Lawson Oliphant continues to produce in the No. 9 spot of Breckenridge’s batting order, hitting .529 through his first seven contests | Photo by Carol Colby
The Breckenridge Cowboys continued their dominant stretch of baseball Thursday, sweeping Heart O’ Lakes Conference foe Pelican Rapids on the road by scores of 10-0 and 12-2. Breckenridge is off to a 7-0 start this spring and has outscored opponents 79-13.
Leadoff man Gavin Hoffert busted out of a slump in game one, going 2-for-2 with a pair of runs and one RBI. Gabe Armitage also tallied two hits, belting a pair of doubles and collecting two RBIs.
Breckenridge stole seven bases in the opener, led by two thefts from Jaxson Lopez, who leads the team with six steals.
Armitage made his season debut on the mound and dazzled through five innings. The righty surrendered four hits and no walks while striking out nine to earn the win. It was the third straight game where Breckenridge did not issue a walk. The Cowboys lowered their team ERA to 1.36 through 41 innings.
In the nightcap, Breckenridge ended things early for its third consecutive five-inning contest. Cooper Roberts and Charlie Kratcha doubled, while Roberts racked up four RBIs.
Lopez and Lawson Oliphant collected two singles each while combining to score four times. Kratcha swiped a pair of bags as the Cowboys recorded six steals.
Roberts worked around six hits and a walk to earn the win in his debut on the hill. The 6-foot-5 righty held the Vikings to a pair of earned runs across four innings while fanning three. Tucker Snyder worked around a hit while striking out the side in the fifth.
The Cowboys host West Central Area at 5 p.m. Tuesday. They follow up Thursday with a 4 p.m. doubleheader vs. Staples-Motley on B 92.7 FM and KBMW News Live YouTube. Robert Wanek Jr. and Brady DeVries have the call on the i3G Sports Network.
Pelican Rapids fell to 0-5 with the sweep.
