Trojans ‘unearn’ walk-off wins

Mistakes proved valuable last week for Hillsboro High School’s baseball team, which after a couple of opening-day losses to Haven seems to have found its groove in putting together a 7-3 record midway through the season.

The Trojans tooks advantage of a passed ball and a throwing error to record two walk-off victories Thursday in a doubleheader against Larned.

The first game was tied at two with the Trojans batting in the bottom of the sixth when Alex Caldwell’s sacrifice fly scored a run and Hillsboro took the lead.

Larned came back and knotted the score at three in the top of the seventh.

The Trojans won when Jaxxon Hanschu, who had reached on a single in the bottom of the seventh, scored on a passed ball.

Alex Caldwell pitched all seven innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, striking out 12 and walking one.

Hanschu and Matthew Potucek each managed multiple hits.

The second game was scoreless until the third, when Larned tallied four runs. The Trojans answered in the bottom of the inning with six of their own. By the end of the fifth, Larned had tied things up at six before the Indians took a 7-6 lead in the sixth.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Trojans were down one run with two outs and the bases loaded when Potucek hit an infield single, driving in the tying run. A throwing error then allowed the winning run to cross the plate.

Phillip Young allowed six hits and four runs over three innings, striking out four and walking none. Potucek recorded the last eight outs to earn the save.

After playing Tuesday in Hoisington, the Trojans will be at home Friday to face Nickerson.