Through blustery conditions, the Hornets varsity baseball team got their second win in a row and second win of the week against Fort Osage 1-0 at Creekside Ballpark in Parkville. Wesley Mcfarland battled Fort O's Nate Oakes in a true pitchers duel through six innings. Andrew Krueger came in to shut the door in the seventh. McFarland battled his control early, but caught fire retiring nine of his last ten batters including his last eight straight. He had five strikeouts and allowed only two hits through the 30 mile per hour gusts in Parkville.

Hornet defense was their best friend and worst enemy as they committed five errors, but also made a spectacular double play in the third to erase a leadoff single by the Indians and also flashed the leather in the seventh thanks to a diving effort by McFarland (he's EVERYWHERE!) to get Krueger's first batter retired.
 

The first inning proved to be the decision maker for the Hornets after a leadoff single by McFarland led to a double-steal attempt by Bobby Grado who reached on a walk. Grado was out at second, but it allowed enough time for McFarland to streak home from third. It would be the only run of the game, but that's all that NKC's pitchers would need. At the plate, Northtown was held to three hits, the McFarland single and then singles by Eli Lewis and Kevin Pelico.

Krueger worked out of a jam in the seventh after a one out error let to a runner at third, but a great grab by Josh Mathew in the wind secured the final out of the game. Krueger is also expected to start Friday at rival Oak Park in one of the bigger games the Hornets will see this year. North Kansas City evens their record at 5-5 heading into Friday's showdown. Fort Osage drops to 1-8 on the year, but it was truly a tough luck outing by Oakes who had seven K's on the afternoon in his complete game performance. The Hornets will take on Fort O again next week on Wednesday, April 13 as part of the Northland Tournament.