Visiting Blue Ridge sent 10 runners across the plate in the first inning, on the way to defeating Landrum, 14-1 in varsity baseball action Thursday, March 28.

It was “not a pretty game,” observed Cardinals’ Coach Ray McCallister, who is trying to get his players to gel as a team.

“We’re a young team,” noted McCallister. “We have 12 ballplayers. We have to become one team, no matter what it takes.”

In fact, the Cardinals have but two seniors, and lots of younger and talented players who could be the core of a successful team.

The chilly breeze seemed to hone, rather than hinder, the Blue Ridge bats. The Tigers began their half of the first quietly, with an infield single and a walk. However, Blue Ridge’s big shortstop Jordan Brabo drove one of starter Jonah Corn’s pitches to deep right, for a two-run triple. Corn bore down and fanned the next batter, but a hit batsman, a run scored during a rundown, a dropped infield pop, another two-RBI hit by No. 7 Brabo, which gave Blue Ridge its ninth and 10th runs, knocked Corn off the mound in favor of Caleb Pruitt.

Entering the game with two outs, Pruitt gave up a line single to left, walked the next batter to load the bases, but got his third man to pop to second to end the inning.

In the first, the Cardinals’ Gavin Bishop led off with a triple to right. His teammates also hit the ball hard, but couldn’t move him 90 feet. Caleb Bruce lined out to right center, Billy Ryan flied out to right, and Trevor Walker made the third out on a fly to deep center.