Western Boone Jr. - Sr. High School

The Stars JV squad secured a big win Thursday night, completing the Varsity/JV conference sweep of North Putnam. Despite trailing by as many as four runs in the fourth inning, Western Boone stayed confident at the plate and rallied for a 10–6 victory over the Cougars. Sam Rausch led the charge offensively, going 3-for-4, while also making several key plays in center field as he battled the wind all night. North Putnam struck first, getting on the board in the opening inning and extending their lead to 3–0 in the second, then 4-0 going into the top of the 4th. After three quiet innings, Western Boone came alive in that fourth inning, tying the game at 4–4 behind a Caleb Keyes RBI single, a Masyn Hoskins RBI groundout, and a Destin Caraballo double. The Cougars briefly regained the lead, 5–4, with a 2 out, bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the fourth, but the Stars answered right back. In the fifth, Liam Whiteley tripled to center and Rausch followed with an RBI single to put Western Boone back in front. The Stars added another run in the sixth and broke things open in the seventh. Back-to-back triples from Keyes and Rausch, along with an aggressive play by Caraballo that nearly resulted in a third triple, helped bring in three crucial insurance runs. Whiteley earned the win with a complete-game performance, allowing six runs (two earned) on four hits while striking out seven and walking six. His confidence as well as pitch mix and location kept hitters off balance throughout the game. Western Boone finished with 10 hits and 10 runs. Caraballo drove in three runs from the seventh spot in the lineup, going 2-for-4. Whiteley and Keyes each added multiple hits, while the defense turned two key double plays, including an unassisted effort by Keyes. Braedyn Mathews and Landon Smith also contributed by drawing 3 walks, Mathews scoring on one of them. Whiteley was named Player of the Game, delivering on the mound and at the plate, where he went 2-for-4 with an RBI. The Stars JV return home Saturday to face former Sagamore Conference foe Tri-West.