John Bapst Memorial had lost four straight at home, but on Thursday they dropped down to 5-6 to make it five. They came up short against the Ellsworth Eagles, falling 12-4. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Eagles this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 14-0 back in April.
John Bapst Memorial saw six different players step up and record at least one hit. One of them was Sam Churchard, who went 1-for-3 with one stolen base and one run.
As for Ellsworth, the victory (which was their fourth in a row) raised their record to 10-1. Those wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 13.8 runs over those games.
On Ellsworth's side, Dawson Curtis and Jackson Berry were major factors no matter where they played. On the mound, Curtis struck out seven batters over five innings while giving up three earned (and one unearned) runs off nine hits (and only one walk). Meanwhile, Berry tossed two innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. At bat, Curtis went 1-for-5 with two RBI, one run, and one double, while Berry went 2-for-4 with one home run, two stolen bases, and three runs.
In other batting news, Evan Haskell was incredible, going 2-for-5 with three stolen bases, three runs, and two RBI. The team also got some help courtesy of Brayden Pooler, who went 3-for-5 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one double.
Coincidentally, John Bapst Memorial and Ellsworth will both be playing Old Town the next time they take the field. The Crusaders will head out to face the Indians at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, while the Eagles will head out to face them at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
