Baseball Recap: Belle Plaine Takes a Loss

Belle Plaine extended their losing streak (dating back to last season) to 22 on Thursday, dropping their season record down to 0-21 in the process. They lost 14-4 to the Chaparral Roadrunners. Unfortunately, that's the third time they've come up short against the Roadrunners this season, with their most recent loss being a 8-1 defeat on Thursday.

Braeden Ballinger made the most of his time at bat despite the final result and went a perfect 2-for-2 with one triple, one run, and one double.

As for Chaparral, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 10-8-1 record this season. With that win, they brought their scoring average up to 6.2 runs per game.

On Chaparral's side, Daxton Hostetler was a major factor no matter where he played. On the mound, he didn't allow a single earned run and allowed only one hit over four innings pitched. Hostetler was also solid in the batter's box, getting on base in three of his four plate appearances with two RBI.

In other batting news, Carter Hostetler was a standout: he went 2-for-4 with three runs and two RBI. He has become a key player for Chaparral: the team is 6-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 4-7-1 otherwise. Another player making a difference was Ty Hadsall, who got on base in four of his five plate appearances with two runs, one stolen base, and two RBI.

Looking ahead, Belle Plaine will be playing in front of their home fans against Wellington on Monday. The Crusaders will roll in looking for their seventh straight victory, something the Dragons surely won't give up without a fight. As for Chaparral, they will head out on the road to face off against Douglass at 4:00 p.m. on Monday.