The Miami Trace varsity baseball team opened the 2018 season at home Monday, March 26 and defeated Xenia Christian, 13-6.

Pitching for the Panthers, Mason Snow started and worked 3.1 innings. He struck out seven, walked five, hit one batter and allowed three hits.

Gavin Taulbee got the win in relief. He pitched 2.2 innings with two hits, walked two and struck out five.

Austin Brown pitched the seventh inning for the Panthers. He walked one, hit one batter and struck out three.

The Panthers collected 13 hits and Xenia Christian had five.

Miami Trace got right to work with two runs in the bottom of the first.

Cody Brightman led off with a single. Drew Batson was then hit by a pitch.

With one out, Brightman stole third and Batson stole second.

Both runners came home on a single by Heath Cockerill.

The Panthers took a 3-0 lead with a run in the bottom of the second.

Dalton Mayer singled and stole second.

He scored on a single by Jacob Hoppes.

After a scoreless third inning for both teams, Xenia Christian bolted ahead of the Panthers, scoring four runs.

Two Panther pitchers combined to walk six batters, hit one and deliver a wild pitch, leading to Xenia Christian’s four runs.

The Panthers came to the plate in the bottom of the fourth and scored 10 runs.

Austin Mathews got it all started with a single and steal of second.

With one out, Hoppes hit a single, Mathews stopping at third.

Brightman singled to score Mathews.

Batson singled and Billy Depugh, running for Hoppes, advanced to third.

Taulbee walked with two outs and the bases loaded.

Cockerill forced in a run when he drew a walk.

Snow singled in a run and Mathews batted for the second time in the inning, hitting another single and driving in a run.

Mayer and Hoppes walked to force in a run.

Brightman hit a double, scoring two and Batson had his second hit of the inning that made it 13-4.

Xenia Christian scored the final two runs of the game in the top of the seventh with a hit batter, a walk and a single.

“It’s a good first win,” Miami Trace head coach Rob Smith said. “Our pitchers struggled to find the plate. They threw the ball well, but couldn’t find the strike zone for a while. In that one inning (the fourth) it really hurt us.

“We did what we needed to do for our first game,” Smith said.

Miami Trace’s home game Tuesday against Madison Plains was postponed and has been rescheduled for Friday.

The Panthers will face a stern test Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Hilliard Darby at the Paints Stadium in Chillicothe.

“It’ll be a tough challenge,” Smith said. “But, we’ll see where we’re at as a baseball team here early in the year.”

Offensively for Miami Trace: Cody Brightman, 3-4, 1 2b, 3 rbi, 2 runs; Drew Batson, 2-4, 2 rbi, 2 runs; Gavin Taulbee, 0-2, 1 run; Brady Wallace, 0-4; Heath Cockerill, 3-3, 1 run, 3 rbi; Mason Snow, 1-4, 1 rbi, 1 run; Austin Mathews, 2-4, 2 rbi, 2 runs; Dalton Mayer, 1-3, 2 runs; Jacob Hoppes, 2-2, 1 run; Billy DePugh 0-0, 1 run.

RHE

XC 000 400 2 — 6 5 –

MT 210 (10)00 x — 13 14 –