Shull sparks Enid's run-rule victory over Ponca City
Apr. 11—ENID, Okla. — The baseball gods watched over Enid's Garrett Shull Saturday in the Plainsmen's 15-5 five-inning run rule victory over Ponca City at David Allen Memorial Ballpark.
Shull had hit three doubles and drove in six runs, including a towering pop fly that dropped between the Wildcat second baseman and center field that brought in three tallies in the bottom of the fourth.
"That was a crazy play," said Plainsmen coach Brad Gore. "They were playing so deep ... it went so high that none of them could get to it."
Shull, with the bases loaded, was thinking first pitch fast ball.
"He gave it to me and I swung as hard as I could," Shull said. "I just popped it up and I tried to run it out as hard as I could."
Shull had an RBI double in the first to score Kade Goeke and two RBI to highlight at seven-run third inning.
That helped the Plainsmen overcome an early 4-0 deficit.
"We stayed cool throughout the game and put it on them," Shull said. "Everyone was in the game, wanting to win."
Gore said the comeback showed Enid's growing maturity. The Plainsmen, 13-11, have won 10 of their last 11 after starting the season 3-10.
"If it happened a month ago, we would have panicked a little," Gore said. "We had some good at-bats. We settled down a bit defensively and let our offense do the work."
Maddux Mayberry had a double, triple and three RBI with a two-RBI double in the third and a sac fly for another RBI in the fourth. He opened the second with a triple and scored on a Goeke ground out.
"I was just seeing the ball well," Mayberry said. "There were always runners on when I was at bat. I just had to get them in. I hit the ball hard."
Aydan Voitik was two-for-three with an RBI and three runs scored. Seth Carlson, Mayberry, Shull and Goeke all scored twice.
Garrett Brooks was two-for-three with a double and an RBI. Carlson also had an RBI.
"We hit the ball well when we needed to," Gore said.
Plainsman starter James Humphrey didn't last the first. He allowed three hits, two walks and four runs. Ponca City scored twice after batters were hit by bases-loaded pitches; another came on a bases-loaded walk and a fourth on an RBI single by Gavin Cunningham.
Reliever Ashton Peterson threw a scoreless third but was removed in the third after giving up a double and a single.
Bennett Percival, who came in for Peterson, got out of a bases-loaded jam by getting Tabron Stanton to ground out with the bases loaded.
Percival threw a scoreless fourth when Ponca City left two runners on. Jacob Kennedy struck out two in retiring the Wildcats in order in the fifth to end the game.
"Bennett came in and did a good job and, of course, Jake did," Gore said. "We got off to a little bit of a rough start, but that's part of baseball. Sometimes you have to come back or overcome whatever it is. Ponca City brings their game against us and we bring our game to them, no matter what the records are. It's always fun."
The Plainsmen will return to District 6A-4 action with a 6 p.m. game against Sand Springs Monday at David Allen. Both teams are 4-6 in district. The Sandites are 10-13 overall. Ace Blake Priest will be on the mound for EHS.
The two teams play Tuesday at Sand Springs.
"All district games are important," Gore said. "There is still a lot of seeding to be done."
Campbell is a former sports writer and current part-time writer for the News & Eagle, enidnews@enidnews.com.
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