Lion baseball struggled to drive in potential runs Tuesday in non-district action, falling to the Dayton Broncos 2-1 in Livingston.
A week off in district allowed the Lions to schedule the Class 5A school for a home-and-home series. Livingston started in a 2-0 hole after the first two frames. An RBI-double in the first inning, followed by a triple and RBI-single in the second, put the Broncos on top.
Livingston attempted to answer in the bottom of the first with the bases loaded and one out, but a pickoff at third base and pop up stopped momentum.
In the third, a couple of singles placed Lions on the bags, but a suicide squeeze was unsuccessful. Braxon Smith had a sacrifice grounder to move runners up and Karter Nelson provided the only Livingston RBI with a base hit.
Livingston stranded two runners in scoring position in the fourth and loaded the bases with one out in the fifth, but could not get a runner across.
In the top of the seventh, sophomore Brayden Goins was impressive by getting out of a bases loaded jam with no one out without permitting a run.
Landon Hodges started the game on the mound for Livingston, scattering eight hits and surrendering just two runs, only one earned. He struck out six and did not walk a batter.
Goins threw the final two scoreless innings and gave up a hit and two walks, striking out three. Starting the game in right field, he also made a few defensive plays and found a way on twice, hit by a pitch and a base on balls.
Rudy Marquez was 1-for-3 at the top of the Lion lineup, with a walk and run scored.
Freshman Connor Lucas was a standout for Dayton, going 3-for-4 at the plate with an RBI. He also pitched three scoreless innings of one-hit ball, striking out four and walking four.
