By Tim Taylor

Alex Matheny and Ty Helton combined to shut out Danville North Ridge 15-0 in three innings at Marty Pattin Field. Matheny pitched two innings of no-hit ball, registering four strikeouts and one walk, and Helton gave up only one hit, a bloop single over first base.

In the bottom of the first, the Trojans batted 14 players in the half inning. Many batters took bases on balls in the inning and stole and advanced bases ruthlessly. 

The CMS offense was helped mightily by Ridge Runners’ battery of pitcher and catcher. The whole game was a wild-pitch and passed-ball theatre of errors from the visitors from Danville. 

However, the Trojans put together some solid at bats to score 11 runs in the first inning. Chase King had a double to left-center for an RBI. Alex Matheny had an RBI-single. Quinn Taylor lined a double over the left fielder for an RBI. Ty Helton knocked a single up the middle for an RBI. 

By the bottom of the second, Coach Hanner had changed the CMS lineup. Artem Lindley had an RBI fly out to right field after Braxton Hanner walked, took second base on a wild pitch, and then took third on passed ball. 

To close out the game in the third, Jace Boyce walked, went to second and then third on wild pitches, and plated a run on a third wild pitch. Jacob Reed followed suit by scoring after a mix of passed balls and a wild pitch. 

Kirk Swenson walked and moved to second on a passed ball. Landon Schaefer walked. Hanner then singled to center, which advanced Swenson and Schaefer to third and second, respectively. Artem Lindley closed out the game by reaching on an error by the shortstop, which scored Swenson from third. 

The Trojans scored 15 runs on just five hits.