Hot Springs struggled to get its rhythm as Camden Fairview rolled over the Trojans, 13-0, in five innings in their second consecutive 5A/6A-6 loss after falling to Lakeside on Tuesday.
Ben Slate got the only hit for the Trojans (3-2, 0-2), going 1-for-2 at the plate, as he hit a hard grounder to the left-center field fence for a double in the bottom of the fifth.
The Cardinals (2-4, 1-1) picked up a pair of runs in the top of the first, both unearned as Braden Sarver committed an error to let a Camden Fairview runner reach.
"The only thing you can take from this is the mistakes that we made, hopefully we learn from them," said Trojans head coach Brandon Bates. "You're always going to learn more from a loss. There was a lot of mistakes that we made today -- routine balls not being caught.
We're out of the inning, the double-play ball in the first inning, we're out of the inning without them scoring a run and ends up costing us two. We have a pop-up over here at first base that we drop, cost us three. It's just little things like that. They've got to make routine plays, and that's where we are trying to get to."
Slate took six pitches and the free base to lead off the Trojans in the bottom of the inning, but Hot Springs' offense stalled as the next three went down in order.
Shawn Lingo let two on base in the top of the second with a walk and a hit batter. Two singles and an error made it 5-0 before a pair of wild pitches sent two more runners across the plate to make it 7-0 in the middle of the second.
The Cardinals put up three more in the top of the third to make it 10-0 before retiring the Trojans in order.
The Trojan defense caught a pair of runners, catching one stealing and putting out a second on the path home to keep the Cardinals scoreless in the fourth.
With one out, Bubba Driver reached on an error and advanced to second on a walk by Sebastian Love. The pair stole to the back side of the diamond, putting the Trojans in their best offensive position of the game, but Driver was ousted on a fielder's choice that let Hayden Wisener on base.
"He had a big outfielder's glove on," Bates said. "If he had an infielder's glove on, that ball would have been down, but it hit right off the end of that outfielder's glove and stuck in there. It was a good play by him. He made an athletic play on that."
Unfortunately for Hot Springs, no one else had a shot for the plate, sending the Cardinals back to score their final three runs.
Slate, Driver, Love and Philip Pike each stole a base for the Trojans. Lingo collected the loss with 2 2/3 innings on the mound, giving up eight earned runs off four hits, three walks and three hit batters while striking out four.
Driver gave up two hits and three walks while striking out one in 1 1/3 innings, and Elias Parker gave up the final three runs on four hits, one walk and one hit batter.
Niles Smith earned the win for the Cardinals, giving up one hit and three walks while striking out eight.
The Trojans travel to Hope Tuesday, and the Cardinals play host to El Dorado this afternoon before returning to town to face Lakeside on Tuesday.
Sports on 03/09/2018