State-ranked Mexico picks apart Hornets 13-2

Fulton comes up with just three hits, drops third straight

It wasn't that the Fulton Hornets beat themselves. In fact, the rival and state-ranked Mexico Bulldogs completed that task all by themselves.

Fulton connected for a meager three hits and saw its losing streak reach three games in a 13-2, five-inning NCMC romp by Mexico on Friday night at the high school athletic complex.

The Bulldogs - ranked No. 9 in Class 4 by the Missouri High School Baseball Coaches Association - racked up 14 hits to sweep the season series with the Hornets (8-12, 5-7 North Central Missouri Conference).

"I don't think it was a case of us beating ourselves, it was a case of Mexico is a good team and they hit the ball well tonight," Fulton head coach Darren Masek said.

Sophomore Devon Keltner took the mound for the Hornets, making his first varsity start against Bulldogs senior ace Cody Creed.

Keltner rolled through a quick, effective two innings, retiring six of the first seven batters he faced. Keltner retired the Bulldogs in order in the the top of the first, then struck out senior right fielder Chance Harper to strand a runner at second in ending the second.

"He was in total command (the first two innings)," Masek said of Keltner. "He was throwing a lot of strikes, (Mexico) put the ball in play and (the defense) made plays."

Fulton's defense made some plays over the first six outs, but Mexico starting putting balls where the Hornets couldn't get to them in the third.

Creed opened the scoring with a one-out, two-run double to the right-field fence. He then scored on junior shortstop Brett Groves' RBI groundout to third in the next at-bat to make it 3-0.

Mexico's first three runners then reached in the fourth and junior left fielder Karsten Ekern's two-run triple to right extended the Bulldogs' lead.

Keltner's night was done after that at-bat as he yielded six earned runs on five hits in three innings to take the loss. He finished with one strikeout and walked a batter.

"I think any time you see a pitcher the second or third time in a game, that swings to the hitter's advantage," Masek said. "The second time through the order was a little different than it was the first time."

Junior Zach Franklin relieved Keltner, but the Bulldogs' barrage continued. Senior catcher Tyler Bracht delivered an RBI single, while junior third baseman Brayden Smith singled home two runs. Mexico sent seven batters to the plate and built an 8-0 cushion before Fulton was able to register the first out of the inning.

The Bulldogs scored once more to cap off their six-run onslaught in the fourth.

Sophomore first baseman Jared Peery's two-out single in the bottom of the fourth plated sophomore courtesy runner Alec Fleetwood with the Hornets' first run.

Mexico added four more runs in the the fifth to build a 13-1 advantage. Sophomore catcher Isaiah Pani reached on an error in the bottom of the fifth to drive in Fulton's final run.

Pani and Peery both finished 1-for-1 and Franklin was 1-for-2. The Hornets' inability to put runners on base - they had just six against the Bulldogs - has been a hindrance as Fulton bowed for the sixth time in its last seven games.

"The biggest difference I've seen is we're just not disciplined enough to get a pitch that we can handle right now," Masek said. "We're a little out of the zone and we're having a hard time stringing at-bats together. We're struggling to get guys on base in general."

Creed allowed just one hit and struck out five in three innings to overpower the Hornets for the victory.

"... You're not going to square up a lot of balls against him and hit them hard, and we didn't, and that wasn't a big surprise because he's good," Masek said.

The Hornets will host the Hallsville Indians in the first round of the 21st-annual Fulton Tournament at 2 p.m. Monday at the high school athletic complex. The Indians edged Fulton 6-5 on Thursday night in Hallsville.

The Hornets will then face either Rolla or Moberly at 4:30 p.m. in the winner's bracket at the high school or the consolation bracket at Westminster College.

"If we start playing the way we're capable of playing and the way we've shown we can play, we can be competitive in the tournament," Masek said. "But we have to start playing better than we are right now."