MARTINSBURG – On a cold, blustery Tuesday afternoon, Jefferson’s bats started off hot, as the Cougars took an early lead and never looked back en route to a 9-1 victory over Martinsburg.
It was the fourth straight win for Jefferson (12-1), and the loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Bulldogs (6-4).
The Cougars had two multiple-run innings, including a four-run first. Sam Hefner, who led all players with three hits, started off the inning with a single and scored two batters later when Serf Guerra singled to left field. Cole Smith followed with a triple to left field to score Guerra and extend Jefferson’s lead to 2-0.
After Liam Healey reached on a dropped third strike, which also allowed courtesy runner Jett Gross to head to third base, Alex Danner doubled to right field to score Healey and Gross and give the Cougars a 4-0 advantage.
Martinsburg threatened in the bottom of the second, but what could have been a big inning ended up with just one run.
Silas Czarnecki walked to start the inning, and two batters later, Brayden Armolt singled to put two runners on with one out. After Bradley Loper walked to load the bases, R.J. Brown drew another walk, bringing in Czarnecki to make the score 4-1. That was the only run the Bulldogs got in the inning, and the game, as they left the bases loaded when Christian Alter popped out and Grant Henderson struck out.
Jefferson got a single run each in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and added two more in the seventh inning to reach nine runs. In the seventh, Guerra singled home Brady Roberts and Hefner, who walked and singled, respectively, earlier in the inning.
Besides Hefner’s game-leading three hits, Guerra, Smith and Danner each had two hits, with Guerra driving in three runs and Smith and Danner driving in a pair of runs each.
On the mound, Gross got the win after relieving Danner in the second inning. He allowed no runs on one hit in five innings of work.
For Martinsburg, Armolt led the way with two hits. Jamere Brown took the loss, allowing five earned runs in five innings.