Aggressive Red Devils run over Oak Ridge in five innings

CHAFFEE — The Chaffee offense hit the gas from the opening pitch and never let up Tuesday.

The Red Devils scored in every inning as they throttled Oak Ridge 15-1 in a five-inning baseball showdown at Harmon Field.

"We got some confidence [Monday] against Meadow Heights," Chaffee coach Brian Horrell said. "We came out and swung them pretty well a little bit and actually put some runs on the board. Just scoring some runs gave us confidence, and today we just kept it going."

Chaffee played aggressively from the start. Trenton Horman walked to lead off the first and Jerrod Steger laid down a bunt to move him over to second. But Steger placed it perfectly and was able to reach safely. Horman noticed the Blue Jays were a little lackadaisical, so he raced to third on the bunt.

It was that type of game for both teams.

"We just wanted to put the ball in play," Steger said. "We wanted to get runners on base so we could try to score early on them."

Steger went to work in the second too, smacking a run-scoring double to right field. He came around to score on Andy Hendrix's single to left.

FRED LYNCH ~ flynch@semissourian.com Chaffee second baseman Aaron Horrell tagged out Oak Ridge's Ethan Siemer during the fourth inning Tuesday at Chaffee.

"It was see the ball, hit the ball," said Steger, who finished 3-for-3. "It's just keep it simple. Usually I don't have a very good game at the plate, so this is one of my good ones, I guess."

Oak Ridge starter Garret Light lasted two innings and allowed seven runs on six hits and three walks. He struck out two.

"I think we're a little bit tired right now," Oak Ridge coach Jason Niswonger said. "Light just did not have good stuff today at all. He normally throws much, much better than that. But when you have to get four or five outs an inning, it will wear on you pretty quick."

Chaffee blew it open in the third with seven runs on four hits and five Oak Ridge errors. The Red Devils also took advantage of three walks. Eight players finished with at least one hit in the game for Chaffee.

"It's a great feeling because you know you're going to win," Hendrix said. "Everyone's hitting the ball."

Chaffee starter Russell Gardner made sure the Blue Jays couldn't rally. He struck out four, didn't walk a batter and was helped by his defense. The Red Devils turned a double play and Horman, the catcher, caught a baserunner trying to steal second.

"He was throwing strikes," Niswonger said of Gardner. "He didn't hardly walk anybody. The top of my lineup was hitting the ball hard, but right at people."

The game was over in a hurry, lasting just over an hour and a half. Steger said he appreciated the quick pace.

"It gives us more time to do whatever off the field, go fishing or something," he said.

The Red Devils improved to 9-4, while the Blue Jays dropped to 10-3. Niswonger said that while his team is making strides this season, it wasn't ready for Tuesday's game.

"Chaffee has a reputation for being one of the stronger teams around," he said. "I thought we were getting more mature, but I think we came in intimidated today. And when you have as poor of an effort as we did team wide, it is entirely my fault. You can't look anywhere else but my responsibility for having the team ready, and we weren't ready to play at all today."

Oak Ridge 010 00 — 1 3 5

Chaffee 437 1x — 15 12 3

WP — Russell Gardner. LP — Garret Light. 2B — Andy Hendrix (C), Jerrod Steger (C). Multiple hits — Chaffee: Je. Steger 3-3, Josh Steger 2-2, Hendrix 2-4. Records — Oak Ridge 10-3, Chaffee 9-4.