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Jefferson beats Blue Ridge, Martinsburg in strong start to season

By Staff | Mar 23, 2018

Jefferson jumped into the 2018 baseball season with an expected easy win over Blue Ridge (Pa.), and then handed previously unbeaten Martinsburg a mercy-rule loss.

The Cougars opened on a cold and blustery afternoon and defeated Blue Ridge, 25-7, with playing time for the entire roster, many of whom are first-year varsity players.

Four inexperienced pitchers were aided by an 11-run inning, and then a nine-run inning, as the Cougars fashioned 23 runs after just three turns.

Blue Ridge committed seven errors and its pitchers walked 12 and hit two batters.

Jefferson made four errors and left seven runners on base in its four offensive turns, and its collection of pitchers walked nine on a brutal day where the wind was a constant and the temperature hovered in the upper 30s.

David Dinges had five RBIs and three hits while reserves Will Ricketts had two hits, Coleson Titus scored twice, Jordan Trunnell scored twice and Dalton Reed also scored two runs. Catcher Dylan McCartney had two hits and shortstop Cory Daly also had a pair of hits, with reserve Regan Allison getting two RBIs and Ricketts also driving in two runs. Hayden Stang scored three times, as did Daly.

Isaac Carroll pitched two innings and got credit for the win. Cameron Winston blanked Blue Ridge in his one inning of work. The game lasted just 4.5 innings.

Martinsburg came to Shenandoah Junction on Monday with a 3-0 record, but fell 11-1 in another game limited to 4.5 innings by the 10-run mercy rule.

Trunnell pitched the first four innings and limited the Bulldogs to just two hits. He fanned one. Taylor Tennant worked the fifth inning.

Leading 1-0 going to the last of the third, the Cougars staged a five-run rally to move in front, 6-0. Taking a 7-1 lead into the fifth, Jefferson had a four-run inning to end things on the mercy rule at 11-1.

Of the Cougars’ 10 hits, Cullen Horowicz, Roman and Tennant all collected two hits each. Roman drove in four runs and scored twice. Horowicz had three RBIs. Stang scored three runs and Daly also scored twice. Dinges scored twice and had two RBIs.

With as many bad weather days as reasonable baseball days lately, the Cougars had a Sectional game at Hampshire postponed and a scheduled game against Petersburg for this afternoon cancelled.