The Hillsboro High baseball team erupted for nine runs in the fourth inning to fuel a come-from-behind 15-6 win over Lyons in the first game of a twinbill Friday at Memorial Field.
Lyons countered with an eight-run fourth inning in the nightcap to claim a 9-4 victory and salvage a split.
The visiting Lions jumped on Trojan starter Isaac Leihy in Game 1 for five runs in their first at-bat. Trailing 6-1 in the bottom of the third, the Trojans rallied for four runs on only one hit, taking advantage of three hit batters and three walks.
But in the fateful fourth, the first nine Trojans who came to the plate reached base and eventually scored. Aaron Bina and Ben Bebermeyer combined for all four of Hillsboro?s base hits in the inning. Four Trojans walked and two were hit by pitches. The Lions also contributed a pair of errors.
Dylan Delk, who relieved Leihy two batters into the third inning, threw five shutout innings to pick up the win for HHS. He allowed only two hits, walked three and struck out four.
Hillsboro finished with seven hits, but drew a total of 11 walks from four Lyons pitchers.
In Game 2, Hillsboro?s Jacob Edwards and Lyons Loesch locked up in a pitching duel through the first three innings, with Hillsboro claiming a 1-0 in the first inning when Jacob Fish singled and Daniel Jost doubled.
But in the fourth, Lyons broke loose with four hits and three walks that were magnified by four Trojan errors in the inning. Luke Moore relieved Leihy with two outs and finally ended the rally.
Trailing 8-1, Hillsboro made a run at Lyons with a three-run fifth inning that began with consecutive walks to Delk, Devin Funk and Edwards. Fish drove two of them home with a single. But the deficit was too deep to overcome in the end.
Hillsboro managed only six hits for the game.
Edwards absorbed the loss, but only four of the seven runs he allowed were earned. Moore, Fish and Jost each took a turn on the mound before the game was over.
Coming?With the split against Lyons, Hillsboro?s record is 6-4. The Trojans were scheduled to play host to Nickerson Tuesday, then will travel to Ellin?wood for a doubleheader Friday.
Hillsboro will host Halstead next Tuesday at Memorial Field with Game 1 starting at 4:30 p.m.
