RUSSELLVILLE -- The Russellville Indians had good at-bats the first time through the batting order Monday. It just didn’t produce any runs.
The second time through the order, the Indians showed why they’re the No. 1 team in the state.
Russellville scored four runs in the third inning and tacked on two insurance runs in the fourth to beat the Salisbury Panthers 6-2 in the Class 2 state sectional round.
“The first couple innings gave our guys confidence,” Russellville coach Lucas Branson said. “We were taking some really good, quality at-bats against their starter, and that was something that we had prepared for with that pitcher.
“That gave everybody in the lineup confidence that we were going to be successful, and it came to happen in the third and fourth innings.”
Russellville (26-4), which has shattered the previous school single-season record of 20 wins, advances to the state quarterfinals. The Indians will host Class 2 No. 3 Putnam County (18-2) at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Putnam County won its sectional game 7-2 against Louisiana on Monday.
“These kids expect to be in this spot,” Branson said. “… They know, when they step out here, they’re going to be a tough team to beat.”
Gallery: Russellville Baseball vs. Salisbury
Charlie Miller pitched a complete game for the Indians, throwing 103 pitches in seven innings. Miller threw a two-hitter, striking out 12 while walking three.
Miller’s first 11 pitches were strikes, as he attacked the zone early against Salisbury.
“The first couple innings, I was able to locate my fastball,” Miller said. “Later in the game, I started working on my changeup a little bit more. But throughout the game, the fastball was probably my best pitch I threw.”
Russellville’s offense left the bases loaded in the first inning and stranded a runner on third in the second. Then, in the top of the third, the first six Indians who stepped to the plate reached base.
Jake Schulte lined a single that just popped out of the second baseman’s glove to start the inning. Courtesy runner Brennen Stinson stole second base and Miller hit an opposite-field single to right field, scoring Stinson to put Russellville in front 1-0.
“One of the biggest things we’ve focused on is trying to drive the ball through that second-base hole,” Branson said. “We spend a lot of time in the cage, hitting off tees and seeing pitches off the machine. To see that happen in a game, where we needed that to happen, was obviously big.”
Three batters later, Jesse Daniel smashed a two-run double into the right-center field gap, scoring Logan Cinotto and Chris Seaver. Alex Oligschlaeger then blooped a double into shallow left field to score another run, extending the Indians’ lead to 4-0.
“The depth in our lineup right now is pretty good,” Branson said. “… We’ve been able to be successful, one through nine, pretty much all year long.”
Schulte opened the fourth inning by taking the first pitch he saw from Salisbury’s Eli Wekenborg and driving it over the left-field fence for a solo home run.
“That felt so good, to do that in the postseason,” Schulte said. “I knew he was going to throw a first-pitch curveball, it just depended on where it was.
“It was right where I wanted it.”
The homer was the third of the season for Schulte, who had two of Russellville’s six hits.
“He’s been on fire for about the last month and a half,” Branson said.
Miller followed with a walk, moved to third base on a pair of Salisbury errors and scored on Daniel’s sacrifice fly, giving the Indians a six-run lead.
“We’ve been really good when we score five or more runs,” Branson said.
Russellville had a chance to score a few more runs in the inning, and with Miller at less than 45 pitches at that point, the thought to pull Miller so he could be available to pitch Wednesday did cross Branson’s mind.
“We were pretty close,” Branson said. “That numbers game gets in your head, but I’ve been burned by that before, thinking ahead a little too much.”
Salisbury scored its two runs in the bottom of the fourth, taking advantage of an error on what could have been an inning-ending double play. The first run scored on that error and the second scored on a sacrifice fly by Dylan Moore, cutting the deficit to 6-2.
Salisbury relief pitcher Ethan Hamilton used his offspeed pitch to settle down Russellville’s offense, as he tossed three hitless innings of relief.
“That’s an approach thing we’ll talk about and try to be better at the next game,” Branson said.
Miller was at 93 pitches at the end of six innings and would need to be efficient if he wanted to finish the seventh. He was, throwing just 10 pitches to retire the Panthers in order.
Moore and Brady Graskewicz each singled for Salisbury (16-5).
Oligschlaeger joined Schulte with a two-hit game, adding a leadoff single in the second inning.
Russellville hosted Putnam County on March 28. The Indians led 7-3 through three innings, but the Midgets rallied to win 10-9 in nine innings.
“That was a very fun game that we look back on a lot,” Schulte said. “We would love to get another crack at them.”