DU QUOIN BASEBALL: Diamond Tribe Defeats Redbirds

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Solid starting pitching-along with some great relief work-helped secure Du Quoin High School's fourth baseball win in five starts of the spring Wednesday.

The Indians held back host West Frankfort 5-2 at Bill McKee Field, scoring three times in the opening inning.

Du Quoin is slated to visit Class 3A Mt. Vernon Friday afternoon before hosting its 6th Annual Pepsi/Mid-America Classic Saturday.

Frankfort's record is 3-2.

"We started off hitting the ball early in the game but our bats cooled off," Indians coach Tim Craft said. "We had too many pop outs where no one had to make a play."

The Tribe managed to capitalize on four Redbird miscues, taking full advantage of its six hits.

In the three-run first, Cale Bastien singled and came around after two Frankfort errors for a 1-0 lead. The second crossed home on a single by Seth Flint.

Later in the frame, Ethan Beasley would score after a wild pitch.

The final two Du Quoin tallies came on wild pitches in the second and fourth innings.

Bastien (1-0) worked five innings and gave just two hits. He struck out five and walked four. Garrett Hopkins recorded the first out of the sixth before sophomore Trent Bigham settled in to earn his second save.

Bigham fanned two and gave only one hit.

"Cale did a good job on the mound," Craft said. "He struggled a little bit in the first inning but settled down and gave us five solid. Bigham came in to put out the fire in the sixth and finished the seventh strong. We made some good plays in the field, but also made some mistakes."

Davis, Bastien, Cushman, Beasley, Flint and Hopkins connected for the Du Quoin hits.

Du Quoin 5, W. Frankfort 2

DHS 310 100 0-5 6 3

WF 100 001 0-2 5 4

Bastien, Hopkins (6), Bigham (7) and Jones. WP-Bastien, 1-0. SV-Bigham, 2. TOP HITTERS-Du Quoin: Davis 1-4, Bastien 1-3, Cushman 1-3 (RBI), Beasley 1-4, Flint 1-4, Hopkins 1-3. JUNIOR VARSITY -game ppd., wet field.