PAXTON — Pontiac allowed host Paxton-Buckley-Loda a run in the first inning and then went to work. When the job was done, the Indians had packaged a 12-6 victory in their Illini Prairie Conference baseball game Tuesday.
The Tribe (10-11) responded to PBL’s tally in the opening frame by plating five markers in the second and held an advantage the rest of the way.
Colin Gould led off the PTHS second with a walk and Cam Fenton singled one out later to put runners on the corners and turn the lineup over. After Fenton stole second, No. 1 hitter Michael Kuska delivered a two-run double that scored two and gave Pontiac a 2-1 lead. Kuska scored on a groundout.
Logan Barnett and Johnny Lenox each singled with two outs and Henry Brummel walked to load the bases and Parker Francis singled to drive in Barnett and Lenox to make it 5-1.
Extra-base hits led to three runs in the PTHS third. Dakoda Ackerman led off with a single and scored on Fenton’s two-base hit to left. Fenton came home on Kuska’s three-base knock for a six-run lead. Kuska scored on Barnett’s base hit for an 8-1 lead.
It was an 8-3 game when the Indians added a run in the fifth inning — a double from Brummel scored Lenox.
Three runs in the sixth inning completed the Pontiac scoring. Gould singled and Ackerman doubled to open the inning and Fenton singled to drive in both. Fenton scored on a two-out single from Lenox.
PBL scored three runs in the seventh inning but it was far too few and much too late.
Fenton had a double, two singles and three runs batted in for the Indians. Kuska had a triple, double, single and drove in two runs while Lenox had three hits and a run batted in. Barnett had two hits and drove in a run and Ackerman had a double and single. Francis had a hit and two RBIs, Brummel had a double and RBI and Gould and Peyton Cheek each singled. Trevino drove in a run.
Brummel got the win on the mound with a 12-strikeout effort. He allowed three runs, two hits and walked six in 5 2/3 innings. Trevino yielded three runs, one hit, three walks and fanned on in a third of an inning. Gould gave up a hit and fanned on in his inning of work.
Lincoln 9, Prairie Central 4
LINCOLN — One bad inning spelled doom for Prairie Central as the Hawks suffered a 9-4 loss to host Lincoln in a nonconference baseball game Tuesday.
The Hawks led 2-1 when the Railsplitters tagged PC pitching for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Tyler Curl walked to open the Prairie Central fifth inning and, after stealing second, scored on a Clayton Bahler base hit to tie the game at 1-1. Bahler scored the go-ahead run on a balk with Noah Nagel at the plate.
The Hawks scored their final two runs in the seventh inning. DJ Lewis singled with one out and scored on Camden Palmore’s two-base knock. Palmore scored when Owen Rafferty singled with two outs.
Palmore had a double, single and drove in a run for the Hawks (7-18). Bahler had two hits and drove in a run while Lewis also had two hits. Rafferty had a hit and RBI and Carson Friedman and Ivan Miller each singled.
Connor Gibson took the loss after giving up seven runs, four hits, a walk and hit three batters in a third of an inning of relief. Jack Schahrer started and allowed a walk while striking out five in two innings. Caden Addis gave up a hit, two walks and fanned three in an inning. Hunter Chambers allowed a run and two walks while striking out two in an inning. Bahler closed out the fifth inning and Palmore yielded a run, two hits, a walk and fanned one.
Seneca 7, Dwight 2
SENECA — Dwight scored in each of the first two innings but could muster anything the rest of the way as the Trojans dropped a 7-2 Tri-County Conference decision to host Seneca Tuesday.
Dwight (2-16) tallied a run in the first and one more in the second for an early 2-0 lead. Jack Duffy, who led off by reaching on an error, scored on a wild pitch for the Trojans’ first run.
Tyler Frauli singled with two on and one out in the second to make it 2-0. Jack Denker, who led off with a free pass, scored on the base hit.
Seneca tied it in the bottom of the second and scored three times in the fifth to take the lead. Two runs in the sixth closed out the scoring.
Frauli had a run-scoring single while Duffy and Ryan Turner had one hit apiece.
Will Trainor took the loss after giving up five runs, five hits and three walks in four innings. He fanned one. Luke Gallet started and gave up two runs, four hits and a walk while striking out three in two innings.
