Hitting is contagious and all members of Gary Steele Karate caught a case Tuesday night against State Farm.
Gary Steele scored 10 runs in the first inning to cruise to an easy 13-1 victory over State Farm in boys 9-10 junior league action at Sam Martin Field.
Gary Steele Karate, which improved to 4-2, threatened to push the game to its expiration in the top of the first as the team started hitting and looked like it would never stop. Gary Steele Karate sent 16 batters to the plate in the top of the first en route to building a double-digit lead.
Following a lead-off walk to Curtlan George, five of the next six batters for Gary Steele Karate added hits. Jalyn Mart was the first batter to get a hit and he and George each scored on the first of two doubles for Jared Scruggs in the first inning. Braden Bottoms added a double of his own to score Scruggs and make it 3-0.
Donivan Scruggs and Braden Marcum continued the hitting spree with singles while Andy Thompson drew a walk to get on base. By the time George returned to the plate, State Farm had gotten two outs, but the lead had swelled to 5-0.
George added more runs to the total with a single to score Marcum and Thompson. Jared Scruggs followed by blasting another two-run double before Bottoms added the finishing touches with an RBI single to cap the 10-run inning.
Joey Rasori, who pitched the entire game for State Farm, stopped the big inning by forcing a ground ball to shortstop with the bases loaded.
Rasori accounted for the lone run for his team in the third when he knocked in Elijah Fults with a ground out to second, but the State Farm offense couldn’t find any traction against Jared Scruggs.
Scruggs earned the victory for Gary Steele Karate as he pitched four innings and allowed one run on three hits while striking out seven.
Gary Steele finished its scoring with three runs in the fourth as George, Mart and Jared Scruggs had RBI singles.
Jared Scruggs finished his big night 4-for-4 with five RBIs. Bottoms added three hits, followed by George, Mart and Donte Elam with two hits each. Thompson and Donivan Scruggs chipped in one hit apiece.
Noah Martin, Sergio DeSantiago and Kolby Newby had one hit each for State Farm.
In Tuesday’s second game at Sam Martin Field, Homeland Bank got a big night from John Garrett to beat Quality Mold 5-2.
Garrett had two hits, scored two runs, added one RBI and pitched six innings to lead Homeland Bank to its third victory this season. Garrett fanned 12 batters, including ending the game with a bases-loaded strikeout in the bottom of the sixth.
Justin Brantley, Will Wrisner, Jace Brantley, Hayden Lytle and Quin Goodson had one hit apiece for Homeland Bank as the team improved to 3-3.
Briley Moore, Kendall Patrick and Xander Lee had one hit each as Quality Mold dropped to 3-4. Dawson Waldron took the loss, pitching six innings and allowing five runs on seven hits while striking out seven.