Oran High School baseball team is ranked third in the Class 1 state poll.

You'll get no arguments from Saxony Lutheran after the Eagles mauled the host Crusaders 16-0 on Wednesday afternoon.

Oran totally dominated what was billed as a matchup between two of the area's top Class 1 squads. The game ended after five innings due to the 10-run mercy rule.

"They've got a good team," Saxony coach Paul Sander said. "It's a baseball town."

The Eagles have been among the state's premier small-school programs for a long time, and the current group appears to stack up well with some of Oran's previous stellar teams.

"They're a quality team, but we had a good game today," Oran assistant coach Larry Boshell said. "We came out and hit the ball early and we made some plays defensively."

Oran, which improved to 12-1, displayed its pitching depth as a sophomore regarded as the Eagles' No. 5 hurler fired a three-hit shutout.

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com Oran baserunner Caleb Seyer scored as Saxony Lutheran catcher Bret Steffens lost the ball on the tag Wednesday during Oran's 16-0 win at Saxony.

Right-hander Cody L. Dirnberger was not overpowering, but he displayed sharp control.

Dirnberger struck out three, walked none and hit a batter. He allowed no hits over the final three innings.

"He did a good job. He threw strikes," Boshell said. "He's a tough kid."

Said Dirnberger: "I threw decent. I figured this team would hit me a lot better. My defense really helped me out."

Saxony Lutheran starting pitcher Chris Roth delivered a pitch during Wednesday's game.

Oran is gearing up for a tournament this weekend in Stoutland, Mo., that will feature games against several larger schools, so the Eagles are setting up their pitching staff for that event.

"We have a big tournament coming up and we're trying to save arms," Oran second baseman Kody Campbell said. "Cody did a really good job and we got some runs early."

Oran had 14 hits, including a home run by catcher Caleb Seyer, who had two hits and three RBIs.

Third baseman Alex Chasteen went 3-for-3 and scored three runs, while first baseman Steven Dooley went 3-for-4.

Oran's Caleb Seyer singled in two runs Wednesday.

Dooley is Oran's pitching ace, with Chasteen and hard-throwing Jayden Pobst — who Boshell said was clocked at better than 90 mph during a game Tuesday — not far behind.

"We've got a pretty deep staff," Boshell said.

Campbell added two hits and two RBIs for the Eagles, who broke things open early with a seven-run second inning that gave them an 8-0 lead.

"We're coming around," Campbell said. "We've been hitting the ball a lot better lately and our pitching has been solid."

KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com Oran third baseman Alex Chasteen threw for a runner out at first Wednesday, April 23, 2008, during the Eagles' 16-0 win over host Saxony Lutheran.

Also strong against the Crusaders (10-3) was Oran's defense.

The Eagles had one error, in the fourth inning, but made several impressive plays.

Oran's defensive highlight came in the third inning when third baseman Chasteen made a great diving stop to his left on a hard ground ball hit by Garrett Fritsche.

Chasteen quickly got to his feet and fired to first base. The throw was in the dirt, but Dooley made a nice pick.

Saxony Lutheran shortstop Garrett Fritsche backhanded a grounder against Oran.

"We played well," Campbell said.

Saxony pitching ace Chris Roth allowed 12 runs, nine earned, and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. He struck out three and walked three.

Sander lamented that Roth did not have the best defensive support. The Crusaders helped out with four errors and could have made a few other plays.

Sander estimated that Saxony had between six and eight plays that should have been made but weren't.

"You can't have the errors we did and have three hits and win," Sander said. "We didn't support our No. 1 pitcher.

"Things unraveled. The seven-run second inning was too much to overcome. We're a much better team than we showed. I expect us to bounce back in our next game."

As for the Eagles, they want to keep playing well as they continue to build momentum for the postseason.

"It's still early, but hopefully we can keep rolling," Boshell said.

Oran 170 44 — 16 14 1

Saxony 000 00 — 0 3 4

WP — Cody L. Dirnberger, 2-0. LP — Chris Roth, 5-1. HR — Caleb Seyer (O). 2B — Kody Campbell (O), Steven Dooley (O), Cody W. Dirnberger (0), Roth (S). Multiple hits — Oran: Alex Chasteen 3-3, Dooley 3-4, Seyer 2-4, Campbell 2-4. Records — Oran 12-1, Saxony 10-3.