By Myra Bean and Brad Greer

North Delta baseball watched its postseason hopes go up in smoke as they fell to Kirk 10-8 in the second game of the district series Friday.

“Disheartening,” is how Green Wave head coach Duke McCrory described the game.

The weather had played havoc with the baseball schedule all week long. The first game was scheduled for last Tuesday then changed to Thursday. However, it was Friday before that game could be played as Kirk shutout North Delta 6-0 in the first game of the doubleheader.

The second game became that much more important for the Green Wave to win.

The Green Wave (10-13 overall, 3-6 district) had a 7-3 lead going into top of the seventh inning. With two outs and two runners on base, McCrory made the decision to replace starting pitcher Skylar Lawson with power pitcher Hunter Durham in relief. Lawson had 138 pitches when he was replaced and had started to struggle on the mound. Of the last 10 batters Lawson faced in two innings, he had walked two, hit one by pitch, allowed two hits, and two got on base by fielder’s choice.

With the bases loaded and two outs, and a score of 6-3, Green Wave Durham’s time on the mound did not pan out as expected. He went through seven batters, who scored or contributed to scoring seven runs before the eighth batter flied out to third baseman William Dean for the final out.

Durham took the loss for the Green Wave who could only score two runs in bottom of the seventh with the tying run on first.

A two-run double by Latham scored Pirtle and Guckert to cut the lead 10-8.

Kirk scored the first run in the first inning, but North Delta took a 2-1 lead in the third on runs by Lawson and Will Magee. Both scored on a bases-clearing double by Bailey Guckert.

North Delta scored four runs in bottom of the fifth after Kirk scored two runs in top of the inning.With two outs, the top four batters got on base and scored. Tyler Pirtle singled and scored on Guckert’s single. Luke Latham’s single drove Guckert home. Durham’s double sent Latham across the plate and Sy Pritchard’s single scored Durham for the 6-3 lead.

Saturday, Kirk ended the series with a sweep in a 4-3 win over the Green Wave.

The Green Wave will close its district series and the season this week with Indianola. Today North Delta travels to Indianola for junior varsity and varsity games at 4 and 6 p.m.

Thursday, the Green Wave will host the district doubleheader at 4 and 6 p.m.

NDJH

The North Delta Jr. High will be home Friday to host Clarksdale Lee at 4 and 5:30 p.m.

ND Tennis

The North Delta tennis team will host Kirk Academy at 3:30 p.m. today and will travel to Indianola on Thursday.