Battling to take a sixth-inning lead against host PORTA/A-C Central/Greenview Saturday afternoon, the Macomb High baseball team gave it right back to the Bluejays.
The end result was an 8-3 loss that dropped the Bombers to 14-11 on the season.
PORTA/A-C Central/Greenview improved to 24-6.
After stranding a pair of runners in the top of the first, MHS broke the scoring ice in the second.
Blaine Eddington doubled to center with two outs. He advanced to third on a passed ball and scored the game’s first run on an error by Bluejay catcher Mason Huebner.
PORTA/A-C Central/Greenview answered in the bottom of the third against Macomb starter Jake Ogle.
Kolin Johnson reached on a one-out single to short. Jett Karrick walked on four pitches, advancing Johnson to second.
Both runners scored when Nash Donnan doubled to center, giving the Bluejays a 2-1 lead.
The home team held the lead until the top of the sixth.
Nick Elbe opened the inning by reaching on an error by Jett Karrick at short. One out later, he advanced to third when Drew Watson doubled to left.
Both eventually scored, Watson on a passed ball, to give the Bombers a 3-2 lead.
But unfortunately for the Bombers, their lead did not last.
Brody Landon opened the inning against MHS reliever Tyler Schulz by striking out, but reaching on a wild pitch that was strike three.
Schulz retired the next two batters before walking Lucas McCoy and hitting Johnson with a pitch that loaded the bases.
Landon scored the tying run when Jett Karrick reached on an error by Ogle at second. McCoy also scored on the play, giving the Bluejays a 4-3 lead.
Donnan was intentionally walked before Levi Hoagland doubled to center, scoring Johnson and Jett Karrick, upping the lead to 6-3.
Donnan and Hoagland scored when Hunter Nolan followed with a double to left, capping the six-run outburst.
PORTA/A-C Central/Greenview out-hit Macomb 7-6 with both teams committing two errors.
The Bombers had four doubles in the contest, one each by Eddington, Watson, Jaxon Barclay and Elbe. Ogle and Schulz added singles.
Elbe, Watson and Eddington scored runs. Ogles pitched four innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits. He struck out six and walked two.
Schulz was saddled with the loss. In two innings he allowed six runs, none earned, on three hits. Schulz struck out three, walked two and hit a batter.
Nash Donnan had two hits, including a double, with two runs batted in for the Bluejays. Hoagland and Nolan also recorded two RBIs apiece.
Johnson and Jett Karrick scored two runs each.
Hoagland pitched six innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits. He struck out 11, walked one and hit a batter.
Jett Karrick pitched the seventh, hitting one batter on the way to recording the final three outs.
The Bombers were scheduled to hit the road for three games in as many days this week that started with Monday’s contest at Rockridge (2-15).
On Tuesday, the team will head to Quincy to face Notre Dame (13-12) before playing at Beardstown (6-12) on Wednesday.
