Roughriders pick up back-to-back victories

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. - Baseball, baseball, baseball.
That’s what was on the agenda for the Dickinson Roughriders American Legion baseball team on Thursday.
The Roughriders picked up a 10-0 win over Independence (Mo.) Post 21 and a 7-1 victory against DeSoto (Mo.) SMCI during the second day of the Fike Wood Bat Tournament.
However, the day of baseball didn’t end there.
After picking up back-to-back wins, Dickinson players were rewarded with a Major League Baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium.
In the opening game, Dickinson starter Cole Anderson and reliever Kendall Jones combined to throw five-inning, no-hitter against Independence. The no-hitter marked the team’s second of the season. Anderson, who pitched two innings, took the mound in the bottom of the first inning with a 6-0 lead.
Anderson drove in the first run of the game after he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Mark Erickson and Andrew Heckaman picked up back-to-back walks with the bases loaded to score the next two runs.
The Roughriders piled on four more runs in the third inning. Tanner Hopfauf ripped a three-run double to score Michael McChesney, Dylan Skabo and Lucas Jones.
During the second game, Anderson picked up his second win of the day after going seven innings and allowing one unearned run on two hits.
The Roughriders clung to a 1-0 lead until the fifth inning when Erickson hit a three-run double. Skabo ripped a RBI single to score Erickson. Alex Huschka drove in the final two runs on a single in the seventh inning.
DeSoto scored its only run of the game in the seventh inning.
Dickinson wraps up pool play in the Fike Wood Bat Tournament with St. Peters (Mo.) Post 313 at 1 p.m. today.