Hornets on a roll

Holcomb, Mo. - The Holcomb Hornets varsity baseball team defeated the Westwood Baptist Academy Eagles squad Thursday 18-3.

Holcomb entered the game at 8-3 and winners of their last two in a row.

Westwood went down in the top of the first inning one-two-three.

Holcomb, even with two walks and three stolen bases, managed to score only one run in the bottom of the first when Bryce McNabb was thrown out at home plate attempting to score from second base on a ground-out to third, resulting in a 6-3-1 double play.

Westwood scored a run in the top of the second with two outs when the sixth place hitter for the Academy walked, advanced on a wild pitch to second, to third on a passed ball, and with two outs was driven home on a single by the eighth place hitter to tie the game at one.

In the home half of the second, Sam Jacobs for Holcomb led off the inning with a solid single. Jacobs stole second and advanced to third on an infield hit by Jaxton Pikey.

While Trey Moody was the first out of the inning on a strikeout, Holcomb took the lead 2-1 on a wild pitch that scored Jacobs and advanced Pikey to third.

Starting pitcher for Holcomb Blaydon Joiner.Photo by Tim Caldwell

The inning ended on a soft liner to third by Christian Lewis that was caught and resulted in a five unassisted double play.

Westwood went scoreless in the third, even though sending six men to the plate due to one walk, one hit batter and one hit, they left the bases loaded when the fifth place hitter lined out to the first baseman to end the inning.

That missed opportunity for Westwood players came back to haunt them.

In the bottom of the third, Holcomb sent nine men to the plate, scoring three runs on three hits, two walks, two hit batters and two stolen bases.

The lead was 5-1 after three and could have been worse because Holcomb left the bases loaded.

Westwood made it close again by scoring two runs on two hits and one base on balls to pull within 5-3 in the top of the fourth.

But that margin was short lived.

Since Holcomb had sent sixteen men to the plate in the first three innings, Kasyn Guizarro's first at bat of the night was the bottom of the fourth and he opened the floodgates with a solid single up the middle.

Guizarro's next eight teammates in a row reached base, scoring nine runs on four hits, two walks, one hit batsman and a grand slam home run by Bryce McNabb.

McNabb's hit was a deep fly to left field that traveled high in 20 m.p.h. wind gusts that howled straight out to left and carried the ball just barely over the fence into the bullpen beyond.

Blaydon Joiner (00) poised to attack.Photo by Tim Caldwell

Guizzaro was the tenth man to bat in the inning. He was called out on a third strike, but Holcomb continued to roll in the inning sending seven more men to the plate for a total of 17, scoring 12 runs in the inning and ending the game after four on the mercy rule at 18-3.

Blaydon Joiner got the win for Holcomb allowing only three runs on three hits, three walks and three strikeouts and hitting one batter.

Holcomb improves to 9-3 and was on the road to face Puxico Friday, April 12.

Westwood Academy falls to 0-2.