Herd homers for Caston baseball in loss to Peru

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

FULTON — Noah Herd homered and drove in two runs, but the Caston baseball team could manage only one other hit in a 15-3 loss to visiting Peru on April 20.

The game was called due to rain in the top of the fifth inning.

Jackson Rentschler singled and scored a run for Caston. Gavin Mollenkopf reached twice on a walk and a hit-by-pitch.

Three Caston pitchers combined to walk 12, hit a batter and throw six wild pitches. Mollenkopf started and allowed nine runs (all earned) in two innings. He allowed eight hits, walked two and hit a batter while striking out two. Rentschler allowed two unearned runs in one inning. Edison Byrum allowed one hit and four runs (two earned) in two innings.

Caston also committed two errors which led to four unearned runs for Peru.

Peru scored in all five innings in which they batted. They scored four runs in the top of the first and never trailed.

Herd’s homer cut the deficit to 11-3 in the fourth.

Still, Caston (3-4) has scored just seven runs during their three-game losing streak.

“They’re real, and we’re working on them,” Caston coach Blake Mollenkopf said of the team’s offensive struggles. “So we’ve just got to get better. There’s no secret recipe. We’ve just got to roll up our sleeves and keep working, and hopefully, it will click before too long.”

Matthew Roettger homered and drove in three runs for the Tigers.

Peru 15, Caston 3 (5 innings/rain)

Peru 416 31 – 15 9 1

Caston 012 0X – 3 2 2

WP – Ryne Butt (3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 2 K)

LP – Gavin Mollenkopf (2 IP, 8 H, 9 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 K)

2B – Reis Bellar (PERU), Fox Huppenthal (PERU), Ryne Butt (PERU)

HR – Matthew Roettger (PERU)