Storm open with big win

TOULON — So far, so good for the Storm.

The Bureau Valley baseball team opened up their season Monday with an 11-1 win on the road over Stark County. The visiting Storm tallied six runs in the fourth and sealed the 10-run rule win with a follow up four-run fifth.

Coach John Matlick said that after pressing early, his squad settled in for some big offensive output later in the contest.

“I think that when we first came out we had a bit of opening season jitters, you could see it in their swings, they were over swinging.” Matlick said. “They started going up there with a little more plate discipline...and they started putting the ball in play and making some things happen.”

The Storm bats came alive in the fourth after taking a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning.. Right-fielder Cooper Frank started the rally with a one-out double to the center-field fence, and after leadoff hitter Caleb Baker drew a walk from Rebels’ starter Calvin Lewis, Rebels reliever Sam Klooster came on to relieve Lewis.

Storm No. 2 hitter Zach Wallace hit a duck-snort to right off of Klooster to load up the bases, and Klooster walked Ryan Hix to start the bleeding for the Rebels. After the Hix walk, an error from SC second basemen Evan Webber on a Ryan Hix grounder scored a pair for BV.

Storm catcher Sam “Goose” Lowers rocked a two RBI double off of Klooster and the next batter, first-basemen Tanner Schoff followed up with a double of his own to score Lowers and give BV a 7-0 advantage.

The Storm tacked on four runs in the fifth as the Rebels relief staff combined to walk in all four scores, giving BV an 11-1 lead that held up in the bottom of the inning to give the Storm the mercy-rule win.

Wallace, a junior southpaw, picked up the win for the Storm, throwing four innings and allowing one run off the Rebels lone hit, an RBI single to left from third basemen Vern Adams that drove in first baseman Andy Keiser. Wallace struck out eight while allowing only one walk and totaled 77 pitches on the outing.