At times the Greene County baseball team’s defense has been costly, and Friday’s 8-4 non-conference loss to the Carroll Tigers at Merchant’s Park in Carroll was one of those times. Five errors resulted in six unearned runs including all four in the second inning and two of the four runs the Tigers scored in the decisive fifth, which broke a 4-4 tie. Coach Kyle Stalder’s Rams are 1-13 while the Tigers improved to 6-12.

Junior Crew Conner doubled, singled, drove in a run, and pitched the first five innings. The left-hander fell to 0-3 on the mound this season after allowing 10 hits, walking three batters, and striking out three. Sophomore Teagan Chisholm pitched a scoreless sixth in relief of Conner.

Junior Lane Fields tripled for his first extra base hit of the season, while junior Isaac Carman singled twice and he drove in a run. Juniors Gavyn Winters and Camden Jacobs added base hits, as did sophomores Nathan Towers and Chisholm, plus freshman Jaron Jacobs. Chisholm also knocked in a run. Friday marked the first time this season the Rams had more than one extra base hit in a game and now they’re up to four on the season. Conner has three of those, all doubles.

Coach Stalder told Raccoon Valley Radio he was proud of the effort, and he feels the Rams still have good things ahead of them. The coach praised the way the team hit the ball and added he felt the game was Conner’s best as a varsity pitcher.

The Rams were missing their top pitcher in junior Noah Hinote due to family obligations. Carroll had a complete game pitching victory from junior Stone Sibenaller, the top pitcher in their rotation.

Four games are scheduled for the first four days next week starting with Saydel (Des Moines) at Allensworth Field in Jefferson at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.