Capital City coach Brett Skinner couldn’t ask for a better birthday gift.
Skinner’s Cavaliers opened pool play in the Jays Baseball Classic with a 12-1 win Thursday against the Troy-Buchanan Trojans at Capital City High School. It was the first time this season the Cavaliers have scored more than four runs.
“It was a complete game,” Skinner said. “… We haven’t done that yet this year. We’ve been very close, but to get those four runs (in the first) it helped everyone relax. Hayden knew he could go out there and pitch with a lead, the defense knew they didn’t have to play with the mentality of being afraid to make a mistake. All around, a great team effort.”
The bats came alive early and often for the Cavaliers -- who were the visitors on the scoreboard -- Thursday, opening the first inning with four consecutive batters reaching base.
Justin Sullens started the game with a line drive to left-center, which rolled to the wall for a double. Noah Nicklas attempted to sacrifice bunt Sullens to third, but the ball was dropped, leaving runners on first and third with nobody out.
Brock Miles followed with a grounder to the left side of the infield, leading to a diving stop by the Trojan shortstop, but there was no throw to first as Sullens scored and runners ended on first and second.
Ben Turner then hit a shallow fly to center to load the bases before a pop out got the first out of the game.
Blake Holtmeyer connected on a hard grounder through the left side to score Nicklas and Miles, then an errant pickoff scored Turner to put the Cavaliers up 4-0 before the Trojans had a single at bat.
“It’s been a struggle early,” Skinner said of the early offense. “That’s all we’ve been hammering on in practice. We had a game canceled (Wednesday) so we were able to come out and get a lot of good swings in. I think that showed today. They had good approaches at the plate and they hit balls hard.”
In the bottom of the first, Capital City starter Hayden Carroll got to work.
Carroll worked his way through the Trojan order for a perfect first time through the order before allowing a walk and a single in the fourth for Troy-Buchanan’s first baserunners. Carroll escaped the fourth scoreless and went on to pitch 6⅔ innings, allowing one run in the sixth on two hits and two walks, while striking out five.
“Hayden Carroll threw outstanding,” Skinner said. “He had multiple pitches working for him and he was throwing them for strikes, getting ahead of guys and putting them away. The defense played great behind him and it helped jumping up early.”
Carroll hit the pitch count limit with two outs in the seventh, exiting to a standing ovation as Zach Brown came on for the final out. Brown threw one pitch to complete the win with a flyout to right.
“That was huge for Hayden,” Skinner said. “As a coaching staff we knew that’s what we needed, but it’s a different thing to come in and get it done. That was fantastic and it sets us up for the rest of the weekend. I’m very happy with Hayden and how he’s been throwing.”
Though Carroll didn’t need any more help from the offense, the runs kept coming for the Cavaliers.
Capital City scored three in the fourth when Jamison Schwarzer was hit by a pitch, Nicklas walked and Miles sent a two-RBI double to deep left-center before Turner brought Miles in with a soft liner to right just past the outstrectched glove of the Trojans’ diving second baseman.
The Cavaliers added another run in the fifth when Carroll singled up the middle and courtesy runner Evan Schaffer came around to score on a Sullens sacrifice fly to center.
Capital City added another in the sixth when Caydin Engelbrecht singled and came around on a Blake Holtmeyer triple to deep right, then scored three more in the top of the seventh after Schwarzer walked and Sullens, Nicklas, Miles and Turner connected on four consecutive singles.
Capital City (3-6) will play Rolla at 3 p.m. and St. Charles West at 5:30 p.m. today at Capital City High School to determine when and who the Cavaliers will play in Saturday’s final Classic game.
Troy-Buchanan (5-8) will play Rolla at 10 a.m. and St. Charles West at 12:30 p.m. today at Capital City High School.