By RAY BENTON
Leader sports editor
After facing one batter and giving up a double, Lane Moore was untouchable as the Remington Bullets (10-4-1) trounced the Sylvan Hills Bruins junior American Legion team 11-0 Tuesday at the Sherwood Sports Complex.
Sylvan Hills leadoff hitter Lamar Hardyman fouled off three pitches and worked the count full against Moore to start the game before lining a double down the first baseline. From that point, Moore retired nine in a row, all nine on strikeouts before yielding the fourth and final inning to Nick Watson, who struck out two in the fourth.
The Lonoke-based AA visitors put together a seven-run fourth inning to blow the game open, but they led from the top of the first inning.
Leadoff hitter Shane Pepper drew a walk to start the game before the Bruins recorded two quick outs. But Pepper stole two bases during those outs and when Guy Halbert sent a hard ground ball into left field, Pepper scored the first run of the game.
Madison James then hit a fly ball down the right field line that went for an RBI triple and made it 2-0.
Sylvan Hills kept Lonoke scoreless in the second inning, but the Bullets added two more in the top of the third. The rally started with a leadoff single by Moore before Halbert went down swinging. James then singled to put runners on the corners and Watson doubled to right field to score one run and leave runners on second and third.
James then scored on a passed ball and Watson advanced to third before Sylvan Hills pitcher Jacob Riggs fanned Christian James and Pierce Johnson to strike out the side.
The feast-or-famine performance by Riggs continued in the fourth, but it became more famine than feast, as the walks began to equal the strikeouts.
Lonoke’s Cody Martin drew a leadoff walk and Pepper drilled a line-drive triple to right field. Blake Gooden then reached on an error at shortstop, allowing Pepper to score. The Bruins could have been out of the inning sans the error, as Riggs struck out Moore and got Halbert to fly out to shallow centerfield. But with only two outs, Gooden tagged on the fly ball and scored to make it 7-0. That’s when the floodgates opened on the home team.
Madison James reached on another error at shortstop and Watson walked. Christian James then walked to load the bases and Johnson singled to drive in Madison James and Watson. Martin then singled to score Christian James and leave runners on first and second. Pepper got his second hit of the inning, a single to right field that left the bases loaded. Gooden then singled to right to score Johnson and set the final margin.
Every player in Remington’s lineup got at least one base hit, with Pepper and Madison James getting two apiece, including one triple each.
Riggs recorded eight strikeouts in just three-and-two-thirds innings, but gave up nine hits and walked five as the Bruins committed five errors.
Lonoke will be in action at 3:30 today at Camden. Sylvan Hills will play Wednesday at home against the Conway Cougars.
