WATERLOO — The Marshalltown baseball team was held to four runs or fewer for the seventh and eighth games in a row, falling 3-1 and 12-2 to Waterloo East in Friday’s Iowa Alliance Conference North Division doubleheader.

The Bobcats (6-21, 0-12) scored once in their first at-bat in both games, but the offense couldn’t keep it up and MHS remained winless in divisional play as a result.

In the opening game, Sam Greazel led off with a single, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored on Garrett Thede’s two-out single up the middle.

Marshalltown managed just five hits the rest of the game against Waterloo East pitcher Caleb Peters, who walked none while striking out 13.

The Trojans (8-15, 2-8) tied the game at 1-all in the bottom of the second, taking advantage of a dropped fly ball to score an unearned run against Zander Stupp. The MHS senior allowed just four hits but walked four and hit a batter while striking out three.

Waterloo East broke the tie with two runs in the sixth. A one-out walk to Phoenix Shipman set the table for the Trojans, as Keegan Aitchison drove him home with a single and scored on a two-out error by the Bobcats.

“In game one, we created momentum early by getting on the board in the first inning and then putting up a zero defensively in the bottom of the first,” said MHS head coach Colton Hanke. “However we need more than one run and we still gave up five free passes.”

Marshalltown eighth-grader Jalen Logsdon led the team with two hits in his varsity debut. Luke Stalzer and Larrs Schoenfelder added singles in the loss.

MHS again led 1-0 after the first at-bat, as John Schoenfelder got a one-out single and advanced to third on an errant pickoff attempt. He scored on the very next pitch, when Stupp plated him with a squeeze bunt.

“In game two, we executed with the few runners we had on base, but we were not consistent on the mound,” Hanke said.

Marshalltown pitchers Aiden Holmgren, Stalzer and Greazel combined to walk three batters and hit five more. Five of those eight baserunners eventually scored for the Trojans, who ended the game early with three runs in the bottom of the fifth.

East pitcher Maddox Harn allowed only one hit, walking three while striking out four.

MHS fell behind 3-1 after the first inning and got back within 3-2 after a leadoff walk to Larrs Schoenfelder led to a run in the second. He stole second, took third on a passed ball and scored on a wild throw to third by the catcher.

Shipman led Waterloo East in the second game by going 4-for-4 with a double, a run and six RBIs.

The Bobcats are off until Wednesday, when they visit Mason City for the final road trip in conference play. MHS hosts Waterloo East for a twinbill next Thursday.