Missed opportunities plague Highland 16U club in close loss to Trenton

A game that started with promise for the Highland 16U baseball Bulldogs ended with disappointment and some what-ifs due to missed opportunities.

The Bulldogs held a 2-1 lead after seven innings but gave up two runs int he final three innings and dropped a disappointing 3-2 decision to the Trenton Senior Legion club Monday evening at Optimist Field in Highland.

“We just didn’t string hits together and we had several opportunities with runners in scoring position and we just didn’t capitalize (on them),” Highland skipper Jed Eggering said. “It seemed like nothing went our way. Balls that were hit hard were caught, but it was just a rough night to be out there.”

One big reason for the offensive struggles was the Bulldogs had a one-week layoff with no games. It took Highland most of the game to find some semblance of a groove against an experienced Trenton team.

“I think that by the end of the game, they were starting to shake the rust off and the defense was getting a lot better. And with the hitting, we were taking better at-bats at the plate but we couldn’t string hits together when it mattered,” Eggering said.

Highland managed to break on top 1-0 in the bottom of the third. Trenton answered promptly against Bulldogs starter Mason Barnes in the top of the fourth to tie the score at 1-1.

Then, in the bottom of the fourth, Highland got the lead back 2-1. After the fourth, the Bulldogs bats misfired and were unable to produce another run for four straight innings.

“We kind of coasted once we were up and then we didn’t keep applying pressure like we normally do and we let them hang around and it came back to bite us,” Eggering said.

Trenton caught the Bulldogs with a run in the top of the seventh to even the count at 2-2 and then pulled ahead for good with a run in the top of the ninth inning for a 3-2 lead.

Bulldogs have chance in 9th; Barnes pitches well

Highland (4-4-1) had one last chance for a walk-off win in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and runners at first and second. A ground ball to shortstop killed that rally and the Bulldogs were left with what could have been at game’s end.

“We couldn’t get it done, but it was just one of those games,” Eggering said.

Barnes started and went the distance, pitching nine innings as he took the tough-luck loss.

The 16U Bulldogs get back to action with a 5 p.m. doubleheader Wednesday against Alton Marquette at Gordon Moore Park in Alton.