DARLINGTON - After back-to-back home runs by Joey Meylor and Wade Black in the first inning, Darlington baseball coach Andy Sawall couldn't help but think an offensive breakout was on the horizon.
Darlington (2-7, 1-3 SWAL) hit three homers as a team, but lost a slugfest to Shullsburg-Benton 13-7 Monday. Meylor hit a lead off solo homer to right in the first inning. Black, who went 2 for 2, followed by crushing a homer to center to give the Redbirds a 2-0 lead. Darlington's Tyler Hardyman, who went 2 for 3 with a home run, then walked. Brandon Hardyman, who was 2 for 4, then delivered an RBI single to give the Redbirds a short lived 3-0 lead.
"We haven't been hitting the ball very good," Sawall said. "I thought, 'O.K. maybe this will get us going. I thought it would give us a kick-start to our hitting."
The Redbirds' hitting wasn't the trouble spot Monday. The Redbirds committed four errors that led to four runs by Shullsburg-Benton (7-3). The Miners batted around the order in a seven-run second off starting pitcher Brandon Heins. Four Redbird pitchers combined walked six and hit two batters. However, it was the defensive breakdowns that cost them. Heins had a throwing error at first base that allowed three runs to score. The big blow in the second came on Jacob Holland's two-run homer to right that gave the Miners a 6-3 lead.
"There were a lot of free bases," Sawall said of the errors and walks. "If we make the plays they don't score. That put us in a big hole."
Shullsburg-Benton coach Colton Laird was excited to see the offense break out.
"That really got us going," Laird said. "This will give us momentum going into our conference games."
The Miners tagged Darlington pitcher John Sturtz for five runs in the fourth. The Redbirds committed two errors in the fourth to open the door to a big inning. Shullsburg-Benton's Kyle Lyne hit a three-run home run to right center to give the Miners a 12-3 lead.
The Redbirds battled back and scored four runs in the sixth. The big blow in the sixth came on Tyler Hardyman's two-run homer to right.
"I was hoping to see something like that in the seventh," Sawall said.
Heins pitched two innings and gave up seven runs. He walked three and hit two. Sturtz and Lance Aardahl each pitched two innings in relief. Brandon Hudson pitched one inning in relief.
"I told them after the game we are at the midway point and we can go one of two ways," Sawall said. "We have to work to get better."
Darlington (2-7, 1-3 SWAL) hit three homers as a team, but lost a slugfest to Shullsburg-Benton 13-7 Monday. Meylor hit a lead off solo homer to right in the first inning. Black, who went 2 for 2, followed by crushing a homer to center to give the Redbirds a 2-0 lead. Darlington's Tyler Hardyman, who went 2 for 3 with a home run, then walked. Brandon Hardyman, who was 2 for 4, then delivered an RBI single to give the Redbirds a short lived 3-0 lead.
"We haven't been hitting the ball very good," Sawall said. "I thought, 'O.K. maybe this will get us going. I thought it would give us a kick-start to our hitting."
The Redbirds' hitting wasn't the trouble spot Monday. The Redbirds committed four errors that led to four runs by Shullsburg-Benton (7-3). The Miners batted around the order in a seven-run second off starting pitcher Brandon Heins. Four Redbird pitchers combined walked six and hit two batters. However, it was the defensive breakdowns that cost them. Heins had a throwing error at first base that allowed three runs to score. The big blow in the second came on Jacob Holland's two-run homer to right that gave the Miners a 6-3 lead.
"There were a lot of free bases," Sawall said of the errors and walks. "If we make the plays they don't score. That put us in a big hole."
Shullsburg-Benton coach Colton Laird was excited to see the offense break out.
"That really got us going," Laird said. "This will give us momentum going into our conference games."
The Miners tagged Darlington pitcher John Sturtz for five runs in the fourth. The Redbirds committed two errors in the fourth to open the door to a big inning. Shullsburg-Benton's Kyle Lyne hit a three-run home run to right center to give the Miners a 12-3 lead.
The Redbirds battled back and scored four runs in the sixth. The big blow in the sixth came on Tyler Hardyman's two-run homer to right.
"I was hoping to see something like that in the seventh," Sawall said.
Heins pitched two innings and gave up seven runs. He walked three and hit two. Sturtz and Lance Aardahl each pitched two innings in relief. Brandon Hudson pitched one inning in relief.
"I told them after the game we are at the midway point and we can go one of two ways," Sawall said. "We have to work to get better."
