One big inning was enough to lift Dixon over Mendota, 6-1, in a Big Northern Conference varsity baseball game on April 18 at Dixon.

The Trojans scored first, getting an unearned run in the top of the second, before Dixon tied the game in the bottom of the third. The game remained deadlocked until the bottom of the fifth when the Dukes pushed across five runs to earn the victory.

Mendota picked up six hits in the contest, including a single and a double by Joe LaShonse.

Dixon had seven safeties off of Trojan starter Sam Becker, who pitched into the fifth when he ran into trouble and was replaced by Joel Escatel. Becker allowed all six runs (five earned), walked one and struck out three.

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The Trojans had things clicking in all phases of the game as they easily disposed of Byron, 11-0, in a BNC contest on April 20 at Byron. The game came to an end after five innings because of the 10-run rule.

Mendota scored early and often, plating three runs in the first inning and two more in the second. The Trojans went up by double digits when they pushed across six runs in the third. Five Byron errors aided the cause.

Mendota’s nine-hit attack was led by Paxton Kennedy with three singles and three runs batted in. Ben Bokus provided two singles and three RBI, while Becker also singled twice. Jake Nurnberg drove in a pair of runs for the Trojans.

Mendota received a stellar pitching performance from Bokus, who improved his record to 3-1 and lowered his earned run average to 0.75. The junior lefty allowed a pair of hits over five innings, striking out nine and walking one.

Mendota improved to 8-3 in the league.

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Mendota opened up play in the Putnam County Wooden Bat Tournament with two losses on April 21 at Spring Valley.

In game one, the Trojans were defeated by Ottawa Marquette, 3-2.

Mendota took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Becker reached on a bunt single and came around to score on a single by Kennedy.

Marquette knotted the score when it salvaged a single run out of a bases loaded, nobody out situation in the fourth. Then in the fifth, a bad hop two-run single by Bryce Fanti gave the once-beaten Crusaders a 3-1 advantage.

The Trojans mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh when they filled the bases with nobody out, but all they could muster was an RBI groundout by Escatel as they left the potential tying and winning runs on second and third.

Mendota picked up six hits off of Marquette’s Michale Obos, who went the distance. Bryson Prusator had two singles for the Trojans.

Kennedy started for Mendota and allowed three runs over five innings. He walked three and struck out five. Escatel finished up with two scoreless innings.

In the second game of the day, Hall’s Ty Rybarczyk tossed a two-hit gem in leading his team to a 3-0 triumph over the Trojans.

Rybarczyk gave up a double to Prusator and a single to Bokus, and that was it. He struck out 11 Mendota batters and did not issue a walk.

Cruz Figueroa went the distance for the Trojans in taking the loss. He permitted just five hits, no earned runs, walked one and fanned 10.

The Trojans (11-6) ended up going winless in the tournament after dropping a 3-2 decision to Erie-Prophetstown on April 22.

With the game tied 1-1 after one, E-P plated a pair of unearned runs in the top of the second and ultimately made that lead hold up.

For the Trojans, Becker, who had two singles, scored both runs and both times was driven in by Bokus on a first-inning single and a fourth-inning triple.

Prusator took the pitching loss for Mendota, allowing three runs (one earned) on five hits in three innings. He walked one and struck out three. Nurnberg turned in a strong relief performance for the Trojans, retiring 12 of the 13 batters he faced, including 10 in a row. He issued one free pass and fanned three.