Alex Love
Ethan Few only needed 59 pitches to shut out Richland Northeast.
Alex Love
Blue Ridge players huddle before going on the field.
Alex Love
Scoreboard records Blue Ridge's opening baseball playoff win.
The Tigers host Seneca in a second round game, Monday at 6:30 p.m.
The game ended on the 10-run mercy rule during the bottom of the sixth inning when Junior CJ Brooks hit a double to centerfield scoring Jacob Wilbanks and Zach Waddell for the 10-0 lead.
“I saw the ball was through and I was just booking it the whole way,” Wilbanks said. “I knew I had to get there and I knew we had the game after that.”
Senior Ethan Few held Richland Northeast to just one hit and only threw 59 pitches. He had five strikeouts.
“I just kept the opponents really off balance, we’ve worked hard all this week and we know they have good hitters,” Few said. “So it was important that we keep them off balance. I had a lot of good stuff today and God helped me.”
“In coaching I’ve had some outstanding players and good athletes, but Ethan Few, there’s not many better than him,” Head Coach Travis Henson said. “He’s a three-year starter, and the key to him is his competitiveness.”
Wilbanks scored a game-high three runs for the Tigers. Elijah Henderson and Waddell scored twice and Brooks, Bryce Spurrier and Matthew Pruitt scored one each.
“I’m really proud about our approaches on the plate tonight, I thought they were really good,” Henson said. “Anytime we had runners in position to score we executed. CJ Brooks, it seemed, like every time he stepped up to the plate he brought runs in for us.”
Blue Ridge scored two runs in the bottom of the first and third innings, and three in the fifth and sixth.
With only three days until the next game, Henson will hold a non-mandatory practice Sunday.
“I’m going to go because I think it will be good for us,” Brooks said. “I’ll get some swings in and be ready for Seneca. We will just hit around and take some ins and outs.”