ADEL — Christian Osbourne and Jonathan Stone combined for 13 strikeouts while allowing five hits in Pierce County’s Region 3-AA series-clinching 9-3 victory here Thursday at Cook.
The second-ranked Bears’ (20-3 overall, 11-0 region) victory April 2 followed a 16-6 win over the Hornets (12-9, 2-6) in the Tuesday, March 31 series opener, stretching the PCHS winning streak to 13 games.
The 20-win season is the second straight for PCHS and fifth in 10 years under head coach Andrew Evans. The Bears have reached the 20-win plateau 14 times since 2005.
Pierce County took control of the middle game in the series with a three-run first. The Bears added a four-run third and finished off the scoring with a two-run fifth.
Cook scored single runs in the second, third and fourth—all unearned against Osbourne (4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 6 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP). Stone worked three scoreless innings of one-hit ball with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Chance Williams set up the Bears’ first inning uprising with a leadoff walk and theft of second. Beck Hodges (2-for-3) legged out his sacrifice bunt, putting runners at the corners. The pair executed a delayed double steal with Hodges swiping second and Williams scoring for a 1-0 lead.
Stone (1-for-3) reached on a one-out error with Hodges advancing to third. Dylan Johnson (3-for-4) followed with a double to left-center scoring Hodges and James Alonso, courtesy running for Stone, for the 3-0 lead.
The Hornets cut the deficit to 3-1 in the bottom of the second, scoring on a two-out, two-base error (one of five miscues) on a flyball.
PCHS chased home four runs in the third inning, extending the margin to 7-1. Hodges drew a leadoff walk and advanced around to third on a one-out passed ball. A walk to Stone was followed by a Johnson run-scoring fielder’s choice for the first run.
Brantley Willis (1-for-4) lined a two-run double into the left-centerfield gap scoring Alonso (running for Stone) and Johnson upping the margin to 6-1. Osbourne (1-for-3) followed three pitches later with a run-scoring single plating Willis for the six-run advantage.
Cook responded with single runs in the third and fourth, whittling the deficit to 7-3. A leadoff triple and a one-out error allowed the third inning run.
The Hornets scored on a two-out passed ball in the fourth. A single and a one-out walk, followed by a groundout advancing the runners, set up the score.
The Bears closed out the scoring in the fifth. Stone ripped a one-out, first-pitch double with courtesy runner Alonso scoring on Johnson’s ensuing triple into the leftfield corner off an 0-2 pitch. Johnson would score on 2-0 passed ball for a 9-3 advantage.
