NEW BEDFORD – Dartmouth High’s baseball team will have to wait another year for a chance to top the Southeast Conference following a 4-2 loss to Bridgewater-Raynham on June 15.

Dartmouth struck early, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning with an RBI single from Jacob Moniz and a sacrifice fly from Ethan Marques. The Trojans would answer back with two runs of their own in the second.

The Indians threatened a few times, but were unable to get a tie-breaking run — including a bases-loaded scenario in the top of the fifth.

That tie-breaking honor would go to Bridgewater after a hectic sixth inning that saw the Trojans take a two-run lead and the conference title.

“Right off the bat we score two and then we kind of fall asleep,” head coach Michael Frates said. 

One of the key issues, the coach said, was with fielding.

“Defensively, we fell apart,” he said. “Same thing happened last time we played them.” 

Frates noted that there was still plenty to be proud of from his squad. One of the biggest highlights was Marques’ pitching, especially his ability to escape situations with multiple runners in scoring position.

“That’s a real testament to him,” the coach said.

Although they are not top in the conference, the Indians will continue on to the MIAA state tournament — the first tournaments since the basketball and hockey state finals were canceled last spring. 

According to Frates, teams should know their matchups sometime on June 16.

“Just tell us where we’re playing and who we’re playing,” he said. “There’s little things we have to go over, but we’ll be there to play.”