Trojans treading into new territory
Fourth victory surpassed total of past two years
Sports reporter
From the start it seemed like this could be a good year.
In the past two seasons the Hillsboro High School baseball team totaled six victories and 32 losses. Eight games into the 2006 season and the Trojans already have won four games.
"The team is finally starting to show some character and stronger mentality," head coach Phil Oelke said.
Oelke was referring to the three victories in four games this past week against Marion-Florence/Peabody-Burns and Nickerson.
Most notably the second game of the doubleheader Thursday against the Panthers.
After being blown out in game one by Nickerson, the Trojans bounced back for a 7-5 victory against the history-rich program.
Trailing 4-0 after three innings, Hillsboro outscored Nickerson 7-1 the rest of the way for the victory.
Senior Adam Scheele was 1-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Chad Hughbanks and Travis Riesen both tallied two hits and one RBI, and Daniel Jost picked up the victory on the mound going three innings and allowing just one run.
Scheele pitched the final four innings allowing four runs, but just one earned run.
"Scheele and Jost did a great job of throwing strikes," Oelke said. "As a result, we gave ourselves a chance to win."
It was completely different from game one where the Trojans were defeated 12-2.
"It's hard to win when a team walks eight and [hits] six [batters] in a five-inning game," Oelke said.
Plus HHS managed just five hits, while giving up 12 runs.
Ultimately Oelke was happy with the come-from-behind victory after being defeated by 10 in game one.
"We have to play with passion, if not we won't win many games," he said. "I think that was the biggest different between game one and game two — passion."
April 11
Marion-Florence/Peabody-Burns Warriors were the Trojans' opponents April 11 in a home doubleheader.
The Warriors were 8-0 last year against Hillsboro in junior varsity and varsity games. This day however, was different.
The Trojans jumped on MFPB early with an unearned in the first inning.
After another unearned in the second inning and a sacrifice fly in the third, HHS had built a 3-0 lead.
The Warriors committed yet another error in the third inning allowing Hillsboro to jump ahead 4-0. Todd Woodruff scored on a double steal in the fourth, but then the Trojans open the floodgates.
Home runs from Riesen, Jost, and Dustin Strunk put an exclamation point on the 11-1 victory.
Oelke was glad to get the victory, and gave his players some ribbings after the game.
"All three of the home runs were wind-aided," he said. "But it was great to see them more aggressive at the plate."
Riesen threw a complete game allowing the one unearned run and recording three strikeouts.
Jost led the Trojans at the plate with two hits, including the homer, and three RBIs. Riesen and Hughbanks each had two RBIs.
Hillsboro's bats stayed on fire in the second game, jumping out to an early 11-1 lead. Hughbanks and Jesse Boucher proceeded to give up six more runs, but it still wasn't enough for the Warriors, as the Trojans ultimately took the game, 12-7.
Jost had two more RBIs in the game, and Justin Moore had three singles and two RBIs.
Hughbanks notched the victory on the mound, helping the team improve to .500.
Oelke wasn't happy with all of his team's executions against MFPB, but was still glad to go 3-1 on the week.
"That is exactly what we hoped to," he said.
HHS played Smoky Valley Tuesday on the road and travels Friday to Wichita to take on Collegiate.
