TRENTON RALLIES TWICE, WINS TOURNEY TITLE

Twice on Saturday Trenton found itself trailing in the late innings at the North Harrison Tournament in Eagleville. Twice Trenton responded in a big way.
The Bulldogs rallied past Green City for an 11-10 win in the semifinals before rallying past North Harrison in the championship game, winning the title with a 12-5 victory.
Both games saw Trenton in dire straights as the Bulldogs trailed Green City 7-2 entering the fifth inning and North Harrison 5-1, also entering the fifth inning. Both times the Bulldogs responded, however. Against Green City it was a nine-run spot in the fifth, a rally highlighted by a two-run home run by Mason Owen that brough Trenton back. Against North Harrison, Trenton tagged the Shamrocks for three runs in the fifth, before breaking the game open with an eight-run sixth inning. Jaren Whitney’s bases-clearing triple sparked that run.
“We talk a lot about ‘the game is never over’,” Trenton Head Coach Andy Hight said. “If you have one out left you always have a chance. Our kids have really bought into that. Because we have come back before, they don’t get worried if we get down a couple of runs early. They just keep pushing.”
Both games were essentially put away by big offensive innings. Trenton used its nine-run spot against Green City to take what would be a four-run lead before hanging on in the final frame. Against North Harrison, Trenton’s eight runs in the sixth proved to be too much for the Shamrocks to overcome.
“Anytime you score that many runs in an inning, the other team has to help you,” Hight said. “That can be by them walking you, a hit by pitch, they boot a ball somewhere. But we also swung it pretty well in those innings. The big key for us is getting the leadoff guy on without any outs. That allows us to run the offense the way we want to with the steal, bunt. Stuff like that followed by a big hit.”
For the tournament, Trenton’s offense was paced by Spencer Harris, Mason Owen and Avery Cooksey. Harris was three-for-five in the two games combined, adding a home run, two RBIs, five runs scored and three steals. Owen was a combined four-for-seven with a home run, double, four RBIs, two runs scored and a steal. Cooksey went five-for-nine at the plate on the day, collecting two doubles, two runs and a steal.
On the hill, Owen picked up the win in game one despite throwing just one inning with three runs allowed on two hits and five walks. He struck out one. Trenton went on its nine-run outburst in the top of the following inning, putting Owen in position for the win. Harris started the game, going three innings, allowing four runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out two.
The game-two winner, was Cooksey, who threw a scoreless frame just prior to Trenton’s eight-run sixth inning. Cooksey didn’t allow a base runner in his lone frame, striking out two. Hunter Dugan was the championship game starter, throwing four innings and allowing five runs, four earned, on four hits and five walks while striking out three.
UP NEXT
Trenton is scheduled to play host to Cameron on Tuesday, though forecasted rain could certainly push that event to later in the week. Harris and Dugan are the only two pitchers not available for Tuesday’s contest as Harris threw 67 pitches on Saturday and Dugan tossed 71.
Should Tuesday’s game be postponed, Trenton’s next action would come on Thursday, when the Bulldogs play host to Green City in a rematch of Saturday’s semifinal game. Both the Cameron and Green City games at Burleigh Grimes Field in Trenton are scheduled for 4:30 p.m. starts.