Hillsboro had little trouble subduing an undermanned Sunrise Christian Academy baseball team Thursday, rolling to a 16-1 and 12-2 run-rule sweep at Memorial Field.
The victories improved the Trojans? season record to 6-4.
?Sunrise is building a program,? coach Doug Dick said. ?They had some good players at positions, but just not enough.?
In a Game 1 halted by the mercy rule after 21?2 innings, Hillsboro took advantage of three Buffalo walks and six errors to generate 16 runs in two team at-bats.
To that mix the Trojans added eight base hits, including a 3-for-3 performance by Nathan Unruh. Lucas Sinclair drove in three runs with a base-loaded double in the second inning.
Hillsboro led 7-0 after one inning and 16-0 after two.
Freshman Dylan Nelson (1-0) was one out away from a three-inning shut?out. But a two-out single brought home a run that was set up by a fielding error, a passed ball and a walk.
For the game, Nelson surrendered four hits and did not walk a batter until the third. He struck out two.
Game 2 lasted to the bottom of the sixth inning before a four-run burst by the Trojans pushed the margin to the mercy limit of 10 runs.
With Hillsboro leading only 1-0 after two innings, lead-off batter Jakob Hanschu hit a one-out double to start a four-run rally. After Jordan Faul flied out, Sinclair singled home Hanschu, Arnold singled to score Sinclair and Unruh lofted a sacrifice fly that brought home Arnold.
Hillsboro scored four more runs in the fourth, with Unruh?s two-run single being the big hit.
Unruh finished the day 5-for-6 at the plate with seven RBIs. He leads the team with a .438 average and has driven in a team-high 16 runs.
?Nathan Unruh is doing a really good job at the plate,? Dick said.
Pitcher Josh Davidson (1-0) picked up his first win of the season, allowing one hit in each of the six innings he pitched. He struck out three batters and walked one.
?Getting Nelson and David?son some time on the mound was good,? Dick said.
Coming?Hillsboro?s doubleheader with Pratt, rained out Friday, was played Mon?day. The Trojans had a doubleheader scheduled at Haven the following day, then will travel to Halstead for a twinbill Friday.
Six games in a week will be a heavy load for the Trojans? thin pitching staff, but Dick said it is realistic to think his team could win the majority of those games.
?Offensively, we?ll have to play well and not make a lot of mistakes (in the field).?
