Finding the strike zone wasn’t easy for much of Community R-6’s game on Monday.

Community R-6 Senior Night Photo Gallery

Finding victory was still easy enough for the Trojans as they beat Louisiana 18-14 on Senior Night at home. Community had a 9-3 lead after two innings and allowed a nine-run third inning before finally taking the lead for good. 

Between four Community pitchers, they walked 11 batters, and Louisiana (2-9) had three pitchers walk six combined batters. Four Louisiana hitters were walked in that third and another run crossed after a hit by pitch in an outing where head coach Joel Krato felt “100 percent” responsible.

“We hadn’t played since last Tuesday,” Krato said. “Being a small school, you have so many kids doing so many activities. We played catch Sunday. We probably should have practiced Saturday. I should have had us come in Sunday and throw bullpens, but we didn’t. I’ll take the blame for us not throwing strikes today.”

In the third inning, Nik Crider pitched and covered 3⅔ innings for Community (6-6) before No. 1 pitcher Cooper Rohan closed the game with a shutout inning before he pitched at Central Activities Conference foe Glasgow the next night. Crider walked five but limited Louisiana to one walk in each inning after the multiple walks in the third inning.

Krato said each pitcher other than Rohan has hit rough patches and even Rohan issued two walks in his one inning of work after the long layoff from game action. However, they each have had positive moments. 

“Drake threw well against Paris, Kyler’s thrown well in a few games and Nik Crider came in and threw well today and threw well against Hermann,” Krato said. “We have to throw everybody this week because you’re a small school and you have to make due.”

Crider went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a double on top of his night on the mound, Kaiden Erdel finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, Kyler Swaim had three RBIs after pitching a short start, Rohan scored three runs along with seniors Ean Johnson and Drake Welch. Krato was impressed how the Trojans scored in every inning as he doesn’t remember them doing that much in a seven-inning game this year.

“We have also found ways to lose games like this before,” Krato said. “It’s hard to lose games when you score in every inning. I don’t think we’ve swung the bats well since Bowling Green (15-8 win) on March 31, but we hit a lot of balls well today.”

Krato said Community’s four seniors were “put in a weird spot” since they didn’t have much varsity time going into this season because of many kids ahead of them on the depth chart in recent years. Johnson and Mark Zelle are both seniors yet are first-year varsity starters. He said they, Welch and Josh Schofield have done well in their respective roles.

“They were that glue group which didn't have a lot of playing time early,” Krato said. “If you were to tell me this time last year and said we would be 6-6 at some point, I would say you’re crazy. That’s how hard these kids work. It’s a great group of leaders.”

Johnson said he realized this was his “last chance” to produce this season and was confident he would know what to do after sitting and watching from the bench so long. He said there were great teachers before him like Gavin Allen, who is “a great role model” and a “best friend.”

As the team’s No. 9 hitter through 12 games, Johnson owns a .511 on-base percentage, which is third behind the 5.80 by leadoff hitter Welch’s .580 and .551 by No. 3 hitter Crider’s .551 — the only Trojan with an OPS above 1.000 at 1.194. Johnson leads Community with 14 walks and is third with six hit by pitches behind the 13 and 10 worn by Welch and Erdel, respectively.

“There are a little nerves,” Johnson said. “I’ve got to do something, but at the end of my day, I’ve just got to do my job. If I get on base, it opens up so many more opportunities for the team. 

Johnson said he is glad for the opportunity to be part of this year’s team and wants to create more winning opportunities for the team this season.

“It’s a real honor. I couldn’t ask for a better team. Obviously, with our ups and downs, you get angry at one another and you get upset, but Krato calls us the comeback team. My sophomore year, we went down to state, the year after that was kind of a flop and this year we have a lot of opportunity and chance to be great.”

Krato said this year’s Trojans have made quite a bit of progress after going 5-13 during the fall season.

“We have a good shot of competing in a district tournament this year and going 500,” Krato said. “Going above 500 would make it four years in a row.”

Community (1-2 CAC) plays at conference foe and Class 1 No. 8 Cairo (9-4) at 5 p.m. Friday.