Jay Co. dominates opener

Saturday's season-opening win was every bit the team effort.

Eight out of nine batters in the starting lineup got at least one hit. The other also reached base twice.

Four pitchers combined for a three-hitter. They retired eight straight batters to end the game.

And only ending the game an inning early kept every player on the bench from getting into the game.

Overall it was an excellent start to the season for the Jay County High School baseball team in an 11-1, six-inning rout of the visiting Northeastern Knights.

"It's good to get started with a win," said JCHS coach Lea Selvey. "You never know ... until you start playing. I saw some things that I liked today. We had some nice defensive plays."

The Patriots gave up an unearned run in the top of the first inning, but quickly erased the deficit in the bottom of the frame and never looked back.

Nathaniel Brown opened the JCHS season with a single to center field, and each of the first six batters reached base. Brown was forced out on a fielder's choice by Mike Masters, but Masters followed by stealing second base and scoring on a single from senior Billy Wellman.

Phil Powell added an RBI single to score Wellman, and Colton Lombardo and Willie Mayfield each added hits to load the bases. A sacrifice fly to center field by catcher Tyler Freyburgher brought home Powell, and Jon Pettus made the score 4-0 with an infield RBI single.

Northeastern (0-1) managed just one hit over the course of the final five innings while the Patriots scored at least one run in each.

"The kids hit the ball," said Selvey. "All the starters had a hit except for Michael (Daniels), and he made two defensive plays that were just as important as the hits. ... Everybody did their job."

"It's good to get started with a win."

It was a banner day for Masters, who was making his first varsity start. After scoring in the first inning he got his first varsity hit with a single to left in the second.

It got even better in the fifth inning, when the junior led off with a home run to left field. He finished with three runs, two hits, two RBIs and a stolen base.

"It was a fastball inside," said Masters, who turned on the pitch and ripped his line-drive homer down the left-field line. "It felt good. It was nice."

Wellman and Powell each went 3-for-4 with two hits and two RBIs. Brown, Lombardo and Mayfield added two hits apiece, and Pettus stole a pair of bases.

Jay County hit .516 (16-for-31) as a team in the opener. It also drew six walks, including a bases-loaded, RBI walk by Wellman in the sixth inning to end the game.

"This group here is going to show a little power," said Selvey. "But I think average-wise (we're going to be good). We're going to be able to steal and do some hit-and-run more than we needed to last year."

In addition to his hitting effort, Masters also picked up the win. He pitched a one-two-three fifth inning, striking out one batter.

Wellman retired the side in order in the sixth inning, also recording one strikeout. Skyler Petty and Phil Powell each tossed two innings, and the only run against Petty was unearned.

"Our pitchers threw strikes; no passed balls," said Selvey. "That's the key. If you don't walk people and make errors you're going to put yourself in position to win games."

Jay County lost the junior varsity half of Saturday's double-header 8-7, giving up all of the runs in the final two innings.[[In-content Ad]]