Off to a good start

Published 12:03 am Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Pleasant Home beat Red Level 10-4 in its season opener Tuesday night. | Andrew Garner/Star-News

Before Pleasant Home started its baseball season Tuesday night, new head coach Cody McCain wanted to see where they measured up in a live game.

The Eagles gave McCain something of a surprise Tuesday night with a 10-4 season-opening victory over Red Level Tuesday night.

“It went better than what I thought,” McCain said. “I didn’t know what to expect.

“Defensively, I think we had some jitters,” he said. “I thought they came up with some big plays in that inning (sixth).”

Pleasant Home scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth inning on two errors and two hits.

The Eagles led 5-4 after the top of the sixth, where the Tigers scored two runs on errors.

Pleasant Home scored its first two runs on two errors in the sixth inning.

Colter Poole, who was 2-for-4, hit an RBI single to make it 7-4, and later scored on a passed ball to give his team a four-run edge.

The Eagles (1-0) scored their last run when Hunter Weaver scored on an RBI single from Hunter Greathouse.

Red Level (0-4) scored one run each in the first and fourth innings.

“We’re searching for a leader,” RLS coach Tony Ingram said. “We can’t get over that hump. There isn’t anybody that wants to step up and lead.

“The difference in that team (Pleasant Home) is that it’s their first game,” he said. “With seven seniors, you can tell the leadership is on that team. You can’t tell there’s any here. We’ve got to find it.”

Fernando Torres earned the win on the mound for Pleasant Home. Torres allowed two runs on one hit and had four strikeouts. Weaver pitched the last three innings, and allowed two runs.

“Pitching wise and defensively, I was very pleased,” McCain said. “The location all game from Hunter and Fernando was great.”

Sid Newby was 2-for-3 with one double, one single and three runs; Weaver was 0-for-4 with one run; Torres was 1-for-4 with one single and one run; Forrest Greathouse was 2-for-3 with two singles; and Hunter Odom had two fielder’s choices and two runs for the Eagles.

Troy Nolen was 1-for-4 with one single; and Tyler Paulk hit one single for Red Level.

The Eagles travel to play Laurel Hill this Friday at 5 p.m., and at Straughn on Saturday for a doubleheader at 11 a.m.

Red Level travels to play Brantley next Mon., March 7 at 4:30 p.m.