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Lion Lucas McClure runs to home plate during a recent game with McAlester. Matt Swearengin | Durant Democrat
Even though they didn’t have any district games last week it was still an extremely busy Spring Break for the Durant Lion baseball team in winning two of five contests.
Most of the action occurred in the Southeast Shootout festival event in McCurtain County where Coach J.W. Parsons’ squad posted a 2-2 record.
They then dropped a 14-6 verdict to Plainview back home on Saturday that dropped their record to 4-9 heading into back into league play this week before a Friday home showdown with Madill.
Durant began the week with an 8-2 extra- inning loss to perennial power Lone Grove that actually saw the Lions lead most of the game.
The Lions claimed a 2-0 first inning edge thanks to a pair of walks and RBI singles from Kegan Neill and Holdan Robinson.
Lone Grove then tallied one run in the second but was held in check by Durant starting hurler Cole Robbins until an unearned score in the sixth that cashed in a Lion miscue.
Robbins was stellar through eight innings, yielding the one earned run on just two hits and struck out 10 but had to leave the contest due to pitch limitations.
The Longhorns then capitalized, scoring six times in the top of the ninth which proved to be decisive. Robbins and Neill each had two of Durant’s five hits offensively.
Durant once again went extra innings in the nightcap before pulling out a 2-1 victory in the eighth.
They scored the initial run of the game in the fourth, taking advantage of a Purcell miscue but the Dragons pushed across the tying tally in the seventh.
Batting in the bottom of the eighth, Robbins worked a leadoff and eventually stole second and third before racing home with the game winner when Purcell misplayed a ground ball off the bat of Jared Avalos.
Colton Poore fired six stellar frames on the mound, yielding one run on six hits but didn’t figure in the pitching decision. Robinson earned the win by tossing two scoreless, no-hit frames that included three strikeouts.
Runs were at a premium again against Sulphur as the Lions fell in another 3-2 nailbiter.
Durant plated a single run in the third frame on an Eli McClure two-out RBI hit and another in the fifth when McClure and Neill belted back-to-back doubles.
Sulphur however plated the tying run in the bottom of the third and winning tally in the bottom of the seventh as Reid Thompson was the tough luck hurler for the Lions, going the distance while allowing just two earned runs on seven hits. He also fanned three.
McClure finished the game with three hits as Avalos contributed a pair.
The Lions bounced back with a 3-2 triumph against host Idabel with Neill and Max Airington combining for the pitching win.
Neill tossed the first four stanzas, yielding one unearned run on two hits and struck out six. Airington added three frames of relief while allowing one run on three hits and fanned three.
Durant scored a run in the second inning to surge in front as Neill doubled and courtesy runner Axel Thurman came around after a ground out and wild pitch.
They picked up two in the fifth stanza to break a 1-1 deadlock when Diviney was hit by a pitch with two outs and Robbins, Lucas Mc-Clure and Eli McClure all followed with singles.
In the finale, the Lions fell behind 9-0 against Plainview and weren’t able to overcome four errors.
Durant plated its first run in the fourth frame and scored five in the sixth to avoid the run rule, making the most of five hits.
Stephen Manhard had two hits as Ryder Jones, Avalos and Poore chipped in one apiece.