Tropics off to nice start with strong offense, but also really, really good pitching

BENTON – With a 50-7 run differential so far, this young summer baseball season, the offensive production for the Southeast Tropics hasn’t been an issue on most nights. However, the alternative to that statistic is that the team’s pitching has been phenomenal, as well.

The Tropics split a doubleheader with the Cardinal Legacy Perfectos on Tuesday at Kelly High School, and strong pitching was the consistent theme of both games.

“We all just have so much experience,” Tropics pitcher Dalton Forck said following his team’s 5-0 win in the opening game. “We have one of the best pitching staffs that I have ever seen.”

Even in the second game, a 2-1 Perfectos win, the pitching of the Tropics was very strong.

In the second game, Tropics starter Carson McDaniel worked three innings and allowed just two hits and one earned run while walking two and striking out five.

“We’ve got some horses,” veteran Tropics manager Dustin Schwartz said. “If you look at our big five, we’re kind of playing with a loaded deck of aces.”

In the second game, former Portageville High School star, Mason Adams, who was roughed up in his first pitching appearance of the summer by the Aycorp Charleston Fighting Squirrels recently, bounced back with a great performance against the Perfectos.

Adams threw four innings of relief and gave up one hit, no runs, one walk, and struck out five.

The problem for the Tropics was that they were limited to just three hits in the loss, which included a triple by Adams.

In the opening victory, Forck started the game and threw three innings. He allowed four hits, no runs, one walk, and he struck out three.

“All of these guys are committed (to college programs) or are going to be committed,” Forck said of his team’s rotation, “and when you trust your defense as much as I do, and the other dudes do, there really isn’t much more you can ask for.”

Former Oran High School standout Kolten Payne pitched four innings of relief in the win and didn’t allow a hit or a run while walking a couple of Perfecto hitters and striking out seven.

“We’ve got some great arms,” Schwartz continued. “This is an excellent staff.”

The Tropics (6-2) methodically pulled away from the Perfectos by scoring a pair of runs in their first at-bat, and then adding a run in each of the third, fourth, and fifth innings.

Aaron Dunlap had a hit, a walk, and scored twice in the win while Ross Peters (one run, one RBI, one walk), Adams (one hit, one run, one RBI), Forck (one hit, one RBI, one walk), Conner Johnson (one hit, one run), Jay Bogan (one hit, one walk), and Reece Eftink (one walk) also contributed offensively.

Adams had a home run in the opening game while Dunlap stole three bases, as did Johnson, Forck, Bogan, Peters, and Trey Miller.

The most exciting play of the game may have been a defensive one by Dunlap at center field, who leaped into the air and snagged a fly ball that was heading over the fence for a Perfectos home run.

In the second game, Adams had the triple and scored his team’s lone run while his Portageville High teammate, Beau-Hunter Warren, had two hits and a walk.

Owen Roberts and Peters added walks while Peters stole two bases, and Warren and Adams also had a stolen base.

The Tropics will compete in the Aycorp Media Classic Friday through Sunday with an opening game on Friday at 2:15 p.m. against the LA Rattlers at Kelly High School.

The Tropics will play the Missouri Bulls 18-U squad on Saturday at 12:15 p.m. at Kelly High School.