Trojans capture 2 of 3 to begin season

staff
Posted 3/22/18

The Mendota Trojans looked in mid-season form as they cruised to a 6-1 win over St. Bede in the varsity baseball season-opener on March 15 at the Academy in Peru.

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Trojans capture 2 of 3 to begin season

Posted

The Mendota Trojans looked in mid-season form as they cruised to a 6-1 win over St. Bede in the varsity baseball season-opener on March 15 at the Academy in Peru.

The Trojans got off the bus and immediately put four runs on the board in the top of the first inning. They added single tallies in the second and fourth frames to grab a 6-0 lead.

St. Bede scored an unearned run in the fifth.

Sam Becker got the start on the mound for Mendota and went 4 1/3 innings to earn the win. He allowed just one hit, struck out six and walked four. Ben Bokus fanned five of the seven batters he faced, while Joel Escatel got the final out.

The Trojans laced 10 hits off of three Bruin pitchers. Bokus and Bryson Prusator each had two singles, a double and two RBI to lead the attack. Becker collected a single and a double, while Austin Robinson doubled and drove in a pair.

***

Mendota’s bats came alive in the late innings and it defeated Amboy, 13-3, in a game halted by the 10-run rule in the sixth inning on March 16 at Faber Field in Mendota.

Amboy scored three unearned runs in the top of the first inning and the Trojans got one back in the bottom of the inning. The score remained 3-1 until the bottom of the fourth when Mendota erupted for five runs to take the lead. The Trojans added four more in the fifth and three in the sixth to end the game early.

Mendota collected eight hits, led by Becker and John Buchanan with two singles apiece. Bokus added a double and drove in four runs. Also, Prusator had three RBI and Joel Escatel drove in a pair.

Buchanan pitched the first five innings and got the victory. He gave up four hits and struck out three. Prusator fanned two of three batters to finish up.

***

Mendota had more hits, but Rock Falls outdid the Trojans in the run department, 3-0, in the Big Northern Conference season-opener on March 19 at Rock Falls.

The Trojans collected six hits in the contest compared to just two for the Rockets, but the home team benefited from four Mendota errors. Rock Falls tallied a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and one in the fourth.

Bokus pitched five innings and took the loss. He allowed one earned run, walked three and struck out 10.

Kiandre Morris singled and doubled for the Trojans (2-1, 0-1).