Flyers use balanced offense to knock off New Boston, 9-5

Published 12:00 am Tuesday, April 3, 2007

The hits just kept on coming.

Just the way coach Greg Bryant wants it from his team.

The St. Joseph Flyers had seven different players get hits as they beat the New Boston Tigers 9-5 Thursday.

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Caleb Blackburn went 3-for-3 and Cory Lewis 2-4 to lead the balanced offense as the Flyers improved to 3-0.

“We hit the ball all through the lineup. We’re getting clutch two-out hits and two-out rallies. It’s nice to have that kind of balance,” Bryant said.

The hitting helped the Flyers overcome 11 walks by pitchers Ryan Schwab and Cory Lewis who combined to allow just five hits.

“It was nice to get Schwab and Lewis some work. Once they start to find the strike zone regularly, they’ll be fine. The defense played well and Pat Gagai did a nice job behind the plate throwing out some runners,” Bryant said.

The Flyers erupted for seven in the second inning to snap a scoreless tie.

Lewis and Jerrod Laber singled and Pat Gagai walked to load the bases. Michael Basedow then drill a two-run ground rule double.

Tre Stambaugh, Schwab and Chad Harvey all walked, Blackburn was hit by a pitch and, after a double play, Lewis capped the rally with a 2-run single.

New Boston got single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings, but the Flyers added two insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Lewis reached on an error, Gagai singled and the two pulled off a double steal with pinch-runner Joe “The Shoe” Unger scoring when the throw to third base went into left field. Stambaugh singled home the final run.

St. Joseph hosts Symmes Valley at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

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Salisbury, Russell (3) and Holbrook. Ryan Schwab, Cory Lewis (5) and Pat Gagai. W-Schwab (7-K, 6-BB, 2-H, 2-R, 1-ER). Save-Lewis (5-K, 5-BB, 3-ER). L-Salisbury. 2B-NB: Salisbury; St. Joseph: Michael Basedow. HR-NB: Holbrook, Horner. Hitting-New Boston: Salisbury 2-3, Holbrook 2-4, Horner 1-2; St. Joseph: Caleb Blackburn 3-3, Ryan Waginger 1-4, Cory Lewis 2-4, Jerrod Laber 1-3, Pat Gagai 1-2, Michael Basedow 1-3, Tre Stambaugh 1-2.