Riley no-hits Rebels
Published 2:58 am Tuesday, March 29, 2011
By JIM WALKER
Tribune Sports Editor
So what does Tanner Riley do for an encore?
In the first game of the season, the St. Joseph Flyers’ senior pitcher fired a five-inning no-hitter in a 10-0 win over the South Gallia Rebels.
Riley stuck out 12 and did not walk a batter as he threw just 56 pitches. He faced the minimum of 15 batters despite three St. Joseph errors. Riley picked one runner off base and two others were thrown out stealing.
“Tanner threw the ball really well for the first time out,” said Flyers’ coach Greg Bryant.
“Early in the season you take a win. We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us, but this is something to build on.”
The Flyers collected nine hits with Justin Mahlmeister going 3-for-3, Cody Blackburn 2-2 and Grant Geswein doubled.
St. Joseph scored three runs in each of the first two innings.
In the first, Payton Blair was hit by a pitch and went to third on Levi Hopkins’ sacrifice. Riley followed with a sacrifice fly.
Mahlmeister singled, T.J. Young walked and Blackburn had a two-run single.
Eli Lewis had a one-out single in the second and Hopkins and Riley reached on errors as a run scored. Mahlmeister capped the rally with a two-run single.
Blackburn singled, stole second and third and scored on Geswein’s double in the third to make it 7-0.
The Flyers got three more runs in the fourth inning.
Hopkins and Mahlmeister singled and Young walked to load the bases. Blackburn and Geswein walked to force in two runs and Joseph Payton followed with an RBI single.
The Flyers play at Hannan, W.Va., Tuesday.
South Gallia 000 00 = 0 0 3
St. Joseph 331 3x = 10 9 2
Haner, Spurlock (40, Matney (4) and Welch. Tanner Riley and Zack Dalton. W-Riley (12-K, 0-BB). L-Haner. 2B-SJ: Grant Geswein. Hitting-St. Joseph: Levi Hopkins 1-2, Justin Mahlmeister 3-3, Eli Lewis 1-1, Cody Blackburn 2-2, Grant Geswein 1-1, Joseph Payton 1-2.