By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

The Rookies.

No, not the 1970s TV show about rookie policemen,, but instead Mark Hodges and Brady Medinger who made their high school pitching debuts on Tuesday and combined on a 5-hitter as the St. Joseph Flyers beat the South Gallia Rebels 15-2 in a 5-inning run rule game.

Hodges went 3 innings giving up just 2 hits, no runs, 4 strikeouts and 3 walks. Medinger went 2 innings, allowed 3 hits, fanned 4. no walks and only one of the 2 runs he gave up was earned.

“Hodges threw strikes and got his curveball over and that’s all you can ask for,” said Flyers’ coach Greg Bryant. “Brady Medinger has never pitched in a varsity game, either, and he threw the ball well. We needed to get these young guys some experience and they did the job.”

The Flyers hung a 5 spot on the Rebels in the first inning and added 9 more in the second to quickly settle the issue.

In the first, Medinger was safe on an error, Elijah Rowe walked and Blake Stuntebeck hit a sacrifice fly. Rowe later scored on a wild pitch.

Michael Mahlmeister reached on an error, Hodges was safe on a dropped third strike and Drew Brown was safe on an error for 2 runs. Matthew Heighton capped the rally with an RBI single.

In the second, Medinger walked and Rowe tripled for a run. Stuntebeck walked, Mahlmeister singled and Hodges walked.

Brown hit a sacrifice fly, Mahlmeister scored on a wild pitch, Heighton and Landon Rowe walked to load the bases. Hodges scored on a wild pitch and Kai Coleman walked to re-load the bases.

Medinger singled home 2 runs, Elijah Rowe was safe on an error for a run and Medinger scored on a steal of home.

The Flyers’ final run scored in the third when Hodges and Brown singled, Darryn Harvey walked and Coleman was safe on an error.

The Rebels got a run in the fourth when Tristan Saber reached on an error and Aden Conwell singled.

In the fifth, Briar Williams and Alex Oram singled, they pulled off a double steal and an error on the play allowed the run to score.

Elijah Rowe was 2-3 with a triple and 2 runs batted in and Medinger 1-3 with 2 RBI as the Flyers got 7 hits.

Hodges was 1-2, Brown and Heighton each 1-2 with an RBI and Mahlmeister 1-3.

The Flyers visits Western on Wednesday and Tolsia, WVa., on Thursday before hosting Sciotoville East on Friday.

South Gallia 000 11 = 2 5 6

St. Joseph 591 0x = 15 7 4

Alex Oram, Briar “Patch” Williams (4) and Aden Conwell. Mark Hodges, Brady Medinger (4) and Wesley Neal, Michael Mahlmeister (4). W-Hodges (IP-3.0, H-2, R-0, K-4, BB-3, WP-1). Medinger (IP-2.0, H-3, R-2, ER-1, K-4, BB-0). L-Oram (IP-3.0, H-6, R-15, ER-8, -3, BB-9, WP-7, Balk-1) Williams (IP-1.0, H-1, K-1). Hitting-SG: Briar Williams 2-3, Alex Oram 1-2, Aden Conwell 1-2 RBI, Tyler Rossiteau 1-2; St.Joe: Brady Medinger 1-3 2-RBI, Elijah Rowe 2-3 3B 2-RBI, Blake Stuntebeck RBI, Michael Mahlmeister 1-3, Mark Hodges 1-2, Drew Brown 1-2 RBI, Matt Deighton 1-2 RBI.