Lisbon’s Nick Austin is tagged out by Mt. Abram third baseman Ben DeBiase after Austin tried to steal third.
LISBON FALLS — While Lisbon pitcher Nick Austin was busy keeping Mt. Abram off balance from the mound, the Greyhounds took the opportunity to splurge on offense with nine key hits.
Austin went the distance and the rest of the Greyhounds had his back on defense, as Lisbon shook off a cold Wednesday afternoon with an 11-2 victory over the Roadrunners in a Mountain Valley Conference baseball game.
A much improved Mt. Abram (5-6) held its own for a couple of innings before giving way to Lisbon’s depth, which explains why the ‘Hounds are 8-1. Austin struck out eight batters and gave up four hits.
“He was pretty much in control the whole game,” Lisbon coach Randy Ridley said. “He walked a couple of kids here and there, but he settled in and threw strikes and the defense did what they were supposed to — make plays.
“So it was a good outing for him. It is the first time he has gone the distance all year so it was good to extend him a little bit in this game.”
In the top of the first inning, the Roadrunners came right out of the gate and at the Greyhounds.
Mt. Abram’s Sam Strek got on with a walk and moved to second base on an Evan MacKay bunt and a passed ball. Strek came home Ben DeBiase’s flyout to left field and the Roadrunners had a 1-0 lead.
“We got caught early in the game trying to get things going a little bit too quickly,” Ridley said. “We got to get base hits when people are in scoring position. I thought we hit the ball well to all fields.
The Roadrunners’ one-run cushion didn’t last long, though.
Lisbon scored three runs in the third inning thanks to a dropped strike, a couple of walks, several stolen bases and an RBI single by outfielder Cole Bolduc (two hits).
From there on in, the Greyhounds would score in every inning except the first.
Mt. Abram made two of its six errors in the top of the third inning, which allowed Lisbon bring across two more runs and build a 5-1 lead.
The Roadrunners got on the board again in the fourth inning with a run. DeBiase doubled and eventually scored.
Lisbon winning pitcher Nick Austin goes into his delivery against Mt. Abram in a Mountain Valley Conference baseball game in Lisbon on Wednesday afternoon.Mt. Abram’s Evan MacKay gets on base after making a bunt as Lisbon first baseman Sean gets ready to scoop up the ball in an MVC game in Lisbon on Wednesday.Second baseman Bryce Bryce Werzanski waits for the ball as Lisbon’s Nick Austin safely slides into the bag.
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