Oran no-hits Leopold in five innings

The Oran Eagles used two pitches to hold the Leopold Wildcats hitless through all five innings in a 10-0 victory on Tuesday, March 26, at Capaha Field in Cape Girardeau.

Carson Kern started the game for his first outing of the season and kept the Wildcats bats on ice with seven strikeouts in three innings. He missed the fall season after dealing with some arm issues and is slowly being brought up to a normal amount of innings as the season goes on.

“Him getting back on the mound and showing what he can do was good for us,” Oran head coach Joe Bickings said.

Nolan Looper came in to finish the final two innings for the Eagles and struck out four opposing batters in two perfect innings.

“Nolan’s probably pitched in three of our five games,” Bickings said. “He’s kind of our reliever and a kid that can come in, throw strikes, and be an inning eater.”

The Eagles jumped on the Wildcats early with three runs in each of the first two innings. Rylan Mills went 2-for-3 with a triple while both Looper, Brenden Campbell, and Gabe Dirnberger each drove in two runs for the Eagles.

A double by Campbell started a three-run fifth inning to close out the game via run rule, which ended on a sacrifice fly by Dirnberger.

Oran (3-2) has won five straight district championships and made the state championship game three times, winning twice. Bickings sees the Eagles as a team in a good position to make a run for their sixth straight district title.

“I feel like we got good pitching, we got good depth, we got good hitting, and we’re always out there ready to compete,” Bickings said. “It’s just the way the program started and the way it has been.”

Leopold (1-3) travels to Oak Ridge on April 2 before returning home for a three-game homestand leading up to the Oak Ridge Tournament on April 11-13.