Trojans struggle in last regular season home game, 19-6
May 25—WORTHINGTON — In the Worthington Trojans topsy-turvy 2022 spring baseball season, Tuesday's home game with Blue Earth Area on Tuesday looked like a classic case of one step forward and two steps back. After the Trojans played solid baseball Monday in a 6-2 win over Adrian/Ellsworth in Adrian, one day later they appeared much more turvy than topsy in a 19-6 loss to the Bucs.
Three WHS pitchers collectively hit eight BEA batters with pitches. Defensively, the Trojans committed nine errors.
Worthington, which will begin Section 2AAA tournament action on June 1, owns a 5-14 record. Tuesday's game was the last home and regular season game for the spring.
Starting pitcher Jake Brandner allowed five Blue Earth Area runs in the top of the first inning, but he was not helped in the field. A two-run single by Nick Barke and a two-run double by Carson Sturtz down the left-field line were the big hits in the inning.
Worthington came back with two in the bottom of the first and two in the second. Isaiah Noble and Brandner began the first with base hits, and Brandner stroked a two-run single in the second.
But BEA added three more in the third to grab control of the game. Leading 10-6 after six frames, the Bucs scored nine seventh inning runs off the Trojans' second relief pitcher Cade Grimmius (Triston Sauerbrei relieved Brandner to begin the fourth). BEA had just two hits off Grimmius in the seventh, but an assortment of hit-by-pitches, walks, passed balls, wild pitches and defensive mistakes took its toll.
In the bottom of the seventh Worthington snapped to life at the plate, getting three straight singles after the first two batters were out. But the last out was made on a base-running mistake at second base.
Overall, there were few positives for the Trojans, but Brandner hit safely three times and drew a walk. And in Blue Earth's sixth inning with the bases loaded and two out, the senior shortstop made a superlative backhand grab of a well-hit ball and threw out the batter at first to end the inning.
Blue Earth Area evened its record at 8-8, using seven pitchers. Each one pitched exactly one inning.
Blue Earth Area 503 002 9 — 19-10-1
Worthington 220 002 0 — 6-11-9
