The Wilson Bruins (6-9, 3-1) charged out of the gate with eight runs in the first two innings to provide some early cushion on Friday afternoon at Houghton Park. The visitors remained in control of the game and secured a 12-2 victory over Jordan (4-5, 1-3) in six innings.
Coming off a sloppy game against Lakewood, the Bruins were sharper defensively in Friday’s win, which pleased head coach Andy Hall.
“We put a lot of pressure on them in practice yesterday to make plays and play catch,” said Hall after the win. “How we move forward is a function of how we pitch and play defense. Ultimately, in most of the games we’ve lost we’ve been our own worst enemy. Hopefully we can continue to improve and get things rolling in the right direction through the end of April and into May.”
DJ Erkman helped initiate the Bruins offense from the leadoff spot, going 2/3 with a three-run home run, a double, and two runs scored. Davis Ramage added a single and a triple, with two runs scored and an RBI. First baseman Gavin Moore also chipped in two hits and two runs for the Bruins offensively.
Erkman led off the game with a double to spark a three-run first-inning rally, then smacked his three-run homer into center field to help start a five-run rally in the second inning to give the Bruins an 8-0 lead after two.
Jordan would rally for a pair of runs in the fourth, and scored them without a hit. Five consecutive Panthers reached base either via walk or hit by pitch, allowing Roman Avila and Pablo Camacho to come in to score. Shortstop Steven Huddleston was a standout for the Panthers, starting the game with a ringing double while also making some nice plays defensively.
“In the first inning, we just need to start playing with more urgency,” said Jordan head coach Bryan Whitfield following the game. “If we play with a little more urgency from the get-go, we can compete with a lot of these teams, but it’s a mental hurdle. It’s a matter of just taking one pitch at a time, one play at a time. The guys are playing hard, it’s a young team and there’s a lot to look forward to down the road. We just have to play with a little more urgency and a little more confidence.”
Wilson will take on St. John Bosco in their next game Saturday and will be back in Moore League action for a big showdown, hosting Millikan on Wednesday. Jordan’s next game is Friday at Lakewood.
