LISBON — Like any baseball coach, longtime Lisbon skipper Randy Ridley wants solid pitching and hitting from his Greyhounds.
Ridley got both and an 11-0 victory over Telstar in a Mountain Valley Conference game that ended after the top of the fifth, when the 10-run rule was implemented under a warm sun on Thursday afternoon.
“It took us a little bit, but we hit the ball well,” Ridley said. “Once we got through the lineup and started getting going, that was a big key. We made the plays when we needed to and that’s what we did.
“It took a little bit, but I was always confident we would come around and we could put the bat on the ball, and we did.”
The undefeated Greyhounds (4-0) conjured up a 10-run uprising in the bottom of the third inning that featured two doubles, two triples and a total of eight hits, with three errors helping their cause.
Hunter Brissette led the charge at the plate with three hits, including a double, a triple and driving in four runs for the day. Jimmy Fitzsimmons singled and ripped a three-run triple and Levi Tibbetts collected three RBIs.
That third-inning explosion knocked out Telstar pitcher Will Doyle, and Brody Walker came on in relief and pitched the rest of the game. The Rebels (1-5) had only two hits, singles by Cameron Palmer and Frank Campra.
“It should have been a 2-0 game,” Telstar coach Scott Underhill said. “The pitching was good, but just that one inning we imploded — and it lasted forever.
“That’s what’s been happening to us. We’ve been playing with teams four to five innings and then that is it.”
Lisbon winning pitcher Mason Booker shut down the Rebels for four innings, striking out six batters and giving up one hit before Nick Ferrence came on in relief in the fifth after Booker cut his finger on his throwing hand.
“Mason came out and did what he was supposed to, and did well,” Ridley said.
Booker thought he could have gone the distance if it wasn’t for the cut on his finger.
“I think I could have, if my finger didn’t get ripped open and I was bleeding all over the place,” Booker said. “(I threw) a curveball and the laces got stuck to it and ripped the whole top off.
“(But) it was a pretty good win, but kind of slow in the first inning, but we picked it up later. I am just extremely proud of the guys. That’s about it.”
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