BASEBALL: Indians mount a comeback, but can't stop Hornets
The Indians used five different pitchers and couldn't stop Nashville from piling on four runs in the top of the eighth to win the extra-inning conference matchup 13-9, as the Hornets swatted twenty hits against Du Quoin pitching.
The first of three lead changes came after A.J. Smith had put DHS up 2-0 with a two run homer in the bottom of the first, the Hornets got three in the top of the second inning on five base hits against Indians starter Jacob Valier.
Nashville padded their lead to 5-2 in the top of the third on Trace Musielak's two-run homer, then Du Quoin sliced a run off in the bottom of the frame after singles from Levi Brening, Brock Bullar, Braden Lee and Ryne O'Rourke.
The Indians tied it up on the first of two homers by Brening, a two-run bomb to even the game at 5-5 in the bottom of the fourth.
The Hornets' Ryan Brink hit a solo home run to break the tie in the top of the sixth, only for Du Quoin to retake the lead in the bottom on a two-run double by Cole Hopkins. Ryne O'Rourke also drove in a run with a bases-loaded walk during the three-run inning for the Indians, who led 8-6 heading to the seventh.
Another five-hit inning for the Hornets followed as Nashville crept in front 9-8, but Brening went deep again in the bottom of the seventh to extend the game.
"I am proud of the way our kids fought back in the game," said DHS head coach TIm Craft. "We just were unable to keep them from scoring runs. This was a tough, tough loss."
But Du Quoin couldn't keep Nashville from exploding for four runs in the eighth on a pair of two-run blasts by Dylan Mueller and Musielak.
Valier (1-4, R, BB), Smith (1-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, BB), Brening (3-4, 4 R, 3 RBI, 2 HR, HBP), Bullar (4-5), Lee (2-4), O'Rourke (2-4, R, 2 RBI, BB) and Hopkins (2-4, 2 RBI, 2B) accounted for the Indians' fifteen hits.
Du Quoin (12-9, 5-3) is at Pinckneyville (7-13, 2-6) on Tuedsay, at Benton on Wednesday, then at home on Thursday against Waltonville and on Friday against Anna-Jonesboro.
"We are going to have to grind it out this week and find some good pitching performances," Craft said. "Twelve games in twelve days is pretty tough."