After a convincing 11-2 game one victory over host Pekin, Collinsville could not hold a sixth inning lead, losing 5-4 in the second game of a doubleheader Saturday.
Aaron Peskar / Photo by Roger Starkey
The Kahoks (9-3) drew five walks in the first inning of game one and sent all nine men to the plate as they grabbed a 4-0 lead over the Dragons (6-5). Pete Trapp, Collinsville baseball head coach, said walks and some shaky defense helped his team jump out to an early lead.
“They helped us out,” Trapp said. “There were a couple of balls that were tough plays, but they just didn’t make them.”
Collinsville added three more runs in the second. Aaron Peskar, Grant Bauer and starting pitcher Zach Mathes all scored in the inning after also scoring in the first. Peskar and Bauer, the leadoff and second-place hitters respectively, each finished the game with three runs scored.
Following a 1-2-3, third inning, CHS added a single run in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the sixth to provide the final margin of victory. The Dragons scored single runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth to account for both of their runs in the first game.
Mathes pitched five innings, allowing both Pekin runs, to earn the game one victory, his second of the year.
After scoring in five different innings in game one, the entire Kahoks offense was confined to a four-run sixth inning in game two. The four runs gave CHS a 4-1 lead, but Pekin came right back to tie it up in the bottom of the inning with a bases loaded, two-out, full-count double that plated three runs.
The Dragons held Collinsville scoreless in the seventh and scored the winning run in the bottom of the final inning.
Kyle Reeves got the start for the Kahoks in game two, his first appearance since March 31. He pitched six innings before giving way to Justin Anson in the seventh. Anson took the loss, his first decision of the season.
Reeves entered the day with a 0.00 ERA over three games, including one start. Reeves uncharacteristically struggled around the strike zone Saturday, Trapp said.
“He’s normally right there,” Trapp said. “This game he, unfortunately, was off a little bit.”
Trapp did not believe the 12-day lay-off between appearances was the primary reason the lefty was not as sharp as usual.
“Maybe a little bit, but he does a very good job of throwing between starts,” Trapp said.
Weather permitting; Collinsville will make another long road trip Monday, for a 4:30 p.m. contest at Centralia. The Kahoks return to Fletcher Field Tuesday for a 4:30 p.m. conference tilt with Granite City.
