Russell leads Calvary to easy win over Young Americans

Calvary Christian scored six runs in the first two innings and rode the arm of pitcher Cody Russell to a 10-0 victory over Young Americans Christian on Friday. The game was shortened to five innings by the 10-run mercy rule.

Already facing a disadvantage because of injuries to several players, YACS had to try and decipher Russell. The right-hander came out of the gate throwing strikes and carried a perfect game into the fourth inning before the Eagles finally got a base runner. A deep ground ball to the hole on the left side of the infield got under one glove and the long throw from shortstop was a little wide.

A walk followed for the only threat YACS would muster, but Russell fanned the next hitter and then got a double play ground ball to end the inning.

Russell struck out eight hitters, walked one and allowed the lone single in the fourth in taking the win.

“Cody Russell came out and went right after them,” Calvary coach Steve Smith said. “With the injuries they had, we just wanted to make sure we didn’t give them any opportunities to get anything going.

“We did a good job of situational hitting and did what we needed to do. We put up three in each of the first two innings and that set the tone, and then Cody did the rest. We have some injuries we are dealing with as well, so it was good to get this win.”

Calvary got on the board in the first thanks to a trio of errors, a walk, a hit batter and a clutch base hit. After Russell reached on an error, he stole second and moved to third on a passed ball. Kyle Masse drew a walk and then moved to second when Nick Baker was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Chris Wright then lashed a single to score two runs. Baker scored the third run on an errant pickoff throw to first.

The Knights added three more in the second, again taking advantage of defensive miscues. With one out, Mason Henderson reached on an error and would trot home on a Jon Jon Brown double a batter later. Brown would score on another fielding error to make it 5-0 and then yet another errant pickoff attempt gave the Knights a third run as Garrett McGlamory scored on the play.

Calvary added three more runs in the fourth, again with the aid of errors. Masse clubbed an RBI double to score Russell, and would later score on an error. Baker, who had walked, came around to score on that same error to make it 9-0.

The Knights ended the game in the fifth, loading the bases on a walk, an error, and an intentional walk. After a fielder’s choice right into the drawn-in defense got one out, Russell then took things into his own hands, lifting a deep fly to right for the game-ending single.

The two teams meet again on Saturday at noon with a third game, if necessary, to follow immediately after.

This story was originally published April 29, 2016 at 7:45 PM with the headline "Russell leads Calvary to easy win over Young Americans."