The Charleston High School baseball team won its fourth game in a row after beating Rantoul 10-3 on Friday.  

The early innings were controlled by the Trojans pitching with them going five and a third innings hitless.  

Senior Quinn Taylor started the game throwing three strikeouts in two innings.  

In the third, Ty Helton came in and pitched 3.1 innings, also getting three strikeouts.  

“Our pitching really was soild,” Charleston head coach Jim Miller said.  

Charleston opened up scoring in the first when with the bases loaded from two walks and a hit by pitch Chase King was walked scoring senior Alex Matheny.  

After a bases loaded walk to Chase King drove home senior Alex Matheny in the first to make the 1-0, the Trojans would be stalled until the fourth inning when Taylor hit a single that bounced off the glove of a diving junior Levi Duitsman and drove in King.  

“We didn’t start off exactly how we should have but after that, in the later innings our offense got going,” junior Wyatt Gordon said.  

The next inning saw the biggest production out of the Trojans. 

After two walks, Gordon hit a ball into centerfield, scoring two runs.  

The fifth run of the inning came from a Reid Brinkeroff single.  

Gordon said the key to the offensive performances was the leadoff hitter. 

“He starts us off and then everybody just does their part,” he said.  

Rantoul’s response was three runs in the top of the sixth inning.  

In the bottom of the inning after two walks to start Gordon smacked a two RBI double off the left field fence to make the game 9-3.  

Gordon then stole third base, and as the catcher tried to throw him out, he overthrew Stockwill and Gordon ran home.  

Charleston as a team recorded 10 stolen bases. It is the most the team has gotten all season.  

Gordon said it was due to the practicing of baserunning.  

The team gained 11 walks, the most this season.  

Senior Rohen Walters lead the team with 3.  

The Trojans start next week at home against Teutopolis before their series against Mt. Zion, who is currently undefeated in Apollo conference play, then go on the road at St. Anthony. 

Miller called the slate as “heck week” due to all four games being against highly ranked opponents and half being in the conference.  

Gordon said the key is to take it one game at a time. 

“No past or future, just present,” Gordon said.  

Jason Coulombe can be reached at 581-2812 or at [email protected].