Eagles Use Nine-Run Inning To Blast St. Clair

Sullivan erupted for nine runs in the fourth inning Tuesday and blasted St. Clair 12-1 in a Four Rivers Conference game.

Austin Frye had three hits, including two doubles, and drove in four runs.

Jacob Miller collected two hits and had a leadoff triple as part of a two-run first inning.

Garrett Juergens threw five shutout innings. He allowed two hits, one run (none earned) and struck out eight. 

Sullivan (8-1) continued their pattern of jumping opponents early. Miller roped a triple down the third base line and scored on Frye’s RBI single. 

Cody McKinney reached on an error when St. Clair’s shortstop made a throw to first that pulled the fielder off the bag. JD McReynolds also got on with an error at short, which loaded the bases. Frye scored on a passed ball with Juergens batting. St. Clair starter Sam Oermann ducked out of the inning without further damage, striking out Juergens and getting Will Allen to fly out.

Sullivan added another run in the third on some heads-up baserunning by Jacob Hatcher.

Hatcher led off the bottom of the third with a walk and advanced to second on a groundout to short. Oermann walked Juergens and ball four went to the backstop. Hatcher took advantage by moving up to third. He scored one batter later when Allen hit a sacrifice fly to center, putting the Eagles ahead 3-0.

Juergens, who allowed a leadoff single in the first, settled in and retired nine straight. Cole Venable reached safely on an error to begin the fourth. He moved up to third when Michael Hughes lined a single to center. The Bulldogs pulled off a double steal, allowing Venable to score on the throw down to second.

The wheels came off for St. Clair after that.

Braden Carey drew a leadoff walk from Oermann, then Blayten Nolie hit a pop fly into center that the fielder couldn’t make a diving grab on. Carey went up to third and the throw from center went into the dugout, giving the Eagles another run. 

Miller was hit by a pitch for the second time to put runners on the corners. Frye cleared the bases by shooting a double into the gap in left. St. Clair’s catcher attempted to pick him off at second, but the throw sailed into center. He scored when McKinney bounced a single past short to give the Eagles a 7-1 lead.