WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. - Three Rivers' momentum from a game-ending play at the plate carried over into a combined no-hitter.
Three Rivers won the opener 3-2 after getting the tag for the final out of the opener. The Raiders then comfortably won the nightcap 15-4 to sweep Williams Baptist JV on Tuesday in Walnut Ridge, Ark.
Seth Gage singled to right field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh for the Eagles' fourth hit of the opener. Kyle Clayton scooped up the hit, threw to cutoff man Hayes Austin, and he hit Mason Libla at home plate in a bang-bang play for the final out.
"It was a good play," Three Rivers coach Tyler Smith said. "They threw a pretty good arm against us. The kid threw a lot of strikes, and we struggled to hit him."
Stefan Turino, Kolten Poorman and Nathan Browning scored for Three Rivers (5-1) in the opener. Libla got three of the Raiders' six hits.
Turino, Cade Cancilla and Austin each had an RBI.
Sean Pruneau (1-0) pitched three innings in the win and allowed two hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Trey Nicholson got the same. He allowed one hit over 2 2/3 innings.
Turino, batting leadoff, had a solo home run to kick off the game.
Poorman doubled behind him, stole third, and Cancilla hit a sacrifice fly to put Three Rivers ahead 2-0.
In the second inning, Libla tripled, and Browning courtesy ran for the catcher.
Austin grounded out to first, and Browning was able to score on the play.
All four of the Eagles' hits came from the 2-4 spots in the lineup, with Gage leading Williams Baptist with two hits, a run and an RBI.
In the nightcap, Three Rivers scored eight runs with two outs in the first inning and finished with 16 total hits.
"We took the momentum, and you could tell the other team was kind of disheartened by that," Smith said.
Briar Fischer, Carter Campbell, Austin Brock and Steven Simmons combined for a complete-game no-hitter. Fischer (1-0) pitched the first three innings and got the win. The four allowed six walks but no hits.
Alex Cauley, Hunter Gray and Andrew Lara each finished with three RBIs. Gray was 3 for 4 with four runs, a home run and a triple to lead the Raiders. Lara also had three hits to go with one run, and Cauley had two hits and a run.
Nine different Raiders got a hit and 11 different Raiders scored a run.
Williams Baptist trailed 10-0 heading into the bottom of the fifth and prevented the run-rule with a run in the fifth and two more in the sixth before Three Rivers scored another five runs in the top of the seventh.
The Raiders brought 11 to the plate in the first inning, with Gray and Cauley getting 2-run triples in the process.
Lara doubled in the second to drive in Gray.
The Raiders will have their home-opener this weekend. They will host Marshalltown in a four-game series Saturday and Sunday, with both doubleheaders starting at noon. All home games this season will be played at Poplar Bluff High School due to ongoing construction on Roger Pattillo Field.
"The home opener is always fun," Smith said. "The weather looks awesome, and I know we are going to have a big crowd supporting us, so we are all excited, and the kids are excited to play at home."
Scott Borkgren - Daily American Republic