Tabor Tops Avila in High-Octane Series

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Avila baseball team erupted for 32 runs over three games, by far the most they've scored in a weekend series this season, but the Tabor offense was just a little more powerful and a little more clinical – after the Eagles slugged their way to a game one win, the Bluejays rebounded to win the final two, securing a series win that was critical for both sides.

Tabor brought the swirling winds and big bats that usually electrify their home games in Hillsboro with them to Kansas City this weekend, leading to tons of home runs and gaudy offensive numbers for both teams. The Eagle offense was excellent front top to bottom, and Avila rebounded from deficits to tie or take the lead on more than one occasion on the weekend, but the conditions made life very difficult for the Eagle pitching staff, and the Bluejays were able to capitalize more than the Eagles were, and that's what helped the visitors win the series two games to one.

Saturday's series opener set the tone for how wild the weekend would become. Tabor scored the first run of the series but then the Avila offense erupted: the Eagles scored two in the first, six in the second, and four in the third to take a commanding 12-1 lead. That run was highlighted by a blast of a three-run home run in the second by Kurt Trotter, and a clutch grand slam in the third from Bryce Culp – his first homer as an Eagle – that capped the scoring.

The Eagles were sitting pretty after chasing two of Tabor's better pitchers over three innings. But it didn't take long for the potent Bluejay offense to make an appearance. Two solo homers in the fourth started the run, and Tabor ultimately clawed all the way back to within 13-11 after a two-run single from Micah Dvorak in the seventh.

The Bluejays had seriously threatened after the Eagles' mammoth start. Avila needed a response, and Jack Virden provided it, punching a two-run, opposite field homer in the seventh to left to stem the tide. Ricky Dober singled in Tanner Yeisley later in the inning to add some insurance, and the only run Tabor scored off Gaven Mooney came off a solo shot in the ninth – Mooney otherwise was rock solid over the final 2.1 innings, locking down his fifth save of the season and preserving a wild 16-12 win for the Eagles.

Virden drove in four runs for the Eagles; Culp drove in five and scored four more in a career day; and Trotter had one of the best individual games in recent team history, going 5-for-6 with two doubles and a homer, driving in five runs. He very nearly went 6-for-6, but his sinking liner in his final at-bat was snared on the run by shortstop Trotter Boston, denying him a perfect day. Jarret Dotson nearly tossed a quality start but still picked up his fifth win of the season.

And that was just the start of the offensive onslaught from both teams. In Saturday's second game Tabor once again scored the first run but the Eagles countered with five in the bottom of the first, anchored by a two-run double from an in-form Trotter. Tabor got one back in the top of the second but Avila punched right back, courtesy of a two-run double from Virden, making it 7-2.

The Eagles had stuck it to Tabor starter Cutter Smith, scoring seven earned runs off him in two innings to build the lead. But Smith really locked it down after that, and recovered to pitch very well over his final four innings, keeping the Eagles off the board after that second inning.

Avila's pitchers had no such luck. Inhibited by a handful of errors from the Avila defense, Tabor scored in the first six innings of the 7-inning affair and really turned the tide in the fifth inning, breaking a 7-7 tie with a five-spot, capped by a two-run homer from Bradyn Whitchurch. Zach Zwicky kept the Bluejays off the board in the seventh but the Avila offense could not get going after the strong start, leading Tabor to a 13-7 win. Travis Curry led the Eagle offense with a trio of hits.

The winds had literally changed by the time Sunday's series finale began, but that didn't change the offensive output for either team. The Bluejays literally came out swinging in the finale, hitting a trio of solo homers in the top of the first inning to take an early lead. Unfazed, the Eagles answered with three of their own in the bottom half, anchored by a ground-rule double from Paxton Andrade.

The arms race was on. Tabor hit two more home runs and scored the next five runs to go back up 8-3 in the third, but the Eagles once again answered with three runs in the third, capped by a ground-rule double from Landon Vahle. Tabor scored two more in the fourth but Avila punched back yet again with two in the bottom half courtesy of RBI hits from Isaiah Alvarez and Reyes Willis.

But ultimately, Tabor was able to tally just a few more clutch hits. Miguel Ramos, who was left out of the starting lineup for the first time all season in Saturday's second game, returned with a vengeance on Sunday with the two biggest hits of the game: a three-run double in the seventh and a two-run double in the eighth. Willis hit his first home run of the season to prolong the game in the seventh, but that second hit from Ramos provided the difference needed to end the game early. Tabor scored in every inning and won the game 20-9 in eight innings to win the series. Virden and Willis both notched three hits in the game for the Eagles, and Trotter capped off a monster weekend with two more hits and two more runs scored.

Avila baseball is off in this midweek slate, and the Eagles will return to action this Friday and Saturday when Avila welcomes Sterling to Kansas City for an Easter weekend KCAC series. First pitch in Friday's singleheader is set for 2 PM, and Saturday's doubleheader will begin at noon. As always, you can watch all the action live and for free on the Avila Sports Network.

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