Trojans endure 0-4 season start

Hillsboro pitcher Taylor Helmer fires a pitch toward the plate during the Trojans’ doubleheader Friday against Hoisington. The visiting Cardinals left Hillsboro with two wins, 6-5 and 13-2.The Hoisington Cardinals spoiled Hillsboro’s softball home opener by sweeping both games Friday at the Sports Complex.

With a pair of losses the previous evening at Larned, Hillsboro begins the season with an 0-4 record.

In Game 1, the Trojans just missed a walk-off win, losing 6-5 when Hoisington’s Tyann Schrem­mer made a great running catch in deep centerfield of a Sarah Jost drive with two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh.

The Trojans scored three runs in the first inning and maintained a 4-3 lead until the top of the fifth, when the Cardinals touched pitcher Taylor Helmer for three runs to take a 6-4 lead.

The Trojans closed the gap to 6-5 when Jost scored in the sixth with the help of a couple Cardinal errors.

Hoisington took control of Game 2 in the second inning when the Cardinals scored five runs on four hits.

Hillsboro scored its two runs in the bottom of the fifth inning, but not before Hoisington stretched its lead to 13-0 with another five-run outburst in the top of the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Jost and Chey­enne Bern­hardt singled for Hillsboro and Mesa Merrell brought them both home with a single.

Larned—The trip to Larned is a long one, but the ride home may have seemed even longer after the Trojans drop­ped a pair of games to the home team, 12-0 and 9-6, in their season debut.

Larned generated all the offense it would need with two runs in the first inning when Trojan pitcher Taylor Helmer walked to batters then surrendered a two-run triple to Glover, her pitching counterpart, with two outs.

Meanwhile, Hillsboro managed only two hits off Glover, with only one Trojan reaching third base.

Hillsboro’s bats managed 10 hits in Game 2 off of Perez. The Trojans took a 2-0 lead in their first at-bat with hits by Sarah Jost, then added three more runs in the second for an early 5-0 lead. Through four complete innings, the Trojans were still in control with a 7-3 lead.

But the Indians touched Helmer for four runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game, aided by three walks.

Larned scored the winning runs in the bottom of the sixth when the leadoff batter was hit by a pitch and Skelton followed with a home run.

Coming—Hillsboro (0-4) was scheduled to host Haven at the Sports Complex on Tuesday. The Trojans will return to the Sports Com­plex Friday when they host Pratt with a 4 p.m. start.

Written By
More from Don Ratzlaff
Water wisdom
We have disagreed with several of Gov. Sam Brownback?s policy initiatives, so...
Read More