The Todd County Central Rebels only needed seven total innings to pick up home and away victories over the Hopkins County Central Storm, completing the early-season sweep with a 17-2 result in Elkton on Monday.
The Rebels improved to 4-0 and have won 10 of 11 games dating back to last season. The Storm remain winless with a trip to McLean County coming up on Tuesday.
The Storm threatened in the top of the 1st, loading the bases with a walk, a single, and a double by Truman Ballard. However, in his first start of the season for the Rebels, Will Kearns got a strikeout to end the inning.
The Rebels got the bats going early, scoring the first two runs on a Jacob Brandon double and adding another on a Jase Hampton RBI single.
A bases-loaded walk pushed another run across before Nate Reding’s double brought home two for a 6-0 lead.
In the 2nd, Tanner Farmer doubled in a run, and Kearns helped himself with an RBI double. Then, Reding drove in another with a single, and Preston Rager drew a bases-loaded walk for an 11-0 advantage.
Todd Central nearly ended the game in the bottom of the 3rd, beginning with runs on a walk and an error. Reding’s sacrifice fly and another error made it 15-1, but the Storm got out of the inning.
Ian Kinkade doubled with one out in the 4th, and Taylor Rodgers followed with a single for the Storm’s only RBI.
The Rebels put the finishing touches on the victory in the bottom of the 4th, with a passed ball and a Hampton sacrifice fly ending the game.
Kearns allowed one earned run on four hits with a pair of walks and eight strikeouts to record his first win of the season.
Brandon was 3/4 with two RBI for the Rebels, and Reding had two hits and drove in four. Farmer had two hits and an RBI, and Kearns was 2/3 with two RBI.
Sage Hight took the loss, lasting two innings and yielding 11 runs, seven earned, on eight hits with six walks and two strikeouts.
Todd Central hosts Fort Campbell on Tuesday before facing Metcalfe County in the 4th Region All-A tournament on Wednesday.
