The University Heights Academy baseball team only needed five innings to record a 10-0 season-opening win over the visiting Fort Campbell Falcons on Wednesday night. The Blazers start off 1-0 in 8th District play while the Falcons fall to 0-1, with the win also counting toward All A play.
Junior Dan Johnson got things started for the Blazers in the bottom of the first, singling home sophomore Tanner Thomas and junior Drew McGowan. UHA continued to stretch the lead in its half of the second, with Thomas scoring on a wild pitch and 8th grader Eston Glover coming home when sophomore Adam Goode hit into a fielder’s choice.
The Blazers broke the game open with 4 two-out runs in the third inning. Goode reached on an error, bringing in junior Zachary Naylor and Glover, before Thomas got home on a wild pitch for the second time. Another Falcon error allowed McGowan to get on, scoring Goode for an 8-0 Blazer lead.
UHA added another run in the bottom of the fourth when a balk allowed Naylor to score, and they finished the game off with two outs in the fifth when freshman Luke Welch singled to bring home Thomas for the final 10-0 score.
Thomas had a big night for the Blazers, pitching four shutout innings and only allowing four hits and one walk with seven strikeouts. Thomas was all over the base paths as well, drawing three walks, stealing three bases, and scoring 4 times. Glover pitched the fifth for the Blazers, allowing a hit, a walk, and striking out one.
Glover went 2-2 at the plate and Johnson led the Blazers with 2 RBI. Naylor and Glover both scored twice, and McGowan stole two bases.
Sophomore RHP/C Edwin Syester took the loss for the Falcons, going three innings and allowing four hits and 8 runs, 4 earned, with eight walks and four strikeouts. 8th Grade 1B/LHP Ryan Sawyer went the last 1.2 innings, allowing three hits, two walks, and 2 runs, with 2 strikouts.
Sophomore CF/RHP Tyler MacKay doubled in the first inning, and finished 1-3. 7th grader Dalton Markus, sophomore RHP/SS Ahmon Williams, junior RHP/UTIL Elijah Crockett, and sophomore 3rd baseman Nathaniel Lake all had a hit.
Up next for the Blazers is an early-season 8th District showdown with the visiting Hopkinsville Tigers on Thursday. Fort Campbell will go on the road to Carlisle County on Saturday.
PHOTOS: UHA downs Fort Campbell in season opener