The Macomb High baseball squad took to the road for three games in as many days this week.
It proved to be a good week for the Bombers as they notched three victories, improving to 17-11 on the season.
On Monday, the Bombers scored a pair of runs in the seventh inning to escape with a 3-1 victory at Rockridge.
The contest was a pitchers’ duel between Macomb’s Jaxon Barclay and Rockridge’s Tanner Dye.
Macomb took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second.
Drew Watson and Aiden Reynolds opened with back-to-back singles before Barclay executed a sacrifice bunt, advancing runners to second and third.
Blaine Eddington walked to load the bases before Kaden Knupp hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored Watson with the game’s first run.
Rockridge drew even in the bottom of the sixth, scoring the tying run without getting a hit.
With two outs, Aaron Wheatley struck out on a wild pitch, reaching first base. Magnum Chisholmwas hit by a pitch before Cullen Schwigen reached on an error by Watson at short that allowed Wheatley to score the tying run.
The Bombers responded in the top of the seventh.
Knupp opened the inning by reaching on an error by Chisholm at second base. Hayden Katz followed with a sac bunt, moving Knupp to second before Isaac Leinbach popped out in foul territory to the first baseman for the second out.
Nick Elbe was intentionally walked before Jake Ogle singled to right. Knupp scored on the play, while Elbe advanced to third, Watson was intentionally walked to reload the bases before Elbe scored on a wild pitch, giving the Bombers their two-run lead.
Barclay retired Rockridge in order in the bottom of the seventh, including striking out the final two batters to seal the victory.
Barclay was masterful, allowing just one unearned run on one hit. He struck out nine and hit a batter. Barcley threw 90 pitches, 60 for strikes.
Ogle and Watson had two hits each for MHS. Knupp scored one run and knocked in one, while Watson and Elbe also scored runs for the Bombers.
Cullen Schwigen had Rockridge’s lone hit, a single with one out in the second.
Dye pitched 6.2 innings, allowing three runs, one earned, on six hits. He struck out two and walked three.
Braden Brown recorded the final out in the seventh, recording one strikeout and one walk.
Rockridge slipped to 21-6 with the loss as it saw its 10-game winning streak ended.
On Tuesday, the Bombers headed to Quincy to face host Notre Dame.
The Bombers built a 10-1 lead and the way to chalking up a 14-6 victory.
MHS scored four runs in second and five more in the third to build a 9-0 lead. The two teams traded single runs before QND scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to slice the MHS lead to 10-5.
But the Bombers tacked on single runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh on the way to securing the win.
Macomb had just seven hits, but also took advantage of 13 walks and four hit batters issued by QND pitching. The Raiders also committed four errors that led to four unearned runs.
Knupp had a big day at the plate for the Bombers as he doubled and homered, knocking in five runs. He also scored three times.
Elbe also had three hits with five RBIs. Barclay was hit-by-pitch three times and scored four runs, while Drew Taylor also scored a pair of runs.
Eddington pitched three-plus innings, allowing four runs, three earned, on two hits. He struck out three, walked five and hit two batters.
Katz pitched the final four innings, allowing two unearned runs on two hits. He struck out one and walked four.
QND (13-13) used five pitchers . Kaden Marth started, allowing eight runs, four earned on three hits in 2.1 innings. He struck out two, walked three and hit a batter.
On Wednesday, the Bombers headed to Beardstown to face the Tigers in a non-conference contest.
The Bombers scored in six of the seven innings they batted in recording an 11-4 victory.
Macomb scored three runs in the opening inning before adding on single runs in the third and fifth innings. MHS also scored twice in fourth, sixth and seventh innings, finishing the game with 10 hits.
Beardstown (6-14) scored once in the first and three runs in the fifth, finishing with eight hits while also committing three errors.
Reynolds had three hits and three runs batted in for MHS. Watson and Elbe added two RBIs each.
Leinbach scored three runs, while Elbe and Ogle both scored twice.
Elbe pitched five innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts.
Schulz pitched the final two innings, allowing one hit and two walks, striking out three.
Zach Meyer doubled and knocked in two runs for Beardstown. Colby DeSollar had two hits and scored twice.
Beardstown used three pitchers. Riddell was the pitcher of record as he allowed six runs, five earned, on five hits in three-plus innings. Riddell struck out four, walked three and hit three batters.
The Bombers wrap up the regular season next week, playing four games in as many days, starting with the May 19 home finale against Brown County.
