This is just how Mike Clements envisioned it.
The Parklane Academy baseball manager couldn’t help but be all smiles Tuesday after his Pioneers dismantled the Wilkinson Christian Academy Rams 13-3 in a five-inning season-opener at Parklane Academy.
The Pioneers belted three home runs and three pitchers combined for a three-hitter.
“I’m very pleased with the guys,” Clements said of his team’s 2010 debut. “This was what I was hoping for. The guys came out ready to play baseball.”
Chance Schmidt, Zack Smith and Austin Terrell each hit home runs for Parklane Academy (1-0).
Shelby Johnson earned the mound win for the Pioneers after he blanked the visiting Rams on two hits. He walked the bases loaded with two out in the first inning, but escaped the threat when he got the sixth hitter on a fly to right field.
After a scoreless first inning, the Pioneers jumped on Wilkinson Christian pitching for a pair of runs in the second inning.
Johnson laced a single to center to lead off the inning. Bryce Bean, courtesy runner for Johnson, moved to second on a passed ball and advanced to third on Nathan Taylor’s sacrifice bunt. He scored on Alex Price’s infield grounder to make it 1-0.
Smith followed with a gap into the left-center field gap and scored when Brandon Austin’s triple to deep right-center fell just out of the reach of the WCCA center fielder’s glove to make it 2-0.
The lead went to 3-0 in the third. Wes Gill led off with a walk and stole second. Gill then swiped third and came home when the WCCA catcher’s throw to third sailed into left field.
One out later, Schmidt sent a 1-1 fastball over the left-center field fence to make it 4-0.
Johnson, meanwhile, got into his rhythm on the mound. After surrendering a double and single in a scoreless second inning, he allowed just one walk in the third.
Clements said his starting pitcher simply suffered from first-game jitters.
“He’ll be fine,” Clements said. “Next time he goes out he’ll be fine. I’m not worried about tonight’s performance.”
Johnson was relieved by right-hander Josh King, who set down the Rams in order in the fourth, his only inning of work.
Parklane exploded for five more runs in the home half of the fourth.
With one out, Smith hit his first varsity home run, a blast over the right field fence to make it 5-0.
Austin then reached base on an infield error, took second on a passed ball and scored on Ben Kavanay’s line-drive single to center to push the lead to 6-0.
Kavanay, who took second on the throw home when Austin scored, came home on Gill’s double to deep center field to make it 7-0. Terrell followed with a towering two-run home run into the trees beyond the right field wall to make it 9-0.
WCCA scored three unearned runs in the fifth off reliever Jared Chandler. The Rams took advantage of a double, walk and two critical Parklane throwing errors to pull to within 9-3.
The Pioneers, however, answered with a four-run bottom of the fifth. Bean walked to open the frame, Smith reached on an error and Taylor walked to load the bases with nobody out. Hunter Authement cleared the bases when he roped a double off the right-center field fence to make it 12-3. Gill ended the game via the 10-run rule with a double off the right field fence to plate Authement.
“We needed to execute the things we worked on and that’s what we did,” Clements said. “The guys made the adjustments at the plate.”
The Pioneers will return to action Friday at Central Private. Junior varsity begins at 3 p.m. followed by the varsity game.
