Baxter baseball can't hold lead against BGM

BROOKLYN — The Baxter baseball team scored first and held a lead into the sixth inning, but the Bolts were limited to four hits during a 4-2 road loss to BGM on Monday.

Baxter scored twice in the third but couldn’t hold the lead after the Bears scored all four runs in the sixth.

BGM out-hit the Bolts 7-4 and won the non-conference game despite committing three errors.

Perrin Sulzle had two of the team’s four hits and score one run, while Ben Richardson doubled, scored one run, walked once and was hit by a pitch.

Sulzle leads the Bolts with 37 total bases and he’s tied with Richardson with a team-best 24 runs. Richardson is now tied for the team lead with seven doubles.

Colten Damman had the other hit, Cael Wishman walked once and was hit by one pitch and Hayden Burdess and Liam Trent each had one RBI. Wishman drew his team-best 12th walk, Trent now has a team-high 20 RBIs and the Bolts (10-12) struck out 12 times at the plate.

Colton Moffit (6-2) started and pitched into the sixth inning but took the loss after allowing four earned runs on six hits and six walks. He struck out six in 5 2/3 innings.

Wishman got the final out and gave up one hit.

BGM (16-7) was led by Beau Burns, who finished with two hits, one walk and one steal, while Dominic Coleman and Dakota Heishman each had two hits and two RBIs.

Janesville 10, Baxter 3

BAXTER — The Bolts had more hits than Janesville but stranded 14 runners on base during a 10-3 home loss on June 24.

Baxter led 2-1 after one, but the Wildcats tied the game in the third and then pulled away with four in the fourth, three in the sixth and one in the seventh.

The Bolts also scored once in the seventh, but it wasn’t near enough. Baxter out-hit Janesville 13-9 in the Iowa Star Conference matchup.

Richardson, Sulzle, Wishman and Burdess all had two hits. Burdess added two walks, one run and one steal, Wishman doubled and scored one run and Richardson scored one run. Sulzle now leads the team with 30 hits.

Aiden Johnson doubled, walked twice and had one RBI, Cody Spurgeon had one hit and one walk and he was hit by a pitch. Moffit, James Esqueda and Jace Bottorff had the other hits. Spurgeon leads the Bolts (8-7 in conference play) with 10 hit by pitches.

Johnson (1-3) took the pitching loss after allowing six runs — three earned — on four hits, four walks and one hit batter in 3 2/3 innings. He struck out three.

Trent tossed 1 2/3 innings and surrendered one earned run on one hit and two hit batters. He fanned one.

Wishman allowed no earned runs and two hits and struck out one in his one inning, while Nolan Hill surrendered three earned runs on two hits, one walk and two hit batters in 2/3 of an inning. Hill struck out one.

Janesville (13-11, 13-2 in the conference) was led by Trevor Forey’s four hits and four runs. Talan Pietz had two hits and two RBIs and Dawson Graham collected three RBIs.

Notes : The Bolts’ home game against Melcher-Dallas scheduled for June 25 was canceled due to weather. Baxter’s home game against Belle Plaine on June 28 was postponed to July 2. ... Baxter opens postseason play against Madrid at 7 p.m. on July 6 in Urbandale. The game is being hosted by Ankeny Christian Academy.