Trojans settle for 2nd in BNC standings

MHS comes up one game short to Rockford Christian

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Posted 5/18/17

Mendota pounded the baseball all over the yard and posted an 18-3 triumph over Oregon in a Big Northern Conference game on May 9 at Oregon.

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Trojans settle for 2nd in BNC standings

MHS comes up one game short to Rockford Christian

Posted

Mendota pounded the baseball all over the yard and posted an 18-3 triumph over Oregon in a Big Northern Conference game on May 9 at Oregon. Mendota was the home team as the game was switched to Oregon because of wet grounds at Mendota.

Oregon scored a run in the top of the first and then the Trojans responded with a 12-batter, eight-run bottom of the first, recording six hits, one walk and one hit batsman.

Mendota added four more runs in the second, and after Oregon scored twice in the top of the fourth, the Trojans pushed across six runs in the bottom of the frame to increase the margin over the 10-run rule limit. Oregon failed to score in the top of the fifth and the game ended.

Ben Bokus (two singles, double, two RBI) and John Buchanan (two singles, double, one RBI) paced the Trojan 14-hit attack. Jake Nurnberg provided a pair of singles and drove in two runs, while Joe LaShonse doubled and had three RBI and Sam Becker also doubled. Cruz Figueroa, Paxton Kennedy and Rutilio Arteaga had two RBI apiece.

Bryson Prusator went the distance on the mound to earn his fifth win in seven decisions. He allowed four hits, one earned run, walked one and struck out four while lowering his earned run average to 2.04.

* * *

Mendota and Stillman Valley needed extra innings before the Trojans prevailed, 4-3, in 11 innings in a BNC matchup on May 11 at Stillman Valley.

Stillman Valley struck for three runs in the first inning and then the Trojans chipped away with single tallies in the third, fifth and seventh innings tie the game. In the seventh, Becker led off with a single, moved around to third on two groundouts and came home on an infield hit by Bokus that was beyond the pitcher’s reach.

In the top of the 11th, Becker reached on an infield pop single, stole second and scored on Figueroa’s solid single to right.

Stillman Valley threatened to pull the game out in the bottom of the 11th when it loaded the bases with one out. But Nurnberg a shallow fly out to right field followed by a lineout to second to end the game.

Nurnberg pitched five innings of shutout ball to earn the win. He allowed just two hits, walked three and struck out five. Figueroa started and worked into the sixth inning before being taken down in favor of Kennedy, who pitched one-third of an inning.

Mendota totaled 10 hits, all singles. Becker and Figueroa had three hits apiece, while Prusator picked up a pair of singles and drove in two runs.

* * *

The Trojans let a lead slip away and lost a 4-3 decision to Byron in the BNC and regular season finale on May 12 at the MHS diamond.

Mendota grabbed a 2-0 lead in the second on a two-run single by Bryar Lindenmeyer. After Byron sliced the MHS margin in half in the third, the Trojans added another run in the bottom of the inning on a sacrifice fly by Prusator.

Byron then recorded three straight unearned runs – one in the fourth and two in the fifth – to take the lead for good.

Mendota stranded the bases the loaded in the bottom of the fifth and then managed only one more baserunner over the final two frames.

Becker was saddled with the complete game pitching loss for the Trojans. He gave up nine hits, walked one and struck out two.

Mendota could only come up with five singles in the contest. Prusator had two of them to lead the club.

The Trojans concluded the regular season with a 19-9 overall record and a 15-5 BNC slate, which was good enough for second place, one game behind Rockford Christian.