The Mendota varsity baseball team let an early lead slip away in an 11-6 loss to Kewanee on April 21 at the MHS diamond.

The Trojans grabbed a 4-1 lead after two innings highlighted by a two-run single off the bat of Dane Doyle. But Kewanee responded with a seven-run top of the third capped off by a wind-aided bases loaded double by Ace LaFollette that chased Doyle from the mound.

Kewanee tacked on another run in the fourth before Mendota completed its scoring with two runs in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single by Evan McPheeters and a bases loaded walk to Collin Coss.

The Boilers added a pair of unearned tallies in the seventh.

Mendota totaled six hits. Brody Hartt singled and doubled, while Oscar Castaneda had a two-bagger.

Doyle allowed seven hits and eight runs to take the loss.

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Mendota and Kewanee met again on April 24 in Kewanee and the Boilers blanked the Trojans, 10-0.

The Boilers scored six unearned runs in the game’s second and third innings on four Mendota errors.

Braiden Freeman took the pitching loss for Mendota, allowing six unearned runs on four hits, walking one, striking out three, and hitting one batter.

The Trojans managed six singles off of Kewanee winning pitcher Landon Sheets, three of them coming off the bat of Freeman.

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Mendota’s bats were silent is a 7-0 loss at Orion on April 25.

The Trojans had just two hits – a single by Castaneda in the fifth inning and a single by Jack Gillespie in the seventh.

Orion led 1-0 through three frames and then scored three times in the fourth and three more in the sixth.

Coss was the losing pitcher, going the first four innings and allowing four hits and four unearned runs. Gillespie finished up on the hill.

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Princeton handed the Trojans a 13-1 setback on April 26 at the MHS diamond. The Tigers scored six runs in the fifth to halt the game by the 10-run rule.

Mendota scored its lone run in the fourth when Doyle singled, Otero doubled and Castaneda had an RBI groundout.

The Trojans had five hits off of Princeton winning pitcher Luke Smith.

McPheeters got the start for Mendota and was relieved by Otero in the second when Princeton scored five runs.

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Newman was a 13-3 winner over Mendota on April 28 at Sterling. The Trojans’ record fell to 7-10-1 overall and 1-5 in the conference.

Mendota jumped out in front, 2-0, in the top of the first inning, getting four hits right away, including back-to-back RBI singles by McPheeters and Otero.

Trailing 2-1 after two frames, the Comets took the lead for good in the bottom of the third inning, scoring four runs to grab a 5-2 lead.

Newman added six more runs in the bottom of the fourth, to make it 11-2, before Mendota got an RBI groundout by Hartt in the top of the fifth. Newman added two more runs in the fifth to end the game early.

Mendota’s eight-hit attack was led by Hartt and Otero with two singles apiece.

Doyle was the losing pitcher.