SHORELINE
Shorecrest sophomore James Robbins threw four scoreless innings of two-hit ball and collected four hits to lead the Scots past rival Shorewood 10-0 on March 27.
The Scots burst out the gate with a seven-run first inning that started off with a solo home run by senior center fielder Grady Small.
That proved to be all the support Robbins needed as he struck out five and walked one while improving to 2-1 on the season in a game shortened to five innings because of the 10-run mercy rule.
“Everything was working good,” Robbins said. “Fastball was flying out of my hand and my change-up was breaking out of my hand.”
Robbins also went 4-for-4 at the plate with an RBI double, three singles and two runs scored. In an 8-7 win over Kamiak the previous afternoon, Robbins blasted a grand slam in a seven-run fifth inning that put the Scots ahead.
“He’s our guy right now,” Shorecrest coach Alan Bruns said. “We’re going to ride him. James is really keeping it together on the mound and at the bat.”
Shorecrest knocked out Shorewood starter Cole Clerget and reliever Alex Clement before Clinton Lindgren got a double play to end the first inning. Robbins and Willie Davies each had RBI doubles in the inning and Bobby White added an RBI single. The Scots also drew four walks and capitalized on an error.
“We showed some discipline when we needed to, we attacked the ball when it was there,” Bruns said.
Meanwhile, Shorewood’s early season struggles on the mound continued. The Thunderbirds used four pitchers against the Scots, a day after they used six pitchers in an 18-14 loss to Mariner March 26.
“Our pitching has been beyond horrendous,” Shorewood coach Wyatt Tonkin said. “I’m reluctant to call it pitching it’s more like throwing. We’re trying to find a guy who can get the ball over the plate.”
Jordan Kellington pitched three innings of mop-up relief for the T-birds and “threw the ball pretty well,” Tonkin said, despite giving up a pair of home runs.
The T-birds banged out 12 hits the day before in the loss to Mariner but could only manage three hits — a single by Tysen Allumbaugh and doubles by Tyler Host and Bobby LeCount — against Shorecrest.
“Our offense has been pretty good until today,” Tonkin said. “We’re not playing very good baseball.”
Shorecrest improved to 2-1 in the Western Conference South Division and 4-1 overall. Shorewood fell to 0-3 in the conference and 2-5 overall.
Davies, Shorecrest’s designated hitter, went 3-for-4, hit a two-run home run and was a triple short of the hitting for the cycle. Davies also homered against Kamiak.
“Willie Davies coming in, he was the X factor, we didn’t know what to expect,” Bruns said. “We’re pleased with his performance at the plate.”
Shorecrest shortstop Pierce Rankin added a solo homer in the top of the fifth to give the Scots a 10-run lead.
Anthony Jochim pitched a scoreless fifth for the Scots, striking out two.
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