Rossville High graduate Christian Roduner was more than happy to take one for the team.
Stepping to the plate with the bases loaded, two outs and the score tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, Roduner was hit by a pitch in the middle of his back to bring in the winning run in the Topeka Golden Giants’ 2-1 victory over the Rossville Rattlers on Friday at Jerry Robertson Field.
“I just told myself I was going to get him in one way or another,” said Roduner, who was hit by the first pitch from Rossville pitcher Nick Cole. “If I was taking a pitch, that’s what I was going to do.”
Roduner also was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning, and his RBI single in the third drove in the Giants’ first run.
“That’s always my approach. If anything is going to hit me, I’m just going to let it no matter what,” he said.
Roduner, a third baseman from Rossville, has had a strong summer for the Giants after an impressive freshman season at Colby Community College. He was a walk-on with the Trojans and was a Jayhawk Conference West Division all-conference selection as a utility player.
“I just keep working,” he said. “Anything you put your mind to and put your time into, you can do it. Rossville is a big football school and people never really talk about baseball. I’m a 6-foot kid who runs a 4.7 40 from a 3A school so I wasn’t going to do a whole lot at the next level in football. Colby gave me a chance and I was lucky to have a good year.”
The Giants (16-8) remained in first place in the Mid-Plains League West Division, taking two-of-three games in the series with the Rattlers (6-17). All three were one-run games with the winning run scored in the ninth inning.
Along with his two RBIs, Roduner also had a hand in the Rattlers’ run. His fielding error in the sixth allowed Keishon Brown to each first, then Brown then stole second and scored on Dylan Watts’ single.
“I let the ball get behind my eyes and I tried to catch it out front,” Roduner said of the error. “I just misjudged it, but it happens to the best of us.
“I was ready to make up for it when I got to the plate.”
Cole retired the first two Giants in the ninth, then Carson Green and Casey Wulfkuhle singled and Brett Owen walked to bring up Roduner.
After the offenses and defenses dominated the first two games of the series, pitching took over Friday. Giants starter Zach Ebert allowed one unearned run on three hits with four strikeouts and one walk in seven innings, and Jaxon Passino retired all six batters he faced for the win.
“Zach had a great start,” Roduner said. “He’s been really good for us all year and one (run) is usually enough for him, but you always need some insurance.”
Rattlers starter Joe Fragano allowed one run on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks in five innings.
Rossville 000001000— 1 3 0
Topeka 001000001— 2 9 2
Topeka 001000001— 2 9 2
Fragano, McClung (7), Cole (8) and Maxson, Watts (7). Ebert, Passino (8) and Green. W — Passino. L — Cole. 2B — Rossville: Dees.
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