LEES CREEK — Tristan Burkitt and Ethan Cornwell drove in three runs each and Cameron Conner went the distance on the mound Monday as East Clinton opened Division III sectional tournament play with a 12-2 win over Northridge at ECHS.
East Clinton will travel to No. 1 seed Anna 5 p.m. Wednesday in the second round.
The Astros scored five runs in the bottom of the six to end the game with the 10-run rule. All eight of the EC batters in the sixth reached base.
“Tonight was a good team win,” EC coach Brian Carey said. “We hit the ball well from the top to the bottom of our lineup. We still need to work on putting the pedal down when we get up early.”
Justin Smith had three hits, scored twice and knocked in two runs. Cornwell scored three times and had two steals while Burkitt collected two hits. Zack Mitchell stole three bases.
Conner struck out six and gave up two unearned runs in the victory.
“We have to keep this momentum rolling in Anna on Wednesday,” Carey said.
SUMMARY
May 8, 2017
@East Clinton High School
East Clinton 12 Northridge 2
NO 001.100…..2-5-4
EC 420.015…..12-10-2
(2) NORTHRIDGE (ab-r-h-rbi) Deaton 3-0-1-0 Smith 3-0-0-0 McCartney 3-1-1-0 Hall 3-0-0-0 McKay 3-0-1-0 Sautzbaugh 3-0-1-0 Thatcher 1-0-0-0 Banks 2-0-0-0 Burchett 1-1-0-0 May 2-0-1-0. TOTALS 24-2-5-0
(12) EAST CLINTON (ab-r-h-rbi) Z. Mitchell 3-3-1-0 Conner 3-2-1-1 Cornwell 4-3-1-3 Arellano 3-2-1-1 Smith 4-2-3-2 Hall 3-0-1-0 Burkitt 3-0-2-3 Vadnais 2-0-0-0 Dotson 2-0-0-0 Vaughn 1-0-0-0. TOTALS 28-12-10-10
2B: EC-Burkett, Smith
3B: EC-Conner, Arellano
SB: EC-Conner, Cornwell 2, Z. Mitchell 3, Smith; NO-Burchett
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so)
Northridge
Hall (L) 5-7-7-5-2-6
Bergmann 0-3-5-3-2-0
(Bergmann faced five batters in the sixth)
East Clinton
Conner (W) 6-5-2-0-1-6
HBP: By Hall (Burkitt, Z. Mitchell)
