Mexico played the type of game it needed to compete with a state-ranked team but couldn’t achieve victory.
The Bulldogs lost 7-5 at North Central Missouri Conference rival and Class 4 No. 2, …
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Mexico played the type of game it needed to compete with a state-ranked team but couldn’t achieve victory.
The Bulldogs lost 7-5 at North Central Missouri Conference rival and Class 4 No. 2, according to the latest state polls, Moberly (11-1, 3-0 NCMC) on the road Monday. Mexico (6-5, 1-2 NCMC), who received votes in the state poll, tied the game in the fifth before Moberly responded with two runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Drew DeMint tied the game at 5 with a two-RBI single two innings after he hit a two-RBI home run. DeMint finished 3-for-4 with four RBIs.
The first three Moberly hitters reached in the bottom half of the fifth inning to take a 6-5 lead and then Mexico left two runners on to end the game.
Chance McCarty went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one double, and Colton Dickey was 2-for-3 with two runs and two stolen bases. Zach Jahn finished 3-for-4 and pitched two shutout innings with two hits.
Mexico outhit Moberly 11-10 and each team only had one error.
Bulldogs outhit late in 6-4 loss to Hannibal in extras
For the first time on Thursday, Mexico had a lead.
The Bulldogs just took a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning at home against North Central Missouri Conference foe Hannibal but couldn’t hold it as they lost 6-4 in eight innings. It was Mexico’s first conference loss and first loss in six games.
Hannibal (3-6, 1-1 NCMC) had the bats going late with seven of its 10 hits in the final two innings. Mexico’s final seven batters were all retired after Colton Dickey’s go-ahead two-RBI single in the sixth inning. Head coach Daniel McCarty said he thought Mexico’s seven strikeouts were too many and came at inopportune times.
“Towards the end, we didn’t battle at the plate,” McCarty said. “We didn’t attack early on in the game or the end.”
McCarty said Mexico (6-4, 1-1 NCMC) did make timely plays, but Hannibal made more of them. Brayden Arnold crushed a ball in left center field only for it to be caught by diving center fielder Azariah Tucker, stranding two runners.
Prior to that play in the sixth inning, Drew DeMint made a heads-up play on the bases to dive across the plate with the tying run. Brady Fox, who pitched seven shutouts innings two days before in a 5-0 win at Kirksville, beat out a ground ball hit toward first base and DeMint scored from second base.
“He made a great read and a great baserunning play,” McCarty said. “He was in full stride the whole way. He is a senior experienced baserunner. That was a big momentum change for us.”
Dickey is a left-handed batter who started from the No. 9 spot against Hannibal. Cooper Scott was a lefty who threw up zero after zero until the sixth inning, when Dickey reached base for the second straight time against him.
“It was a good line drive to right field,” McCarty said. “That was timely hitting and good for a sophomore to step up like that.”
Kaden Benne pitched six innings with five hits, four earned runs, four strikeouts and two walks. His pitch count was rising in the first inning, but McCarty said he found his efficiency through the next four innings.
“We had some issues just trying to find the strike zone,” McCarty said. “He settled down and adjusted and kept us in the ballgame.”
Mexico doesn’t have it any easier this week, starting with a road game at conference rival Moberly after the Spartans won their first eight games this season. The Bulldogs then play at 5 p.m. Thursday at another conference rival Fulton, who lost its first six games but has played several one-to-two-run games over the last three years. Finally, Friday and Saturday has Mexico facing Class 5 Camdenton, Class 6 Waynesville and Class 2 state runner-up Eugene in the Eugene Quad.
McCarty said the offense has to “hit early and often” going forward. He also said the Bulldogs will be fine as baseball is “a learning game,” and “good things will happen” if they play their game.
“We have to be more aggressive going forward,” McCarty said. “We’ve been too complacent. We will push them to be more aggressive at the plate and with baserunning. We just got to stay locked in, but we’re fine.”
