Nathan Waggoner delivers a pitch to Arcanum batter Regan Christ.
Photos Ron Nunnari | Register-Herald
BROOKVILLE — After taking a 5-1 lead Saturday against Arcanum, the Blue Devils saw their pitching begin to struggle and that allowed the Trojans to rally for a 7-5 victory.
Brookville took a 1-0 first inning lead but Arcanum tied it with one run in the top of the fifth. The Blue Devils answered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Sam Fullenkamp smacked a leadoff double to deep right center and scored on a single by Lane Willoughby. After stealing second, Willoughby advanced to third on an infield single by Seth Hoover.
Jace Wood followed with a single to score Willoughby and Hoover. After a fly out to right, Wood stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch on the same play.
Brody Webb hit a ground ball back to the pitcher. Wood broke for home and the pitcher threw to the plate, but Wood retreated to third enabling Webb to reach first. Webb stole second and Braden Chambers drew a walk to load the bases.
Kayde Baker singled to right to score Wood. Hunter Gray grounded into a 5-2-3 double play to end the inning with Brookville on top, 5-1.
The top of the sixth turned into a disaster with Arcanum scoring six runs. Ethan Kearney hit a leadoff single to right and Jaxon Christ and Carson Tegtmeyer both were hit by errant pitches to load the bases.
Aiden Psczulkoski singled through the left side of the infield to score Kearney. Jaxon Christ scored on a wild pitch with Tegtmeyer and Psczulkoski advancing to third and second respectively. Regan Christ drew a walk to load the bases.
Nate Kessler drew a walk to force Tegtmeyer home. Caden Thompson got an infield hit to score Psczulkoski. Bryson Sharp singled to left to drive in R. Christ and a dropped third strike enabled Kearney to reach first with Thompson scoring on the throw to first.
Another batter got hit by a pitch before Fullenkamp struck out Tegtmeyer to end the inning with the Trojans holding a 7-5 lead.
Brookville got an infield hit in the sixth and a single in the seventh as Arcanum walked away with the two-run victory.
The Trojans improved to 8-3 overall while the Devils slipped to 7-5 in the non-conference game.
“That game was our season in a nutshell,” said Brookville coach Tyler Eaton. “The first half of the season we pitched well, we played defense, and we made teams beat us. The second half of the season so far, this losing streak we are on (four games), we’ve pitched it awfully.
“We pitched well for four innings today, and then we went out just forgot how to throw the baseball,” Eaton added. “That is our season right there in a nutshell. When we throw it over the plate and make them beat us, we’re good. We can throw the defense behind it. But when you hit guys, when you walk guys, you’ve got no chance.”
Friday night the Devils suffered a 12-2 league loss to Eaton.
Reach Ron Nunnari at [email protected].
