The Trenton Bulldogs hit some bumps in the road on Monday in their regular-season finale on the road against St. Joseph Christian.
And they were some big bumps.
The host Lions plated four runs in the third inning, two in the fourth and five in the fifth as Trenton dropped its fifth-straight game, this one by a final score of 11-2.
An error, a double and a wild pitch combined to start the bleeding for the Bulldogs in the third inning. Christian made the most of the opportunities Trenton provided, striking for the game’s first four runs. Trenton was able to keep itself in the game through the fourth, trailing 6-1, but St. Joseph’s five spot in the fifth essentially ended the game.
“They kind of put us away in the fifth,” Hight said. “We were threatened by the run-rule there and were able to stop that, but the third, fourth and fifth innings just kind of got away from us.”
Trenton’s offense continued to search for itself at the plate. The Bulldogs collected just six hits in the contest. Trenton drew five walks and Christian yielded three errors, but Trenton couldn’t get the hits it needed with runners on. The Bulldogs left 11 runners on base in the loss and had four separate innings where they had runners on second and third with no outs, a runner on second with no outs, the bases loaded with no outs and runners on first and second with no outs and only came away with the two runs.
“It’s a youth and inexperience thing,” Hight said of the offensive woes. “When one guy hits it seems like everybody hits, but when nobody hits, nobody hits. It is very contagious. That is true of any team, but especially for inexperienced teams.”
Trenton was led at the plate by Hunter Dugan and Cade Darting, who had two hits each. Dugan was two-for-two with a walk, sacrifice and stolen base. Darting went two-for-three with an RBI.
On the hill, Drew Rorebeck was charged with the loss, allowing 10 runs, five earned, on nine hits and three walks while striking out seven. Avery Cooksey worked a third of an inning, allowing one unearned run on no hits and two walks and picking up one strikeout. Jesse Farmer finished the game with an inning and two thirds of scoreless baseball, allowing one hit and one walk.
With the loss, Trenton’s record on the season dropped to 8-13 overall.
UP NEXT
Trenton will face Plattsburg in the first round of the Class 3, District 16 Tournament in Faucett on Saturday at 1 p.m. The winner will advance to face top-seed and host-school Mid-Buchanan on Monday at 5 p.m.