Baseball: Rochelle keeps rolling with win over Mendota

Hubs record sixth straight victory, dominate Trojans 16-1

Russell Hodges
Posted 4/21/19

Runs are continuing to pile up for the Rochelle varsity baseball team, and the Hubs didn’t stop scoring when the purple and white hosted Mendota on Saturday for nonconference play.

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Baseball: Rochelle keeps rolling with win over Mendota

Hubs record sixth straight victory, dominate Trojans 16-1

Posted

ROCHELLE — Runs are continuing to pile up for the Rochelle varsity baseball team, and the Hubs didn’t stop scoring when the purple and white hosted Mendota on Saturday for nonconference play.

Showing consistent dominance at the plate, the Hubs compiled 13 runs over the first two innings to swat Mendota away from the start. Rochelle cruised over the Trojans easily, winning 16-1 and extending the team’s victory streak to six games. The Hubs are now 10-2 overall.

Junior Gavin Ansteth crushed a two-run double to left that put Rochelle ahead 2-0 in the first inning. Junior Ethan Etes followed with an RBI single before senior Hayden Jones slapped an RBI single to give the Hubs a 4-0 advantage. Senior Louie Mancinas scored on a passed ball, and senior Zach Bernardin notched an RBI single to plate Jones and make it 6-0.

Rochelle fired off seven runs in the second inning, with senior Johnny Beck putting an RBI single to right and Etes hitting an RBI double to score Beck and put the Hubs ahead 8-0. Mancinas reached on an error to drive in one run, and Jones singled to add another run and give Rochelle a 10-0 lead. Senior Noah Knight reached on a fielder’s choice for another Hub run, and RBI singles from senior Brandon Johnson and Beck made it 13-0 Rochelle.

The Trojans avoided the shutout by plating one run in the top of the third inning. Rochelle’s three-run fourth inning began with back-to-back singles from Bernardin and Knight. Bernardin scored on a wild pitch to Etes, and senior Cody Johnson’s RBI single on the infield scored Knight. Mancinas reached on a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded to plate Ansteth.

Jones and Bernardin combined to do the pitching for Rochelle, tossing five innings and allowing only four hits while recording two strikeouts.