Behind the 8-ball

COLE CAMP — Unfamiliar territory wasn’t friendly to the Cole Camp baseball team.

Playing in the Class 2 sectionals for the first time since 1998, Cole Camp fell behind early and couldn’t make a comeback in an 8-4 loss to El Dorado Springs on Monday.

The Bluebirds, who won all three district games by the 10-run mercy rule, found themselves quickly in a position they haven’t been in much this season — trailing.

The Bulldogs (14-8) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning on Steven Caudill’s three-run home run.

Alex Boonyakiti and Colt Whitesell reached via a triple and a walk, respectively, to start the inning, and Caudill uncorked an opposite-field blast to left field — and the Bluebirds were behind before recording the game’s first out.

“When you’re down three-love after one, it’s kind of hard playing from behind,” Cole Camp coach Todd Rusk said.

The Bluebirds (14-3) got one run back in the bottom half with the combination of great hustle from Garrett Gilbert and Trenton Miller’s hot bat. Gilbert drew a leadoff walk and went from first to third on Corey Vance’s groundout to the third baseman.

Miller, who went 2-for-2 with a walk and a pair of RBIs, drove Gilbert in with a single up the middle to make it a 3-1 game.

El Dorado added to its cushion in the third. Caudill ripped a leadoff double off the fence in center field and, after an error, Ethan McPeak singled through the left side to score Caudill.

Trenton Leonard followed with a bloop single to right, scoring Tyler Cantrell and giving the Bulldogs a 5-1 cushion — somewhat uncharted territory for them recently since El Dorado trailed in all three of its district games before pulling off late comebacks to win.

“It was a tough district for us,” El Dorado coach Brian Ellis said. “Those are the kind of games that put some age on a coach.”

The third inning could have been worse, but Gilbert got a groundout back to the mound and a popout behind home plate before striking out Corey Ketchum to end the threat.

The Bluebirds fought back with a pair of two-out runs in the bottom of the third.

Miller delivered a single to left to bring home Ron Herdman. Caleb Eckhoff drew a full-count walk, and Vance scored on a wild ball four to make it a 5-3 game heading into the fourth.

Cole Camp had a chance to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the fifth when Gilbert got Ketchum to hit a grounder back to him for a tailor-made 1-2-3 double play, but the throw to first sailed into right field and allowed Logan Schwalm to score.

“We made too many mistakes defensively,” Rusk said. “They put the ball in play and we just made mistakes and that’s part of it. When you face good teams, you can’t give them extra outs and we did that. (Monday night), I really feel the better team won.”

Tyler Rusk gave the hometown fans a good reason to cheer in the bottom of the sixth. Leading off the inning, the freshman moved up in the box and blasted a first-pitch fastball over the fence in left center field, cutting the deficit to 6-4.

“He made an adjustment and stepped up in the box,” coach Rusk said. “I don’t know how far that baby went, but it was a shot.”

The homer was Rusk’s 10th of the season and was the closest the Bluebirds could get as El Dorado added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh.

Starter Boonyakiti finished the complete game three-hitter with a 1-2-3 bottom of the seventh.

“I told him coming in that these guys hit the fastball well and they struggle with the curveball a little bit,” Ellis said. “He got settled in and he threw some good pitches.”

Cole Camp finished with four runs on three hits and committed four errors. The Bulldogs belted out 11 hits and committed two errors in the win.

Boonyakiti struck out six and walked five while allowing just two earned runs on the three Bluebird hits.

El Dorado will travel to Kansas City on Wednesday to face Barstow in a state quarterfinal game.