Blue Jays use early offense to down Trojans

POTOSI — The Farmington Blue Jays came out hitting in their first at-bats to rack up a quick five run lead on the home team Potosi Trojans in a MABA 13-year-old game on Thursday. Tacking on two more runs in both the second and the third, the Blue Jays held on for the last four innings for a 9-6 win.

Justin Lawson started off the offensive barrage with a led-off triple, and he promptly scored on a single by Cameron DeBois. A double by Gunner LaBrot, and singles by Brandon Winder, Brayden Rawson and Noah Reichert drove in one run each.

Caleb Crews hit a two run double in the second and singles by DeBois and LaBrot in the third finished off the Blue Jays scoring. DeBois and Reichert were both 3-4 in the game.

The Blue Jays defense and pitching limited the Trojans to only one multi-run inning. Turning line-drive double plays in both the fourth and fifth innings, the Blue Jays were able to squelch potential rallies each time after the Trojans recorded extra-base hits in each inning.

LaBrot started the game on the mound for the Blue Jays striking out four and giving up five hits over four innings. Brandon Winder picked up the save, pitching the last two innings with three strike-outs.

Potosi’s Brian Chandler shut down the Blue Jays offense with three innings of no-hit, relief pitching. Chandler struck out five batters and yielded only one walk and one hit-by-pitch.

Potosi came up with some of their own power, sending Blue Jay outfielders racing to the high school fences to chase down their long drives. Jordan Huerta and Ethan Nixon both hit one-run triples for the Trojans, and Alan Eckhoff led off the fourth with a double and was able to score on a wild pitch after Garrett Wilkinson advanced him to third on an infield single.

Austin Heflin drove a ball up the middle of the infield for a single to score Huerta after his triple in the second inning.