Mexico’s latest meeting with Highway 54 rival Fulton had moments that could be considered the difference.

Mexico vs Fulton Photo Gallery

The Bulldogs lost a 4-2 home game as its North Central Missouri Conference foe clinched a conference title for the first time in 22 years on Friday. Mexico struck out nine times against Walker Gohring and committed three errors on defense that allowed four unearned runs to score in the sixth inning.

Head coach Daniel McCarty admits there were some disputed calls on Mexico’s side as there was a play the Bulldogs (8-13, 4-5 NCMC) thought the tying runner for Fulton (9-6, 8-2 NCMC) didn’t touch the plate. There were a few called third strikes that the Bulldogs didn’t like, but that sixth inning and the five errors that hurt Mexico in its first meeting with Fulton hurt the team.

“Our pitching came through and threw strikes,” McCarty said. “We gave them eight outs. With a team like that who in their two-strike approach will throw their hands to the ball to the right side, we have to be able to defend that at all times. We can only control what we can control.”

Before the shaky defensive inning, Mexico was sharp on the mound and in the field as Kleinsorge needed only four pitches against the hyper-aggressive Hornet hitters. Fulton hit into awaiting Bulldogs with gloves ready, including some plays that seemed improbable.

Kleinsorge stranded two runners in scoring position in the second inning but was supported by a diving Andrew Runge on the warning track in center field to rob Dusty Hagens of an extra-base hit. 

“He was just getting ahead with his offspeed for the first strike,” McCarty said. “He executed around the zone, getting ahead and keeping them off-balance. He had some hard hits here and there and from time to time, but we’ll find outs.”

Mexico broke the scoreless tie in the third inning not long after Drew DeMint gave the Bulldogs their first hit. He ended up scoring on a fielder’s choice.

In the next inning, Tyler Thoenen blasted a pitch to the fence to double the Mexico lead with an RBI double. Gohring pitched out of further damage with two strikeouts.

Kleinsorge had traffic on the bases following a leadoff walk in the sixth inning and then the first of two infield errors in the 10-batter frame. Hagens hard grounder wasn’t fielded cleanly to allow two runs to score prior to a Gohring double and Justin Case opposite-field single made it 4-2 Fulton.

Austin Maxwell had relieved Kleinsorge only to allow Case’s run-scoring hit but left the bases loaded to give the Bulldogs a chance. No more runs would cross against Gohring, however, as began the seventh inning around 90 pitches before closing the complete game with 103 pitches.

“He was trying to get ahead so our plan of attack is to hit early,” McCarty said. “Their M.O. is first-pitch fastball outside corner. We’ve just got to be able to take it and use the whole field.”

Now Mexico’s losing streak is up to five games, McCarty said the important thing is to not lose confidence. The Bulldogs have played opponents with winning records in each of those losses, including two state-ranked foes and a defending state champion.

The victories have also been within reach as, even though Mexico finished with four hits and made a game-ending mistake on the basepaths trying to steal third base, the Bulldogs have stranded runners in those close losses — 2-0 at Kirksville, 5-4 Class 5 No. 2 Helias Catholic and 4-3 Class 4 No. 9 Blair Oaks — and left five on against Fulton.

“We’ve just got to get our confidence back,” McCarty said. “We’ e just got to be able to get over that hump. All it’s going to take is one game. We’re competing every inning, and we’ve just got to keep on attacking and not sit back on our heels.”

Mexico has a few games left on the regular season schedule as it begins the Fulton Invitational tournament on Thursday. The Bulldogs host Pool 1 on its home turf when it plays Class 4 No. 7 Hallsville (13-4) — who they lost to 7-4 earlier this year — at 4 p.m. Thursday prior to facing Fulton again at noon on Friday and then Moberly (12-9, 3-6 NCMC) at 7:30 p.m. later that day. On May 8, Mexico plays its regular season finale at conference and district foe Moberly.

After the varsity game, Mexico junior varsity lost 2-0 in five innings. Coop Bledsoe and Tyson Carr each finished with two hits while Carr allowed two runs (one earned) on five hits in five innings.

On Monday, Mexico's freshman team defeated Fulton 15-0 in four innings and 7-3 in five innings. In the first game, the Bulldogs finished with 14 hits and were led by Brady Fox's 2-for-2 with three RBI, Gage Walker's 2-for-4 (pitched three innings with five strikeouts, two walks and one hit) with two RBI and Wyatt Troesser's two RBI. In the second game, Fox, Walker and Cooper Manns each had an RBI, with Walker hitting a home run, while Walker struck out three in 2 2/3 innings and Cooper Rowe struck out three in two innings. 

The freshman Bulldogs earned first place in the Mexico Baseball Classic with a 3-2 win against Helias Catholic in seven innings and 10-0 five-inning victory over Hannibal. In the Helias game, Walker and Hunter Burnett each had an RBI while Fox struck out eight and allowed one run on three hits in 5 2/3 innings. In the Hannibal game, Chance McCarty led the offense by going 3-for-3 with two RBI and was followed by two RBI each from Fox and Walker and 10 strikeouts and three hits allowed by Manns on the mound.