WORTON — The Trojans head to Cambridge-South Dorchester High School tomorrow for a first-round game in the Class 1A East Region baseball tournament.
Based on their regular season, it’s about the best matchup they could hope for as they split a twin bill with the Vikings (3-14) on April 10 at KCHS — winning the first game, 7-4, but losing the nightcap, 14-13, on errors late in a game that was abbreviated to six innings as agreed to by both head coaches because of approaching darkness and winter-like cold and windy weather.
Kent County (2-14) enters the playoffs on a 10-game losing streak, with half of those losses in mercy rule-shortened games by 10 or more runs.
On a more positive note, however, KCHS went the full seven innings in three of its last four outings, including the regular-season finale Monday at home against Washington to close out a brutal stretch of five games in seven days.
The score was 4-1, with the visiting Jaguars (4-14) taking a 2-0 lead on back-to-back home runs in the first inning.
Noah Iacona plated Scottie Ford for the Trojans’ lone run.
On two occasions, KCHS loaded the bases but failed to score.
“No hitting as usual,” head coach Jason Conner said matter-of-factly, restating a challenge that has come to define the Trojans’ season.
Cole Miles piled up a career high of 10 strikeouts over five innings while scattering six hits to pocket the win.
Miles and Dawson Daniels homered for the Jags on the game’s opening three pitches to set the tone.
Daniels homered again later in the game to finish 2-for-3.
Senior Tanner Beck started on the hill for the Trojans and pitched into the sixth inning before reaching his pitch count limit of 105, when he was relieved by Iacona.
Postseason is giving the Trojans a chance to reset.
“Our spirits are OK and we’re still hanging in there,” Conner told The Evening Enterprise. “At the end of the day, anything is possible.”
“There’s always hope,” he said. “I’m not the kind of person who gives up. … And this is a good group of kids.”
The winner of the Kent-Cambridge game will travel to top seed St. Michaels (12-5) for a region semifinal on Saturday.
Meantime, in the other half of the East Region I bracket, No. 2 seed Colonel Richardson (12-6) and No. 3 seed North Dorchester (8-10) receive first-round byes and will play on Saturday at Colonel.
