Weston Powell got his first start of the 2022 baseball season Thursday and was sharp in his return to the mound.
The Heritage Christian Academy senior struck out 13 batters in the Warriors’ 11-1 win over East Hill Christian in a game played near Pensacola.
Powell broke his thumb in the season’s first week and returned to the lineup two weeks ago where he’s batting .389. But Thursday marked his return to the mound. He threw 66 pitches in the five-inning game with 45 going for strikes.
He also helped himself at the plate with an RBI double.
J.J. Thompson was 2-for-2 with a triple and inside the park home run. He scored four of HCA’s runs.
Grant Floyd also had two hits and Trentin Fowler added a two-run triple.
The boost to the pitching staff comes at a good time as the Warriors prepare for their first All A Classic Region Tournament appearance. HCA will play at Caldwell County Monday. HCA pitchers this year have struck out 119 batters in 61 innings with the opposition hitting just .177 against them.
HCA completed its trip to Florida with a 3-0 record and moved to 11-1 overall.
