GOSHEN – After a long layoff and a first-round bye, Triton’s bats looked more than a little bit rusty in its 11-1, five-inning loss to Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian in the semifinals of the Class 1A Bethany Christian baseball sectional Monday morning. The Trojans managed just five singles against the fifth-ranked Braves, and the one run Triton scored in the top of the fifth came without a hit. Meanwhile, Blackhawk was circling the bases from the words “play ball.” Triton sophomore pitcher Dylan Hensley only gave up two walks in the game, but they went to Blackhawks’ Nate Mooney and Bailey Sheldon, the first and third hitters of the game, and both scored. Blackhawk scratched across a run in the second before Sheldon ignited a four-run third by driving the first pitch of the inning over the left field fence. “We got down 3-0, and even when we got down 7-0 we started to get some guys on the bags, but if we’re not hitting’ the ball, it’s not going to happen,” said Triton coach Brad Hargrave.” “Generally, these kids like to sleep in. It’s hard sometimes to get that mental state and be ready to play early in the morning. Last year, we had more seniors, more veteran players, and we had all those rainouts, so we didn’t have any morning games; it worked out for us. “This year we drew the bye, and had an extra week to practice, and an extra week to get the pitchers some bullpen (sessions). For the most part Dylan was hitting his spots; he pitched a decent game. He just wasn’t getting the backup, “A lot of that happened this year. Our pitchers are way better than what their record showed and what the scoreboard showed a lot.” Triton committed a total of three errors in the game, and in all three cases runs scored, or runners were put in scoring position. Hargrave said youth and inexperience may have played a role in the game against the program that eliminated Triton in the Caston Regional a year ago. Hargrave is already looking forward to 2017. “We’re young,” he said. “I’m starting two freshmen, and the sophomores and one of my juniors, this is their first year of really playing varsity. We’ve got some work to do.” “(Hensley) is going to be a good pitcher for us for years to come. As for our other juniors, Zac Pitney and Nate Flenar, they’ll both be back next year. My three mains; I’ll get them all back next year. So we are looking pretty decent pitching-wise for next year. “I’m really excited about that.”
