Charleston High School baseball went down 1-0 early against Apollo Conference leader Mt. Zion in Wednesday’s game at Baker Field. 

In the bottom of the third, senior Rohen Walters and junior Ty Helton hit two singles.  

It brought junior Wyatt Gordon up to the plate. He hit a ball deep over the left field fence for a 3-run home run.  

“I got the pitch that I wanted and did what I wanted with it,” Gordon said.  

It gave the Trojans the lead for good in a 7-3 victory over Mt. Zion to earn a season series split and hand the Braves their first Apollo Conference loss of the season.  

“Tommy Lasorta used to say a three-run homer will bring you back,” he said. “From that point on we picked up our attitude and voice.” 

The Trojans (11-3, 3-3) scored two more runs in the third to extend the lead to 5-1. Senior Chase King bunted to score junior Russel Applegate, and Landon Shafer hit an RBI single to center field scoring senior Alex Matheny. 

Charleston tacked on two runs in the fifth. 

During senior Quinn Taylor’s at bat a passed ball scored Matheny, following that Taylor hit a single driving in King. 

Mt. Zion (x) finally responded in the seventh inning, when junior Evan Howley hit a single to centerfield which drove in a pair of runs.  

The win evens Charleston’s conference record at 3-3. Two other teams, Effingham and Taylorville, have the same record. 

Effingham swept Charleston, so the Flaming Hearts hold the third-place spot. The Trojans swept Taylorville, which puts Charleston in fourth place and the Tornadoes in fifth. 

Miller said the game before, a 5-1 loss at Mt. Zion left an impact. 

“We had an emotional letdown yesterday, and they knew it when we left the ballpark last night,” Miller said. “They put it together.” 

The next home game for Charleston is on Tuesday as it hosts Mattoon. 

Miller said the players understand the rivalry.

“I don’t even have to go and tell them, they know,” Miller said 

Gordon, who was the starting quarterback for Charleston football and helped the Trojans beat Mattoon 37-35 in the Coles County Clash, said he is excited for the series. 

“We got them in football, and I still remember that and I’m happy about that, but I got to them in my other sport baseball, he said. 

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