MENDOTA – Two of the top teams in the Big Northern Conference hooked up for a double-header and Mendota and Rockford Christian split those two games on April 8 at Faber Field in Mendota.
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Mendota catcher Joe LaShonse awaits a throw as Rockford Christian’s Caleb Beard slides in with a run during the first game of a double-header on April 8. (Reporter photo)
MENDOTA – Two of the top teams in the Big Northern Conference hooked up for a double-header and Mendota and Rockford Christian split those two games on April 8 at Faber Field in Mendota.
The first game was a disaster for the Trojans as they committed 10 errors in an 8-3 loss to the Royal Lions.
While Christian collected eight hits in the contest, only three of its runs were earned as Mendota had all kinds of trouble catching and throwing the baseball. The Trojans also had problems solving Christian fireballer Bryan Truitt, who allowed just one run on two hits over six innings. He walked three and struck out 13.
With the Royal Lions leading 2-0, the Trojans scored their only run off of Truitt in the bottom of the third to cut the lead in half. But Christian responded with two runs in the top of the fourth and four more in the sixth to ice the game. Mendota added two tallies off of a relief pitcher in the seventh.
The Trojans managed just five hits, led by Sam Becker with a pair of singles. Cruz Figueroa and Paxton Kennedy both had one RBI apiece for Mendota.
Ben Bokus took the loss for the Trojans as he worked into the sixth inning and allowed six hits and six runs, only two of which were earned. He walked three and fanned five. Kennedy and John Buchanan pitched in relief.
The nightcap was a different story as it was all Trojans in an 11-0 rout by the 10-run rule after five innings.
This time it was Mendota that benefited from errors. The Trojans built a 4-0 lead after two, but only one of the runs was earned as Christian committed two errors in the early going.
Mendota tacked on two more runs in the fourth and then pushed across five in the fifth to provide the final margin.
Figueroa got the call on the mound for the Trojans and he shut down the Christian offense to the tune of just two harmless singles. The senior lefty struck out five and did not issue a walk.
Mendota had six hits off of four Royal Lion pitchers. Bryson Prusator collected a pair of doubles and two RBI, Kennedy singled twice and drove in three, and Becker added two singles and an RBI. Figueroa, Joe LaShonse, Jake Nurnberg and Ivan Cuevas each drove in a run.
Mendota’s records stand at 8-1 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
