The Jefferson City Renegades played the second of consecutive exhibition games Tuesday night.
On Monday, the pitching dominated as the Renegades tossed a one-hitter in a 7-0 victory against the KC Monarchs. It was a different story Tuesday as the offenses took over, but still ended in a Renegades victory.
Jefferson City jumped out to a 15-2 lead after five innings before settling on a 15-9 win against the St. Louis Pirates at Vivion Field.
"We threw some guys who hadn't been on the mound a lot and they showed their rust," Renegades manager Mike DeMilia said. "But they are guys that we are going to be counting on the rest of the season, so it was good to get them out there."
The teams combined for 20 hits and 24 walks in the contest. The Pirates are a travel team out of St. Louis featuring high school upperclassmen.
"They have some talent, they have five guys who have already committed to Division I schools," DeMilia said.
After the Pirates got a run in the first off Renegades starter Tyler Swehla, Jefferson City answered with five runs on three hits and three walks in the bottom of the inning.
All five runs were scored after there was nobody on with two outs. Nolan Sachse had a two-run single to key the inning, while Mason Price and Avery Jennings each picked up an RBI.
Cole Evans and Price drove in runs in a two-run third for the Renegades. The Pirates then got a run in the fifth before the Renegades blew the game open with eight runs in the bottom of the inning.
Jefferson City sent 13 batters to the plate, getting six hits and drawing two walks in the frame. Brandon Beeler and Jackson Walker drove in two runs each in the inning. Jady Reese, Tyler Cunningham, Price and Jake Litteken each had one RBI.
After that
"We went on cruise control a little bit," DeMilia said.
The Pirates got a run in the sixth before scoring three runs in the seventh and the eighth.
Price led the Renegades with three hits. Four others - Litteken, Sachse, Beeler and Jordan Smith - added two each.
Swehla pitched three innings, allowing a run on one hit and four walks with two strikeouts.
Chuck Whitson got the win in relief, working the next two innings. He allowed a run on two hits and a walk. Jordan Copeland pitched the sixth and seventh, allowing four runs on three hits and two walks to go along with two strikeouts. Ethan O'Keefe pitched the eighth, allowing three runs on a hit and a walk to go along with a strikeout. Kolton Clark worked the ninth, walking one before striking out the final batter of the game.
The Renegades (11-12) will play another exhibition game today at Cassville before heading to Chillicothe for a three-game MINK League series starting Friday.
"Chillicothe will be a huge series for us," DeMilia said. "They're a lot like us, they got off to a good start and have kind of flattened out recently. It should be a test of wills."
The Renegades are 9-12 in league action this season.