BUCYRUS (Crawford County Now) — With young teams come growing pains.

Both Bucyrus and Elgin discovered that Monday. The difference came in the form of errors.

The Redmen committed 13 errors, and the Comets only scored three earned runs. But an error-filled sixth inning allowed Elgin to score seven times and come away with a 15-8 win in the season-opener for Bucyrus at Veterans’ Memorial Field.

The Redmen displayed some offensive prowess, digging out of an 8-1 deficit with four runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to tie the game at 8-8.

“I’m proud of the way they fought there at the plate,” Bucyrus coach Thad Hensel said. “I think (Elgin) had 3 earned runs across the day.”

Both coaches had to be cognizant of pitching demands for the week, prompting some changes unrelated to performance.

“Normally, the kid who threw tonight (Braydon Lowry) is our one or our two (pitcher),” Elgin coach Andy Steck said. “We’ve got a banged-up arm, so we pulled him so we could have him for Thursday.”

Lowery breezed through his three innings, striking out five, walking three and surrendering on run. Due to the innings crunch, he was replaced by Evan James.

Bucyrus took advantage of the change to score four runs in the fourth inning, banging out five hits, including a two-run double by Isaac Makeever. The Redmen added three in the fifth to tie the game.

“We’ve got to work on staying out of 3-2 counts,” Steck said. “I think our starter had four or five batters with a 3-2 count. If we can cut that down, the runs will come down with it.”

But the tables were turned on the Redmen in the sixth. Elgin (1-1) sent 13 batters to the plate in the frame. Three hits, four walks, and three errors accounted for seven Comets’ runs to give the visitors a 15-8 lead and Bucyrus could not recover.

The Redmen outhit the visitors, 12-9, but the errors more than made up the difference for Elgin.

Wyatt Makeever led the Redmen with four hits including two doubles and scored three times. Grant Davis had three singles and scored twice, while Isaac Makeever doubled and singled and drove in three runs. Ben Jones singled twice and Cohen Chapman added a single.

For Elgin, Colton Ware doubled and singled, and Mason Timmons singled twice and scored three tuns. Cooper Lykens doubled, while James, Lowry, Peyton Zempter, and Trevor Caplinger singled. Eight of nine Comets in the lineup scored at least one run.

“In the four scrimmages we had, we had 10 hits combined,” Steck said. “Our first game we had seven. With a young team, it’s slowly coming.”

“Way too many errors. Way too many errors,” Hensel said. “Defensively, we just didn’t get the job done. We did good at the plate, battled, worked the count. It leaves a bitter taste in our mouth, losing like that.”

Hensel is fighting the same pitching situation as Steck.

“We’ve got another four games this week,” Hensel said. “Two are league games with Upper Sandusky and that’s never an easy team.”

The issues are correctable according to the coach.

“We need to clean up our defense, attack the ball, and see what we can do.”

Box score

Elgin          035 007 0      15       9       4

Bucyrus    100 430 0        8      12    13

WP: Colton Ware (5 SO, 0 W)

LP: Quin Ross (0 SO, 4 W)

HR: None.

Triples: None.

Doubles: (E) Colton Ware, Cooper Lykins; (B) Wyatt Makeever 2, Isaac Makeever.

Multiple hits: (E) Colton Ware, Mason Timmons; (B) Wyatt Makeever 4, Grant Davis 3, Isaac Makeever, Ben Jones.

Records: Elgin 1-1; Bucyrus 0-1.

Next: Elgin at Mechanicsburg, Tuesday; Upper Sandusky at Bucyrus, Tuesday.