Knights top Stanton for Corner tourney title

Braden Turpin struck out 11 in six innings and Kyler Owen closed it out in a wild seventh inning for Fremont-Mills in a 5-4 victory over Stanton in the Corner Conference Baseball Tournament Championship Friday in Tabor.

The Knights’ win was their second over the Vikings in 10 days and third of the season – never a small feat to accomplish over a conference rival, said Fremont-Mills coach Greg Owen.

“We knew we’d have to bring our A-game,” he said. “It’s hard to beat a team twice, let alone three times. We knew we’d have to bring our pitching and hitting and play good fundamental baseball.”

 Turpin was a big part of that plan. The senior threw 108 pitches and scattered four hits and three earned runs to earn the win. He also added a hit and drove in a run.

“He threw spectacular,” Owen said. “He was not as efficient as he can be, however I will definitely credit Stanton’s batters, their top five can battle. He has several 8-10 pitch at-bats with Stanton.”

The Knights also played error-free baseball.

But despite being in control much of the game, Stanton wouldn’t go away.

The Knights led 5-3 heading into the seventh but with Turpin at his pitch limit, Owen went to his bullpen. Kyler Owen came on to pitch the seventh.

“We felt in control heading into the seventh and we brought Kyler on,” said Coach Owen. “Kyler’s not a relief pitcher, he’s a starter. So it took a couple at-bats for him to find his groove but by the time he did, the bases were loaded.”

The Vikings did push one run across to make it 5-4 but Owen settled, induced a strikeout and a pop out to end the threat and the game.

“He’s been in that situation before so he was able to pitch his way through it,” Coach Owen said. “It was a little nerve wracking but we got it done.”

Kyler Owen earned the save in the win.

The conference tournament title is Fremont-Mills’ first since 2018. The Knights sewed up its second straight regular season conference title earlier in the week

Luke Madison doubled and drove in a run and Kyler Owen, Brady Owen, Owen Thornton and J.T. Mahaney added a hit each.

Stanton’s Josh Martin had a single, a triple scored to runs while Dylan Reynolds drove in two runs.

Gavin Ford took the complete-game loss on the hill. The sophomore allowed four hits, two earned runs and struck out five.

Fremont-Mills 12,
Sidney 2

Kyler Owen, Owen Thornton and Mason Reed had two hits each to help Fremont-Mills to a 12-2 win over Sidney in the Corner Conference Baseball Tournament semifinals Thursday in Tabor.

Reed drove in two of the Knights’ runs and Thornton added an RBI.

Landon Baker pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs while fanning six in the win.

Gabe Johnson and Nik Peters each singled for the Cowboys.

Stanton 8,
East Mills 5

Nolan Grebin pitched five strong innings and Dylan Reynolds smacked a key two-run home run for Stanton in an 8-5 victory over East Mills in the Corner Conference Baseball Tournament semifinals Thursday.

Josh Martin and Brody Holmes added two hits each for the Vikings.

Mason Crouse, Zach Thornburg and Fletcher Proctor each had a hit for East Mills (9-8 overall, 5-4 in the conference).

Ryan Sayers was credited with the loss on the mound after throwing two innings and allowing eight hits and seven earned runs.

East Mills 17,
Essex 1

East Mills exploded for 11 runs in the second inning en route to a 17-1 win over Essex in the opening round of the Corner Conference Baseball Tournament Thursday in Stanton.

Mason Crouse led a nine-hit Wolverine attack with a 3-for-4, three RBI night. Zach Thornburg had two hits and an RBI and Fletcher Proctor singled and drove in two.

Sylas Allen earned the win on the hill after scattering four hits and fanning eight in four innings.

Stanton 7,
East Mills 4

East Mills’ attempted seventh inning rally came up short in a 7-4 loss to Stanton in Corner Conference baseball last Monday.

The Wolverines trailed 7-0 heading into the final inning before plating seven runs but that’s where the rally would end.

Kyler Williams, Lincoln Palmer, Peyton Embree, Sylas Allen and Fletcher Proctor had one hit each to lead East Mills. Allen drove in two runs and Crouse had one RBI.

Nolan Grebin allowed one hit and struck out five on the mound and had two hits and three RBIs in the win.

Jack Gordon took the loss for the Wolverines after surrendering one hit and walking three in 2 2/3 innings.

Fremont-Mills 6,
Lenox 5

Fremont-Mills plated four runs in the top of the seventh inning to rally for a 6-5 win over Lenox in non-conference baseball last Wednesday.

The Knights finished with just three hits but took advantage of eight walks, four hit-by-pitches and three Tiger fielding miscues.

Owen Thornton, Ike Lemons and Mason Reed each singled for the Knights.

Tyler Johnson was credited with the win on the mound after scattering five hits and no earned runs in four innings of work.

Fremont-Mills 14,
Griswold 1

Kyler Owen and Brady Owen had two hits each and Fremont-Mills clinched at least a share of the Corner Conference regular season title with a 14-1 victory over Griswold in Corner Conference baseball last Tuesday.

The win improved the Knights to 11-5 overall, including an 8-0 record in the conference.

In the win, Kyler Owen doubled and tripled and drove in a run and Brady Owen singled and doubled and drove in three runs.

Knight hurlers Luke Madison and Tyler Johnson combined to allow two hits and strike out eight.

Mason Reed pitched in a hit and two RBI behind Tyler Johnson (2 IP, 4 K) and Luke Madison (3 IP, 4 K).

Brayden Lockwood pitched 4 2/3 innings and allowed four hits and seven earned runs to take the loss.