Trojans split with Hoisington; lose to Halstead
Sports reporter
The Hillsboro High School baseball team lost three of four games this past week, with a split April 15 against Hoisington, and a sweep Friday at the hands of Halstead.
The Trojans are now 5-5 on the season, with half of their 20 games remaining on the schedule.
Hillsboro 4-13, Hoisington 12-3
It took a dozen runs to claim a victory April 15 in the Hillsboro vs. Hoisington high school baseball doubleheader.
The Trojans were dropped by the Cardinals 12-4 in game one, but HHS came back with a baker's dozen of their own to win game two, 13-3, and hand Hoisington its first loss of the season.
The Trojans (5-5) have won at least one game in four of five doubleheaders this season.
Dylan Delk picked up the victory on the mound for Hillsboro in the second game.
He pitched five innings, allowing six hits and three earned runs while striking out three.
"He wasn't as consistent [as before], but it had been two weeks since he pitched in a game," Trojan head coach Phil Oelke said. "But he was good enough to be able to give us five good innings."
Although Hillsboro got on the board in the first inning with two runs, it was a six-run second inning that put the game out of reach.
A leadoff walk to senior Mitchell Koop helped start the Trojan rally.
Devin Funk and Delk then drew walks to load the bases.
Koop would score the first run of the inning when Jacob Edwards grounded into a fielder's choice.
Catcher Aaron Bina then came through with an RBI-single to push the lead to 4-0.
After Daniel Jost walked, Tyler Ediger knocked in a run with a single, and Jacob Fish had an RBI-groundout.
Isaac Leihy finished off the damage with a two-run double to make the score 8-0.
The Trojans would score at least one run in every inning but the third, en route to the blowout-victory.
Jost led the team in hits and RBIs, going 2-5 with three runs knocked in.
Fish contributed three RBIs, and Ediger with 2-4 with a run scored.
Hillsboro made the most out of their offense, scoring the 13 runs on just eight hits.
"I thought we did a better job of hitting the ball," Oelke said. "We were hitting a lot of line drives that were finding holes."
But it also was the performance of Delk who picked up the victory despite not having his best stuff while battling a fierce wind.
"He's such a competitive kid," Oelke said. "He's fun to watch."
Game one of the doubleheader did not go as well for HHS, as a five-run second inning for the Cardinals gave them a four-run lead.
The Trojans scored a run in the first and another in the third, but still trailed 7-2.
An RBI-double from Leihy and groundout from Bina closed the gap to 7-4, but a five-run seventh sealed the deal for Hoisington.
Fish took the loss for Hillsboro after allowing seven runs, five earned, through five innings of work on the mound.
Seven Trojan errors led to seven unearned Cardinal runs.
"I think we came out flat," Oelke said. "I don't know why."
Hillsboro 6-6,
Halstead 9-14
A doubleheader sweep Friday by Halstead left the Trojans with a .500 record halfway through the season.
The Dragons piled up 23 runs en route to 14-6 and 9-6 victories.
The pitching that had been strong for Hillsboro in the past was not there Friday.
The Trojans used a total of six pitchers in the two games, with Edwards taking the loss in game one, and Leihy in game two.
The Trojans took a 2-0 lead into the top of the third in game one, but the Dragons piled on five runs to lead by three.
A two-run single in the bottom of the fourth cut the Halstead lead to 6-5, but Hillsboro would get no closer.
Two runs in the sixth, and another in the seventh iced the game for the Dragons.
Chris Couts had the final Trojan RBI, reaching on a fielder's choice, as HHS lost by three.
Leihy was 2-3 with a double and three runs scored, and Koop added the other RBI for Hillsboro.
Game two belonged to Hoisington from the start, as it scored in every inning.
HHS got on the board with a run in the third, but already trailed 6-0.
Fish, Jost, and Edwards each drove in a run in the 14-6 loss.
Jost was the only Trojan with more than one hit, recording a single and a double.
The Trojans did record nine walks during the game, but couldn't push enough runs across for the victory.
