By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
The East Troy High School baseball team ventured into non-conference territory Monday afternoon and came away with a hard-fought setback at the hands of host Janesville Parker.
East Troy put three runs on the scoreboard but it wasn’t quite enough in a 5-3 setback that dropped the Trojans to 8-5 overall heading into a home game Tuesday afternoon against Evansville.
The Trojans took a 5-4 Rock Valley Conference record into that matchup. Result were unavailable by press time.
Senior Will Iloncaie led the East Troy offense Monday with two hits and a run scored. Jason Dopke and Nick Bertschinger added a hit, a run scored and an RBI, followed by Nick Ruffalo with a hit and an RBI.
Chad Meddaugh and Jacob Schultz each chipped in with a hit apiece.
Bertschinger took the loss, as he worked six innings, and allowed three earned runs. Two of the runs charged to him were unearned.
The loss Monday came on the heels of a two-game split with RVC foe McFarland earlier in the week.
East Troy dropped a hard-fought 8-7 decision April 28 to the Spartans but bounced back for a 2-1, nine-inning home win two days later.
Leading the way in the victory were Iloncaie and Logan Mitchell, each with two hits and an RBI. Dopke added a hit and a run scored, while Ruffalo, Evan Wick, Ryan Olsen and Jon Ciriacks each chipped in with a run apiece.
Iloncaie pitched all nine innings to pick up the win, as he allowed three hits, a run and struck out nine.
East Troy held a 5-2 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth inning April 28, but McFarland scored two runs in each of its last three at bats to secure the one-run win.
The Trojans led 7-6 after a two-run sixth inning, but the Spartans pushed the tying and game-winning runs across the plate in the bottom of the frame.
Wick had three hits and three runs scored to lead the way, followed by Iloncaie with three hits and a run scored and Ruffalo with a hit and two runs scored. Schultz chipped in with a hit and a run scored.
Bertschinger, Dopke and Ruffalo combined to pitch all seven innings for the Trojans. Ruffalo took the loss.
East Troy traveled to Evansville Thursday and returns home Friday to host Parkview in an RVC matchup. The Trojans travel to Waterford next Monday, May 11, for a non-conference matchup with the Wolverines.
