Community R-6 didn’t win the game in a way it wanted to on April 9.

The Trojans beat Audrain County rival Van-Far 15-11 at home for their fifth straight victory against the Indians. However, Community led 13-1 after four innings only to be outscored 10-2 in the final three innings.

Van-Far (0-7) walked 15 to dig a deep hole, and Community (6-3) took advantage by scoring seven combined runs in the first two innings and then six runs in the fourth inning. The Trojans walked 13 hitters to allow Van-Far back in the game and pitched to the tying run at the plate in the seventh inning.

Community R-6 vs Van-Far Photo Gallery

“We struggled to throw strikes,” Ellersieck said. “We were able to get on base and get a big enough lead early. We had enough of a lead that we could hang on.”

Ellersieck said Community could have won the game earlier had it not stranded 19 runners and if it threw strikes, especially later in the game. He said there were three opportunities to win via run-rule, and none of them were seized.

Cooper Rohan and Nik Crider each led Community with three RBIs. Crider brought home a couple with a double. Connor Maxwell, Carter Schafer and Houston Hogan each had two RBIs. 

Runs were coming from the whole lineup, but Ellersieck said Community has to close games better. This can be accomplished, once again, by throwing strikes. The defense had two errors, which was better than the four errors three days prior in a 7-3 loss to Slater, and it can benefit when pitchers attack.

“Throwing strikes makes everybody sharper,” Ellersieck said. “If you’re a defensive player and the guy walks four batters and the kid hits a line drive at you, you’re not as ready to catch that line drive.”

Ellersieck said the defense was better earlier in the game but faltered a bit when the amount of walks grew.

“It was a mindset,” Ellersieck said. “You have a rivalry game. Everybody came out really focused and locked in. That’s really what the difference was.”

Kyler Swaim reached 105 pitches in his 4⅔ innings with seven strikeouts, seven walks, five earned runs and three hits. He was relieved by Hogan and Maxwell.

Thursday’s game usually wouldn’t result in a win, Ellersieck said, as the Trojans were “lucky.” Still, he believes they can respond well off the performance and that they shouldn’t let their confidence be compromised by “a little bit of adversity.” 

“The baseball team’s going to get better because of it,” Ellersieck said. “We’ve got a choice. We can look inward and try to fix it. We’re going to learn from our mistakes.”

Community has a three-game winning streak after winning 8-3 at Elsberry on Friday and 12-9 against Monroe City on Monday at home.

Kyler Swaim went 2-for-3 with two RBIs against Elsberry (3-3), Nik Crider had two RBIs and one double, and Houston Hogan and Connor Maxwell each had one RBI. Crider pitched three innings with two strikeouts, two walks and one hit.

Swaim had three RBIs and one home run against Monroe City (4-5), Cooper Rohan went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two doubles, Carter Schafer finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Crider went 3-for-4 with one RBI and one double. Rohan struck out eight and allowed six unearned runs on eight hits and four walks in 6 1/3 innings pitched.