Published: May 11, 2008 12:56 am            

Berea blasts Model, 13-6

RICHMOND — It certainly didn’t take long for the Pirates to shake off the rust following a week-long layoff.

Berea Community pounded out 16 hits, led by Ben Flara and Jared Rigsby’s three-hit performances, and pulled away late for a 13-6 win over district rival Model (1-17) Wednesday in Richmond. Ben Miller also had two hits and drove in six runs as the Pirates improved to 9-10 on the season.

“It looked like we hadn’t played in eight days,” Berea coach Bill Smallwood said. “I wasn’t happy in a lot of ways. We just did some bone-headed things. We definitely had some mental mistakes.”

The Pirates couldn’t get anything going off Model starter Alec Hicks in the first couple of innings, but scored twice in the third and fourth. Flara and Rigsby had hits in the third and both scored on a Miller single up the middle. Nathan Vaughn doubled to lead off the fourth and scored on an infield single by Flara. Berea took a 4-0 lead moments later on an RBI groundout by Miller.

Model had scored only 37 runs all season long coming into the district showdown, but put together a three-run rally in the fifth.

Turner Curtis singled and advanced all the way to third on an error and later scored on another Berea miscue. Mark Little walked, stole second and scored on a single by Ollie Glasser.

Fred Dehne later added an RBI groundout to cut the Pirate lead to just one run.

“That’s a positive,” Model coach Chris Robinson said of his team’s fifth-inning rally. “But, honestly we didn’t hit the ball well. At least we didn’t spot them 10 runs like we have been recently.”

Berea responded quickly, scoring four more runs in the sixth and five more in the seventh. Rigsby doubled and scored on an error, Chris Kidd squeezed in a run, MIller had an RBI fielder’s choice and Logan Hester added a run-scoring groundout in the sixth.

Miller added a two-run single and Hester had a two-run double as the Berea lead reach 10 runs.

“It’s hard to win when you give up unearned runs,” Robinson said. “It’s just a lot of mental mistakes.”

Model did put together another offensive outburst in the seventh against Flara. Little singled and scored and Hicks had a two-run single.

Jake Gilbertson started for the Pirates and allowed three hits through four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. After the first three batters reached, Flara came on in relief.

Gilbertson allowed three runs on five hits while striking out four and walking just one. Flara pitched the final three innings, giving up three runs on three hits while striking out four.

“Jake was just kind of riding along and we were going to let him finish it if he could,” Smallwood said. “He just ran into some problems.”

        

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