Finding themselves in a 4-1 hole entering the third inning, Hancock County didn’t panic. Instead, the Hornets pieced together hit after hit – scoring three runs in the third to tie it and then four runs in the fourth en route to a 10-7 win over Trinity (Whitesville).
“I think we had a lot of unforced errors, and we didn’t get off to a good start pitching-wise,” Hancock County Head Coach Tony Banta said. “We walked several guys and then some errors, but our guys battled and came back. We stayed in it, felt confident, kept our heads about it, and came back.”
The Hornets struck first in the top of the first when Porter Hay grounded into a fielder’s choice to score Jack Roberts. Trinity answered right back in the bottom of the inning, scoring four runs off a wild pitch and two errors.
Needing stabilization on the mound, the Hornets handed the ball to Dylan Mucker, and the junior responded. He allowed one unearned run over 4 2/3 innings, striking out five.
“I thought Mucker came in and did a really good job,” Banta said. “He kind of stopped the bleeding for us and came in and threw strikes.”
Hancock County tied the game in the third on a bases-loaded walk, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI groundout. An inning later, the Hornets added four runs thanks to a fielder’s choice, a Raiders error, and a Hay RBI double.
The two teams exchanged runs down the stretch, but with a 10-7 lead entering the bottom of the seventh, the Hornets handed the ball to Noah Keown. The senior allowed two hits, but pitched himself out of trouble after inducing a ground out and striking out two.
Roberts led the way at the plate for the Hornets, going 3-5, while Hay and Grant Smith both drove in a pair of runs.
For the Raiders, Isaac Hernandez and Cale Boarman both had two hits, while Kendall Howard drove in a pair of runs. Grant Howard started on the mound, allowing six earned runs over 3 1/3 innings, while Kayin Howard and Wade Burch both pitched in relief.
“They kept fighting,” Trinity (Whitesville) Head Coach Matt Wright said. “Getting out to an early lead and then seeing it come back, that can sometimes put a team down. But my boys kept fighting, and it was nice to see that.”
The Raiders are off till Tuesday when they take on Union County, while the Hornets have a double header later today against McLean County and Caldwell County.
“I just want us to be able to throw strikes more consistently,” Banta said. “We need to quit putting ourselves in an early hole and trying to have to battle back.”
