Last week was a rough one for the NRHEG High School baseball team, which dropped a 10-6 decision to Bethlehem Academy on Tuesday and lost both ends of a doubleheader to United South Central on Thursday.
Coach Drew Paukert’s Panthers saw their record slide to 4-4 in the Gopher Conference and 5-5 overall.
Bethlehem Academy 10, NRHEG 6
The Panthers hosted the rematch hoping to sweep one of the conference favorites. Instead, the visitors put six runs on the board with one out in the top of the sixth to earn a series split.
The Cardinals took a 4-0 lead in the fourth inning, sparked by a two-run home run by Christian VonRuden.
The Panthers answered with single runs in the fourth and fifth, and took a 6-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth as Palmer Peterson and Dakota Thiele hit run-scoring doubles and John Hubly added an RBI single.Hubly finished 4-for-4 with two RBIs, one run and a stolen base.
Trevor Tracy started and took the pitching loss. He gave up six earned runs on seven hits, walking one and fanning five in five-plus innings.
USC 5, NRHEG 3
In the first game of a doubleheader at Wells, the Panthers managed just six hits.
Grant Kyllo was 2-for-2 with two stolen bases. Peterson doubled and drove in a run. Jensen had a hit.
Jensen was the losing pitcher, allowing four earned runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and two walks.
USC 7, NRHEG 6
The Panthers spotted the Rebels six runs through the first four innings as starting pitcher Dempsey Tucker struggled with walks, but they erupted for a six-run fifth to knot it.
Jensen had the big hit, a bases-clearing triple to make it 6-5, and Trai Wicks followed with an RBI double.
Tracy was 3-for-4 with two runs, Jensen 2-for-4. Hubly and Kyllo added one hit each.
Tracy was tagged with the loss despite giving up no earned runs on two hits, with two strikeouts and no walks.