Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth senior Lyle DeBoer tosses a runner out at first base for the Patriot baseball team. DeBoer and the Patriots dropped three straight games since last Thursday.
By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth baseball team came up on the short end of a 5-2 decision in a Red Rock Conference clash against Red Rock Central-Westbrook-Walnut Grove in Hills Thursday.
Visiting RRC-W-WG scored five runs in the first five innings, and pitcher Colby Pack never lost the lead as his team avenged an early-season loss to the Patriots.
H-BC-E pitcher David Top also tossed a strong game, but it wasn't enough to beat RRC-W-WG.
The visitors scored a single run in the top of the first and added four more in the fifth to open a 5-0 cushion.
H-BC-E plated single runs in the sixth and seventh frames, but the Patriots couldn't complete a comeback.
Justin Van Maanen singled, stole second and scored H-BC-EÕs sixth-inning run when Darin DeBoer singled.
Brant Deutsch doubled and scored in the seventh when Chris Tiesler singled.
Top pitched all seven innings and recorded seven strikeouts for the Patriots.
DeBoer led the Patriots at the plate by hitting safely twice in three trips to the plate.