By TYLER HENRY
Lead Sportswriter - Salina Post
The Abilene baseball team began their season with a bang on Friday night, sweeping a 5A foe in Salina South by final scores of 5-1 and 15-3.
With this result, the Cowboys open the campaign at 2-0 while the Cougars fall to 2-2.
Abilene struck first in both games, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first of game one thanks to an RBI triple from Zach Miller and a passed ball that allowed him to score.
From there, the first game turned into a pitcher's duel between Kyson Becker and Kaden Budke, with neither arm giving an inch.
Abilene could muster just one additional run in the fourth, sixth, and seventh, but it proved to be enough as the Cowboy pitching staff allowed just one total run for the whole game, holding on to win 5-1.
Kyson Becker and Stocton Timbrook combined to toss the full seven-inning effort, allowing just one run on five hits and recording seven strikeouts.
On the other side, Kaden Budke pitched well despite being tabbed with the loss, letting up just three runs on four hits and striking out six.
Game two began the same way, with Abilene driving in their first run on another Zach Miller RBI triple, and taking a 2-0 lead courtesy of a Heath Hoekman sac fly.
The Cougars cut that lead down by one on a Brady Howard single, but from there, a hit parade broke out for the Cowboys, who would add one more in the second, four in the third, two in the fourth, two in the fifth, and four more in the sixth to secure a 15-3 victory.
Abilene ran wild on the basepaths, stealing ten bases in the second game alone, and 14 combined between the two games.
On the bump, Thomas Keener picked up the game two win, tossing 3.2 innings, and giving up just three runs on four hits before turning things over to Jake Bartley, who slammed the door shut retiring seven straight and racking up four strikeouts.
Between the two games, it was a monster day for Zach Miller, who went 6/9 with five runs scored, three driven in, two triples, a double, and four stolen bases.
The Cowboys will continue their campaign next Tuesday at Riley County while the Cougars travel to Ark City next Friday.