Hurler Moore fans 13 in Lions win

MANILA – Isaac Moore fanned 13 Salem Greyhounds as Manila improved to 2-0 with a 7-2 victory Thursday.

Moore pitched five innings of three-hit baseball allowing just one earned run, while posting the double-digit strikeouts.

Jaxson Churchill took the mound for the final two innings and faced the minimum while setting down two Greyhounds on strikes.

The Lions erased a 1-1 tie in the third inning when Ryan Despain and Churchill reached on walks from Greyhound pitcher Ethan Birmingham. A passed ball advanced the two Manila runners to second and third base before Moore helped his cause with a 2-RBI single to center. The Lions led for good at 3-1.

Moore reached home on a ground out off the bat of Byron Kisner before Birmingham retired the side with a strikeout.

Salem (0-2) got one of the runs back in the top half of the fourth but Moore and Churchill blanked the Greyhounds over the final three innings.

Manila tacked on two in the bottom of the fourth when Hudson Harrison reached on an infield hit, stole second and third then scored on an error.

Luke Roberts, who was walked on four pitches, reached home on the same play to up the host’s lead to 6-2.

The Lions added one in the bottom of the fifth when Kisner singled in Moore from second base.

Moore was 2-for-3 at the plate, while Churchill had a hit, a RBI and two runs scored. Kisner had one hit and two runs batted in.

Birmingham, who allowed four runs, took the loss in three innings of work.

Manila 19, Blytheville 0

In a three-inning game cut short as a result of run rule, the Lions opened their season with a convincing win over their county opponent Chickasaws.

MHS sent 20 batters to the plate in the bottom of the first scoring 16 runs. They added three in the second to set the final.

Harrison was 3-for-3 with five RBI and scored two runs to lead the Lions, while Roberts, Moore and Brady Cohn each had a pair of hits. Roberts collected four RBI as did Churchill who had one hit.

Cohn went two innings on the hill striking out five and Hutch Duclos worked the third inning striking out all three batters he faced.