Eli Hayes breaks Vienna’s single-season stolen base record in seventh-place game at Versailles

By Will Johnson, Sports Editor
Posted 4/26/23

Salvage a win in the seventh-place game.

That is what Cory Nicholson’s Vienna Eagles were after Saturday against the School of the Osage Indians Saturday afternoon during the Turf War …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Eli Hayes breaks Vienna’s single-season stolen base record in seventh-place game at Versailles

Posted

Salvage a win in the seventh-place game.

That is what Cory Nicholson’s Vienna Eagles were after Saturday against the School of the Osage Indians Saturday afternoon during the Turf War Baseball Tournament hosted by California and Versailles.

Trailing 1-0 after two innings, Vienna scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning giving them a lead they would not relinquish before going on to a 7-4 victory at Versailles High School.

In the aforementioned bottom of the third inning, Tanner Nichols and walked and scored on an Eli Hayes RBI single tying the game at 1-1. Vienna took the lead on a Landon Kloeppel 2-RBI single that scored Duncan Wilkinson and Hayes.

Gavin Schwartze singled and scored on a Tanner Bock RBI single bumping Vienna’s lead to 4-1 after four innings.

After Osage cut Vienna’s lead to 4-2 in the top of the fifth, the Eagles were able to get that run back in the bottom half of the inning.

Kloeppel drew a one-out walk before Gabe Kleffner entered the game as a pinch runner.

Advancing to second on a Will Veasman single before stealing third, Kleffner scored on a throwing error giving Vienna a 5-2 lead after five innings.

Osage turned three hits and a walk into two runs trimming the Eagle lead to 5-4 entering the bottom of the sixth inning.

Sam Rowden led off with a walk before scoring on a Nichols RBI single.

Hayes capped the inning with a RBI single scoring Bock helping Vienna snap a three-game losing streak.

Hayes led the Eagles with two hits, two RBI, a run scored and three stolen bases.

Those stolen bases gave him 29 breaking the VHS single-season record of 28 previously held by Landre Ousley from back in 2013.

Kloeppel also drove in a pair of runs on a hit and a walk for the Eagles.

Wilkinson and Nichols also had a pair of hits for Vienna.

Kloeppel also earned the win pitching four innings in relief of Wilkinson.

He allowed just one run on four hits and a walk to go with three strikeouts.

Earlier on Saturday, Vienna could not overcome a nine-run second inning before falling to Warsaw’s Wildcats 13-3 in five innings.

Troy Wulff, Veasman and Nichols each scored a run for the Eagles against Warsaw.

Schwartze had the lone hit for Vienna breaking up the Wildcat bid for a no-hitter.

Opening round action Friday against North Callaway saw Vienna fall behind 6-0 after three innings before falling to the Thunderbirds 11-1 in five innings.

A Wilkinson one-out single in the bottom of the fifth inning broke up North Callaway’s bid for a perfect game and a no-hitter as the previous 13 batters had been retired.

Wilkinson stole second and third base before eventually scoring Vienna’s lone run to also break up the Thunderbird bid for a shutout.

Vienna will cap the April portion of their season hosting Laquey’s Hornets Friday night at 5 p.m., in Vienna City Park.