COMSTOCK PARK – The Fruitport baseball team has had an excellent season so far, but hasn’t been tested very often.

That’s because the Trojans keep piling up blowout wins. Since May 6, they have won games by scores of 10-0, 15-0, 15-3, 10-0, 15-0 and 10-1, and that’s just a small sampling of the season.

But on Wednesday the Trojans had a real test on their hands and passed with flying colors, defeating a very good Hamilton squad 4-1 in a non-conference clash at LMCU Ballpark, the home of the West Michigan Whitecaps.

Fruitport won its 12th straight game and improved to 23-1 on the season. Hamilton, a former rival from the Trojans’ days in the very tough O-K Blue conference, dropped to 19-5.

“We’ve been in some blowouts,” said Fruitport head coach Nick Reed about seeing his team execute in a tight game. “Baseball has been easy for us. But I like my team, and I’ll take them against anybody. We’re really playing good ball and we’re starting to show we can do little things, which makes us dangerous. We just haven’t had the opportunity with the games we’ve been playing. But I know that we can do it.”

A big part of the Trojans’ success on Wednesday came from the mound, where junior pitcher Trevor Rusnak gave a performance fit for a professional baseball stadium.

Rusnak threw a complete game, surrendering just one run on three hits and five walks while striking out nine.

“I felt good,” Rusnak said. “I knew we were going to be on a good mound, playing at the Whitecaps’ stadium. I felt good in the bullpen, even on the flat ground bullpen. My arm felt great, and I knew my defense was there for me.”

Rusnak got stronger as the game went on, with all nine strikeouts coming in the fourth inning and beyond.

“I got warmed up even more in the first and second innings,” Rusnak said. “I was firing after that, and was counting on my defense to make plays for me.”

Reed was impressed with Rusnak and the guys with the gloves behind him.

“Trevor pitched outstanding,” the coach said. “Our defense was phenomenal behind him, too, and turned two double plays.”

Despite each team having some early chances to score, the game remained 0-0 until Fruitport broke the tie in the fifth inning.

Braxton Ward led off the inning with a bunt single, then Jax Flynn did the same.

Ward came home later in the inning on a fielder’s choice play to put Fruitport ahead 1-0.

In the top of the sixth, Rusnak led off with a single, and Brady Meister entered the game as a courtesy runner for him.

Ward hit an RBI single to bring home Meister, extending the lead to 2-0, then Flynn nailed an RBI double to right field, making the score 3-0.

The final Fruitport run came on an RBI single by Ryan Bosch.

Hamilton scored in the bottom of the seventh before Rusnak struck out the final two batters of the game to complete the victory.

Reed appreciated the chance to play and beat a former opponent from the O-K Blue, a conference the Trojans sometimes struggled in for a number of years.

“It’s a big win,” he said. “They’re a well-coached team and they work hard. They’re really just solid and the coaches over there do a wonderful job.”

Fruitport, ranked 19th in the state in Division 2, will return to action on Friday against rival Spring Lake at Muskegon’s Marsh Field.