Nickerson sweeps Trojans
By RYAN RICHTER
Sports writer
Dropping a pair of games to teams like Wichita Collegiate and Nickerson isn't necessarily a step backward for the Trojans.
The Spartans always have been a match for Hillsboro and Rich Krol's Panthers have turned into one of Class 4A's premier programs.
The good news for the Trojans is that their road should get much easier, but the bad news is Hillsboro is on a four-game slide.
Nickerson just had too much experience and firepower for the hosting Trojans (1-5), who couldn't muster enough offense Thursday to take down the Panthers.
Hillsboro tumbled again for the fourth time in two days with the Panthers sweeping the Trojans, 12-9 and 11-1.
"These are two of the better squads we could see all year long," McEwen said of the Panthers and Spartans. "Both of them are so well coached and they're usually fundamentally sound.
"They're able to take advantage of mistakes you make and we gave them plenty of those."
The Trojans proved a week ago they're capable of rallying back from huge deficits in the finale against Marion.
But the Warriors' pitching rotation isn't quite the caliber of either Collegiate or Nickerson.
That was more evident in Thursday's nightcap with Panther starter Brandon Myers firing a three-hitter.
While the Panthers might be vulnerable, pitchers Jarrod Bauerle and Myers gave the Trojans little to work with.
Despite being just three games into the season, it's been one big inning that has killed Hillsboro.
It was the first inning of the opener Thursday that put the Trojans into a deep hole with Nickerson taking a 6-0 lead off starter Mike Bookless.
The Panthers put two more up in the top of the second before Brandon Moss broke up the shutout, scoring Justin Moore on an unearned run.
Hillsboro rallied in the bottom of the third, but it came after the Panthers added four more in the top half.
Both teams' scoring ended after four with the Panthers in control of the 12-9 final.
Bookless was credited with the defeat, going five innings before being relieved by Moss.
Moss continued on the mound in the nightcap, going one and a third before running out of gas and into another bind.
Two of Moss' four hits put the Panthers on top 2-0, surrendering an RBI single and double.
Nickerson swiped one more run in the second to go 3-0 with a sacrifice.
An error at third allowed Moore to score for the Trojans' entirety.
Reliever R.J. Toal allowed no more than two runs to score, spotting Nickerson two in the fourth, but the Panthers put another run on the board every inning.
"Game two just had a pretty good pitcher up on the hill for this level," said McEwen of Myers. "Collegiate has some pretty good throwers and this kid (Myers) was right up there with them, he could bring the heat and had a pretty second pitch.
"We've got to learn to buy into the things we're trying to teach in practice so we can hit better pitchers."
The Spartans too, swept Hillsboro April 6 in Wichita, blanking the Trojans in the opener, 15-0, and ending the day with a 13-3 win.
The Trojans travel Friday to Halstead for a 4:30 p.m. meeting with the first-year Dragon squad.
