Youngsville’s Keegan Mesel (11) slides safely into home plate in front of Eisenhower catcher J.J. Darr during a rainy baseball game played Monday at Davis Street Field in Youngsville. The Eagles defeated the Knights 13-3. Photo courtesy of Alicia Elfstrom

YOUNGSVILLE — The Youngsville Eagles and Eisenhower Knights battled the elements almost as much as one another during Youngsville’s rain-soaked 13-3 win over the Knights Monday at Davis Street Field.

With the win, Youngsville improves to 8-2 on the season with Eisenhower falling to 2-7.

“I was happy that we put the ball into play when we needed to and ran the bases like we know how,” said Youngsville coach Eddie Dorunda. “David (Manning) did his thing coming in and throwing strikes. Going into the game, we were only planning on going 50 pitches apiece and we stayed within that. I wasn’t sure if it was going to take three guys or not, but David made sure it didn’t.”

The game was much closer than the final score indicated early on. The teams traded runs in the opening two innings and the score stood tied at 3-3 heading into the bottom of the third.

The Knights cracked the scoreboard first on an RBI single from Kael Hunt that brought home Camron Jakubczak. In the bottom of the inning, the Eagles knotted things at 1-1 when Matt DeSimone raced home from third on a throw to second by the Ike catcher.

Eisenhower went back on top in the second inning with Shawn Pascuzzi scoring on a long single by Jarius Casey. Moments later, J.J. Darr crossed the plate for the Knights after a sacrifice fly by Jakubczak.

Just like the opening inning, Youngsville responded in kind with a two-spot in the bottom of the second. Wyatt Dalrymple singled for the Eagles and later scored on a wild pitch. Ian Mancuso also scored when he raced home after a bunt out from Ethan Senz.

Youngsville pitchers Nathan Lucks and Manning combined to put up the first zero of the game in the top of the third inning and the Eagles broke things wide open with six runs in the bottom of the third.

Lucks, Aidan Mancuso (running for Manning), Keegan Mesel, Dalrymple, Senz and James Johnson all scored during the offensive explosion with four of the six runs coming home on wild pitches and passed balls. Mesel and Lucks had RBI hits in the inning.

As the fourth inning began, conditions began to rapidly deteriorate with first rain and then wind hampering the players on the field. Each team went scoreless in the fourth and Ike was shut out again in the fifth before the Eagles pushed two across in the bottom of the fifth.

Johnson singled and moved to third on an error and eventually scored on a passed ball. Lucks then crushed a double deep to left field and eventually scored on a wild pitch.

The game came to a close in the bottom of the sixth via the 10-run rule. Mancuso singled and stole second before scoring on a hard-hit RBI single from Talon Mesel. Moments later, Mesel scored on an infield RBI single from Johnson to end the game.

Keegan Mesel led the Eagles with three hits and Johnson, Lucks and Ian Mancuso had two each. Johnson, Lucks, Keegan Mesel, Talon Mesel and Senz all had RBI. Manning was stout in relief for the Eagles, earning the win and pitching 3.1 perfect innings with six strikeouts.

The Knights got one hit apiece from Jakubczak, Hunt, Pascuzzi, Casey and Garrett Jensen.

Youngsville is scheduled to return to the field Wednesday with a doubleheader at Forest Area. Eisenhower visits Iroquois that same afternoon.