While it has been a tough season for the Salina Stockade, they have played quite well against the Cleburne Railroaders, and that continued Friday night as they downed the home team 6-2. Josh Hodges won his third game of the season with seven outstanding innings and the Stockade jumped out to a 6-0 lead before Cleburne was able to get on the board.

After a scoreless first inning, the Salina Stockade took the lead in the second. Kewby Meyer started the inning with a double and scored when Logan Trowbridge singled two batters later.

Leading by one, the Stockade extended their lead to three in the third. Jordan Chudacoff retired the first two batters of the inning, but Jonathan Moroney and Cody Coffman delivered back-to-back home runs to make it 3-0. For Moroney, it was his first home run of the season, while Coffman recorded his ninth.

In the fifth, Salina took a commanding lead. Roche Woodard walked with one down before Jordan Caillouet was hit by a pitch. Moroney then drew a walk and that would be it for Chudacoff.

Bryce Beeler came on to pitch, and it looked like he would quell the rally when he got Coffman to ground out for the second out of the inning. That scored Woodard, but there were two down. Next up was Meyer, who ripped a single into right that scored both Caillouet and Moroney and the lead was six.

Josh Hodges was in complete command of this game from the start. He did not allow his first hit until the fourth inning, and allowed just three-hits through the first six frames. However, in the seventh, the Cleburne Railroaders would finally get on the board. Axel Johnson, who was the hero Thursday night, led off the inning with a base hit and moved to second following a base hit by Mitch Glasser. KC Huth followed with a base hit that loaded the bases and there were still none out. Hodges remained cool, getting a line out and then retiring Alex Polston on a sacrifice fly that scored Johnson. He then hit Maikol Gonzalez to lead the bases, but got Nick Van Stratten to fly out to end the threat.

Josh Hodges (3-3) night was over after 7. He allowed 6-hits, 3-walks and a run. It was the right-handers second win in a row.

Connor Bach came on in the eighth and the Railroaders added another run. Valentin walked to start the inning and moved to second on a ground out. A wild pitch moved Valentin to third and he scored on a passed ball to make it 6-2. That would be as close as Cleburne would get.

Kewby Meyer was 2-4 with a run and 2-RBI to lead Salina. Jonathan Moroney was 2-4 with 2-runs scored and an RBI. M C Abeita was 2-4 to lead Cleburne.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier