Junior left-hander Jacob Edwards pitched a two-hit shutout to fuel Hillsboro to a 5-0 win over Beloit and the Trojans? first trip to the Class 3A state baseball tournament since 2003.
Edwards struggled with his control at the start, walking two batters and loading the bases on an infield hit when he failed to cover first base on a high chopper to first. But a strikeout and a failed steal attempt of home got him out of the jam.
In the second inning, Edwards allowed a single to the leadoff hitter, but that was the last base hit Beloit enjoyed the rest of the night. Edwards finished with a season-high nine strikeouts and scattered six walks.
On the offensive side, Hillsboro scored its first run in the bottom of the second inning when Ben Bebermeyer doubled with one out, Dylan Delk struck out but ran to first when the ball hit the dirt. He was thrown out, but the first baseman threw to third to try to get an advancing Bebermeyer. The throw skipped away from the third baseman and Bebermeyer scored easily.
Hillsboro added two more runs in the third on a walk to Edwards and consecutive singles by Daniel Jost, Tyler Ediger and Aaron Bina.
Hillsboro tacked on the final two runs of the game in the bottom of the fourth. Derek Kelsey led off with a walk, stole second and then scored on a single by Chris Couts. Jacob Fish then singled and Edwards walked to load the bases. After Jost was out on the infield fly rule, Ediger lofted a sacrifice fly to right that scored Couts.
With the win, Hillsboro will take a 17-5 record (18-5 with the first-round bye) to Manhattan next Friday for the third state-tournament appearance for Hillsboro in the 10-year history of the program.
