Oran breezes into the quarters

ORAN, Mo. -- While much of Southeast Missouri was dampened by rain and threatened by funnel clouds, the sky was clear and the sun was out for Oran's sectional baseball matchup with North Pemiscot on Wednesday afternoon.

Like the weather, the outlook was clear for the Eagles. Oran (21-3) set the tone early with four first-inning runs and added 10 more from there in a 14-1 five-inning rout.

"The kids are really hitting the ball right now," Oran coach Mitch Wood said. "They came out swinging the bats. Those were two good pitchers we saw there."

Unlike last year's sectional meeting between these two teams, which ended in a 3-2, eight-inning victory for Oran, the Eagles were never challenged this time. Chase Seyer drove in two runs with two outs in the first inning to push the score to 3-0, and Oran had all the scoring it needed. Austin Dumey added an RBI single to make the score 4-0.

"I was surprised we came out and scored four runs each of the first three innings," Oran starting pitcher Matt Seyer said. "But this year it's almost typical."

Oran, the visitor on the scoreboard, did have one minor blip in the first inning. After retiring the first batter, Matt Seyer allowed a single to B.J. Flippo. The next batter reached on an error, but the Eagles had a chance to rectify the error when Flippo got caught too far off third. Oran was not able to execute the run-down, putting runners on second and third with one out.

Matt Seyer retired the next batter on a ground out back to the mound. Seyer struck out the next batter to end the threat.

Wood said having the four-run cushion heading into the bottom of the first helped relax the kids after the fielding miscues.

"That could have been a big inning if you don't have any runs," he said.

Oran's first two batters in the second reached after being hit by pitches, and senior Garrett Roslen knocked in two runs with a one-out single. Chase Seyer and Dumey added RBIs in the inning.

The Eagles held North Pemiscot scoreless again in the second, and then put the game out of reach in the third. Oran scored four two-out runs in the third, with RBIs for Roslen, Joey Williams, Paul Bucher and Chase Seyer.

"We've been swinging the bats all year long," Wood said. "We're hitting the ball about as well as we can hit it. Right now it's up and down the lineup."

Les Thompson hit a solo home run in the third off Matt Seyer to break up the shutout, but Seyer came right back in the fourth with a two-run home run to end the scoring. Seyer had some minor arm trouble after the third, and was relieved by Chase Seyer for the final two innings.

"He looked good," Wood said of Matt Seyer. "He did a good job on the mound."

Chase Seyer led the offensive attack with a 4-for-4 day with four RBIs. Roslen added three hits and four RBIs. Matt Seyer and Williams added a pair of hits.

Oran will play Thayer in the quarterfinals at Thayer on Friday. Thayer defeated Valley of Caledonia 18-8 in five innings on Wednesday.

Matt Seyer said the team is ready to bid for its third straight trip to the final four.

"I definitely think we have a lot of momentum," he said. "I think we've outscored our opponents 50-1 the last four games."