By Fred Kroner
Mahomet-Seymour’s baseball team ended the week with back-to-back wins to reach the 20-win mark for the second season in a row and for the eighth time in Coach Nic DiFilippo’s tenure.
On Thursday (April 27), the Bulldogs popped Hoopeston Area, 16-1, in Hoopeston and on Friday (April 28), M-S rallied to defeat Rochester at home, 7-6.
M-S gave up five runs to Rochester in the top of the fifth inning and fell behind, 6-5, before Mateo Casillas returned the lead to the Bulldogs for good with a two-run homer in the bottom of the inning.
Reliever Mason Orton pitched the final 2 1/3 innings, permitting one hit, no runs and no walks. He struck out four.
Other offensive stalwarts were Carter Johnson (3-for-4), Blake Wolters (2-for-4) and Casillas (2-for-3). Casillas and Johnson each knocked in two runs.
Scoring twice apiece for M-S were Casillas and Wolters.
Against Hoopeston, the Bulldogs garnered just four hits, but took advantage of 13 walks.
The M-S hits were by Johnson, Tyson Finch, Alex McHale and Ben Wagner.
McHale collected three RBI. Finch and Johnson both drove in two runs.
Johnson and Carter Selk each crossed home plate three times. Making two trips across the plate were Casillas, Finch, McHale and Wagner.
Johnson pitched three innings of two-hit ball and recorded his second win. He walked two and fanned four. Cade Starrick made his eighth relief appearance of the spring without allowing a run. He struck out two batters.
M-S (21-3) returns to action on Monday (May 1) at home against Normal University High.
