Charleston High School baseball was swept in an Apollo conference doubleheader against Mahomet-Seymour at Baker Field on Tuesday, losing game one 1-0 and surrendering a late lead in game two to lose 7-5. 

Game one was low scoring with only a single run scored. That came in the second inning when Mahomet-Seymour junior catcher Tyson Finch hit an RBI single.  

Charleston senior starting pitcher Luke Bonnstetter pitched five innings allowing five hits and that only run while recording a pair of strikeouts. 

“I think we played them pretty tough,” Charleston head coach Daniel Bennett said. “We got a great game from Luke Bonnstetter.”  

The Trojans (5-9, 0-4) came into the matchups on a two-game winning streak having beat Cowden-Herrick/Beecher City on April 17 and Rantoul on April 18, both shutouts.  

The Bulldogs (10-4, 3-1) also came in with two wins of their own against Effingham and Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley.  

Senior Burk Anderson entered game one in the sixth inning and pitched two scoreless innings. 

Mahomet-Seymour senior starting pitcher Mason Orton pitched 2.1 innings allowing a hit and recording two strikeouts. Junior Nolan Sanderson came in to relieve and pitched 2.2 innings allowing two hits and getting three strikeouts. Junior Max Young closed out the game, not allowing a hit and gaining a strikeout. 

Bulldogs head coach Nic DiFilippo said the short pitching rotation was due to the upcoming conference doubleheader against Taylorville on Friday. 

“We had to get really creative with our pitching today so we could stay under the pitch count,” DiFilippo said. 

According to IHSA rules, if a pitcher throws 75 or more pitches, they must rest for four days. 

The game was very defensive with the Trojans recording three hits and the Bulldogs recording five.  

“No bats showed up today in the first game,” Bennett said. 

To start game two, Charleston leadoff hitter sophomore Russel Applegate walked and stole second and third base. Applegate scored on a wild pitch to score the first run for Charleston. 

Mahomet-Seymour responded in the second with two runs. Orton would score off a wild pitch to tie the game and senior Gavin Bailey hit a sacrifice fly to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead. 

The game would remain scoreless until the bottom of the sixth inning.  

Charleston loaded the bases on three walks and sophomore Wyatt Gordon hit a two RBI single to take the lead. Senior Owen Bennett hit an RBI double. The Trojans ended the inning ahead 4-2. 

In the top of the seventh inning, the Bulldogs reached base in seven straight at bats and got four runs in that time. Sophomore Paxson O’Malley scored off a wild pitch to start the scoring. Orton and Bailey would score on an RBI single for the Bulldogs to take the lead. Senior shortstop Camden Heinold hit a two-run sacrifice fly to score the fifth run of the inning. 

Charleston put one run up in the bottom of the seventh, but Mahomet-Seymour would claim the 7-5 win and the sweep.  

Junior starting pitcher Alex Matheny pitched six innings allowing five runs and recording a strikeout. Senior Phoenix Lofton pitched one inning allowing two runs. 

Charleston plays two teams in two days, first facing St. Anthony today at Baker field at 4:30 and then North Clay tomorrow. 

“I told the guys you get another chance tomorrow,” Bennett said. “If you want to be one of the better teams around you got to beat the better teams around.” 

 Jason Coulombe can be reached at 581-2812 or at jmcoulombe@eiu.edu.