The Collinsville High School baseball team could not overcome sloppy play Friday afternoon at Arthur Fletcher Field, falling to Mascoutah 6-1.
Zach Mathes pitches against Mascoutah on April 4, 2014 / Photo by Roger Starkey
The tone for the game was set in the top of the first when Kahoks’ starting pitcher Zach Mathes walked Collin Renth, the game’s first batter and hit the third. Clean-up hitter Austin Waugh reached on an error that scored Renth, before Mathes got Jacob Pratt to ground out to end the Indians (9-1) threat.
Collinsville (6-2) pushed across a run in the bottom of the second without the benefit of a hit. Following three consecutive walks by Mascoutah starting pitcher Daniel Milas, Mitch Reising lifted a sacrifice fly to shallow center. Kyle Reeves slid across the plate ahead of the throw to score the Kahoks’ only run.
A Renth homer over the right-center field fence to lead off the third inning put Mascoutah ahead to stay. Ryan Netemeyer doubled home Alx Oltmann two batters later to give Mascoutah a 3-1 lead. Oltmann had reached on a two-base error.
Through the first four innings Friday, the Kahoks had four hits, four walks and one batter reach base on an error, but scored only one run. Head Coach Pete Trapp said the team’s inability to get a big hit cost them.
“Earlier this year, we had big hits with runners in scoring position and today we didn’t, we have to get better at that,” Trapp said. “Give them credit, they threw the pitches when they needed to, they made the plays when they needed to. You do that stuff and you’re going to win some baseball games.”
Mascoutah put the game out of reach in the top of the sixth when they scored three wins while putting only one ball in play. Kahok pitchers issued four walks, hit a batter and struck out the side. The defense made an error on the only ball put in play. Three consecutive bases loaded walks gave the Indians a 6-1 lead. Jacob Grzywacz, who relieved Mathes with one out in the sixth, issued two walks before striking out the last two hitters of the inning.
Trapp said the Kahoks may not have played well because they thought the deluge of rain that fell Wednesday and Thursday, wiping out Thursday’s game, would also cause Friday’s game to be cancelled.
“I think this game was more or less not played well because were mentally not wanting to be out here, it didn’t seem like we really wanted to play baseball today,” Trapp said.
Collinsville returns to action at 4:30 p.m. Monday against Bethalto at Fletcher Field. Hard-throwing pro prospect Tanner Houck will get the start for the Kahoks.
