NEW CARLISLE – The Arcanum Trojans came out swinging, scoring two runs early, but couldn’t stop the retaliating onslaught from the Bethel Bees, who scored seven of their 10 runs in the first inning.

At the top of the first, the Arcanum baseball team couldn’t have asked for a better Ohio High School Athletic Association tournament start. Wade Meeks led off the top of the order with a deep hit to center followed by a double by Ben Sease, knocking Meeks in for the score. To follow, Kaleb Shilt’s booming single knocked in Sease for a second score, ending the Trojans’ at-bat with a 2-0 lead.

Not to be outmatched, Bethel retaliated with perfectly placed balls of its own. Travis Durst, Tyler Brueckman, Hunter Shelly, Christian White and Perry Casto all had a hit, run and RBI in the first inning, totaling seven runs before the end of the inning.

After its two-run surge, Arcanum wasn’t able to muster anything on offense, going three batters up and three batters out for the next three innings.

While they may have been in an offensive slump, the Trojan outfield and infield made accurate play after play, keeping the Bees at bay. With double plays and a great effort by Maverick Hildebrand to catch an out-of-bounds ball over the fence, Arcanum seemed poised to not give up any more runs.

Pitcher Wade Meeks was able to hold the high-powered Bethel batters to only one run and three hits until the fifth inning when Bethel dropped three more scores to make the score 10-2.

The game ended in the seventh when the three Trojan pitch hitters were able to connect ball to bat but were unable to get on base.

Bethel pitcher Kenten Egbert pitched a complete game with only two runs allowed on five hits, five strikeouts and only one walk.

Collectively over three pitchers, Arcanum surrendered 11 hits, seven walks and only two strikeouts.

For Bethel, Durst went 3-for-3 with one run and one RBI. Brueckman went 3-for-4 with two runs and one RBI. Hunter Shelley had a double that sent in a RBI, and he also scored. And Christian White had two doubles, going 2-for-3 with a walk, a run and two RBI.

For Arcanum, Meeks went 2-for-3 with a run scored and a RBI. Sease had a double, notching a run scored and a RBI. And Shilt went 2-for-3 with an RBI.