Wildcats fall twice to De Soto in walk-off

By Andy Brown
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Updated: May 9, 2016

Andy Brown / Louisburg Sports Zone

Louisburg senior Matt Risenhoover turns a double play during a game earlier this season. The Wildcats lost a pair of games to De Soto on Friday at 3&2 Baseball and Softball Complex in what was a makeup from earlier in the season.

LENEXA – It hurts enough to lose in walk-off fashion once, but for it to happen twice makes it all the more frustrating.

That happened to the Louisburg High School baseball team Friday against De Soto in a makeup doubleheader at 3&2 Baseball and Softball Complex. The Wildcats held the lead in the opener and were tied in the nightcap, but on both occasions De Soto won the game in the bottom of the seventh.

De Soto hit a 2-run home run in the opener to down Louisburg 6-5 and then used a sacrifice fly to break a tie game and defeat Louisburg again, 4-3.

The first meeting was back and forth as the two teams traded a pair of 2-run innings. Louisburg opened the first inning with a pair of runs, but De Soto scored two in the bottom of the second to tie the game.

Louisburg (7-10) answered in the fourth when senior Matt Risenhoover doubled to score pinch-runner Kylan Harper and Colton Smith. De Soto answered back with to tie the game again off starter Dalton Stone, who pitched five innings for the Wildcats.

The Wildcats took the lead right back in the top of the sixth as Grant Harding and Risenhoover singled to open the inning and Harding came around to score on an error.

Senior Cole Kramer came on in relief for Stone and pitched a scoreless sixth, but ran into trouble in the seventh. De Soto led off with a double and followed with a home run to steal the win from the Wildcats.

Risenhoover led the Louisburg offense with a pair of hits and two RBIs, while Austin Henderson had an RBI. Alex Dunn also added a double.

In the second game, the Wildcats took an early lead on De Soto again with a run in the first and third innings. De Soto grabbed the lead back with a 3-run third inning, before the Wildcats tied it with a run in the fourth when Dunn walked with bases loaded to score Kramer.

Harding started the game for the Wildcats and pitched nearly four innings and gave up three earned runs and had three strikeouts. Risenhoover came in and pitched two scoreless innings before De Soto opened with a pair of singles in the seventh and eventually came around to win the game on a sacrifice fly.

Smith and Risenhoover led the Louisburg offense as each had a pair of hits, including a double. Smith and Dunn also had RBI hits for the Wildcats.

Louisburg was scheduled to return to action tonight, but weather postponed its home senior night doubleheader against Spring Hill. The games have now been moved to Thursday. First pitch is set for 4:30 p.m.