After concluding their tournaments over the weekend, Anderson baseball has moved into district play. This past Monday and Tuesday, JV 1 and varsity played the Johnson Jaguars in their first of many district games. JV 1 went 0-2 against the Jaguars, while varsity went 1-1.
JV 1 had predicted that Johnson would be good, and the teams turned out to be evenly matched. Unfortunately, Johnson came to win, and Anderson could not keep up with their offense. During the game on Monday, pitcher Ethan David struck out four batters and allowed eight runs. Colin Haines led the Trojans in hits, going 2-for-4; he also hit a triple in an attempt to build momentum during the third inning. Ultimately, Anderson lost to the Jaguars, 0-11.
In a slightly more positive game on Tuesday, the Trojans got on the board early in the first inning, after the pitcher walked Dominic Bellavia. Despite this optimistic start, JV was unable to score any more runs, while Johnson steadily established their lead throughout the game. Colin Haines, Judaya Coulson, and Luke Schoelkopf all led the Trojans, with one hit apiece; even with their hits, Anderson fell to the Jaguars, 1-6.
Varsity had a different experience against Johnson, losing one game and winning the other. Both teams fought hard in the matchup on Monday, but it ultimately came down to pitching. Sheppard Tyler took the mound for Anderson, allowing five hits and striking out six batters, while the opposing pitcher struck out thirteen. These strikeouts made it difficult for the Trojans to get on base, which was the main reason Anderson finished with just one run. Ed Small led the varsity team, going 2-for-4 at the plate. In spite of their efforts, the Trojans lost their first matchup, 1-3.
Tuesday, however, was a very different story, and Anderson was able to finish with a win. They totaled fifteen hits and twelve runs on the day. The fourth inning was critical for the Trojans, where they collected five runs from a single by Ed Small, a walk from Karsten Fidler, a sac fly from Rylan Unnasch, and a double from Gus Begert; Andrew Mason also made it to base after being hit by a pitch. A single from Ben Waisman tied the score up at ten at the bottom of the seventh. A walk-off double from Andrew Mason allowed Anderson to finish 12-10, giving them confidence going into their upcoming district games.
Overall, the Jaguars proved to be a challenge for Anderson, but the teams will learn from these games and use the lessons to dominate over district opponents through the season.
