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Straughn saw its offense erupt for 42 runs and dispatched area foe Monroe County in a home varsity baseball doubleheader sweep Tuesday, March 7.

SHS improved its record to 5-1 and 1-0 in 3A Area 2. MCHS remained winless and dropped to 0-7, 0-1.

Game 1: SHS 22, MCHS 0
Houston Smith worked around two walks and struck out a pair in the opening inning. Straughn struck first with 15 runs in its half. Eli Guilford began the scoring with a two-run double and drove home Saxby Radford and Kaden Wiggins. Clark Gay delivered an RBI double, and Layne Grantham pushed the lead to 7-0 with an RBI triple. Matt Ashberry reached on a two-out error and cleared the bases as the score swelled to 12-0. Wiggins brought Taylor Sikes to the plate with a single and capped the lopsided frame.

Smith received a flyout and fanned Jamarcus Locke and Travius Kidd for three quick outs on 10 pitches in the top of the second. Gay cashed in Grayson Bush with an RBI single before Mack McIntyre sent Emory Melvin on a sacrifice fly. Hayden Brannon reached on an error as Gay touched home for a 19-0 lead. Melvin rolled into a fielder’s choice, and Brannon closed the scoring at 22-0 with a run on the play. Smith earned two more strikeouts in the visiting third before the game was called.

Radford went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and scored three runs, while Gay also finished 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs. Wiggins and Ashberry rounded out the multi-hit efforts with two each. Smith picked up the win with three no-hit innings and struck out six.

Game 2: SHS 20, MCHS 0
Guilford quickly brought the heat in the first and struck out the side on just 13 pitches. Allarian McClain induced two quick groundouts for Monroe County before Straughn scored five runs. Melvin slashed a two-run triple as Guilford and Ashberry crossed the plate. Gay, Grantham, and McIntyre each had an RBI single for a 5-0 lead after one.

MCHS put runners in scoring position with two outs in the second but could not break through as Guilford thwarted the threat. SHS strung together nine hits on 15 runs and took advantage of several defensive miscues. Melvin had a two-run double, while Ryan Cobb earned an RBI single for a 16-0 lead. Grantham and McIntyre scored the final two runs of the contest on bases-loaded walks with two outs. Sikes took over on the mound and whiffed Kidd and Jermaine Bullard before McClain recorded the only hit with a double. A grounder to third closed out the action.

Melvin was 3-for-3 and scored three runs with four RBIs. Gay went 2-for-2 and also tallied three runs. Wiggins and McIntyre were both 2-for-3. Guilford was the winning pitcher with seven strikeouts in two no-hit innings.

Straughn concludes the area series with a single game at Monroe County on Tuesday, March 14, at 5 p.m.