Bulldogs move to 2-0 with win at Goreville
The top half of Harrisburg's batting order went a combined 8-for-13 with three home runs as Harrisburg handed Goreville an 11-4 loss Thursday afternoon.
The Bulldogs had 11 hits on the day, including a 2-for-3 performance from Noah Boon as the senior cranked out two home runs and finished with four RBI in double-duty for Harrisburg.
Boon got the start, moving to 1-0 on the season, going three innings and allowing three earned runs on five hits, striking out five and walking two.
Brandon Banks came on in relief and worked four innings, throwing a no-hitter and striking out eight.
"We got some really big at-bats from the top half of our order," Harrisburg head coach Jay Thompson said. "We had three home runs and got a lot of production from the top of the order. We played well defensively. Noah wasn't sharp, he was throwing it everywhere, but it's his first time out and it looked like it was his first time out. Brandon was really good in relief and he just pitched. He did his thing and was extremely effective for us."
Harrisburg opened the game with four runs as Javi Beal singled to right field, following by a Colby Morse single. Krayton Morse scored Beal with a sacrifice fly and Boon's bomb to left field brought in Colby Morse. With two outs, Andrew Bittle doubled to center field and after stealing third, Bittle scored on a wild pitch.
Goreville nearly matched Harrisburg, taking on three runs in the bottom half of the first as Briley Dunn and Kanon Webb reach safely Dylan Compton's fly ball to right field scored Dunn and A.J. Johnson doubled to center field, clearing the bases.
Harrisburg added two more runs in the second inning when Beal doubled to left field, scoring Jackson Pittman and Krayton Morse singled to right field, scoring Beal.
The Blackcats' kept things close, adding one run in the bottom of the second, but from there, Harrisburg (2-0) would go on to score two runs in the fourth, one run in the fifth and two more runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Goreville touted out four pitchers on the afternoon. Casey Lenon got the start and the loss, giving up four runs on four hits with a walk and strikeout over one inning. Kanon Webb went one inning, allowing two runs on three this, while Tristen Green and Dylan Compton also saw time on the bump.
Beal went 3-for-4 in the lead off role, with three runs scored, two RBI and two stolen bases. Krayton Morse was 2-for-2 with three RBI and a two-run home run in the fourth inning. Andrew Bittle went 2-for-3 with two runs scored an a walk, while Colby Morse, Ross Rider and Jackson Pittman all had one hit on the afternoon.
Harrisburg returns to action Saturday when they play a double header in Effingham. The Bulldogs will take on Teutopolis at Noon, followed by a 2 p.m. game against St. Jospeh-Ogden.
Spyder Dann covers prep and college sports for the Southern Illinois LOCAL Media Group. Follow him on Twitter: @spydieshooter.