LYNDEN — Lynden Christian junior pitcher Jaxon Huleatt fanned eight batters and the Lyncs run-ruled visiting Mount Baker, 11-1, in five innings during a non-conference baseball game Thursday, March 20.
This is a good group and I’m excited to see what they do,” Lynden Christian coach Noah Rawls said. “This is a very deep lineup.”
Huleatt went all five innings on the mound, allowing just two hits, one walk (a hit batter) and one earned run.
“Testimony to throwing strikes,” Rawls said. “That is what keeps you in baseball games. A great job to Jaxon. The runs will take care of themselves so as long as we play good defense, we should be OK.”
In the top of the second inning, Mount Baker’s Kaden Mosher reached first base after being hit by a pitch. Dean Allred followed with an RBI double to the left field fence to take a 1-0 lead.
Lynden Christian responded with an offensive explosion in the bottom of the third inning, starting with Vance Elton hitting a single and reaching second base from an error. He later scored on an overthrow in an attempt to pick him off at third base. Trey Johnson later hit a two-run single, scoring Eli Maberry and Austin Engels. Johnson, Huleatt and Sam Kok also scored in the inning to make it 6-1.
“We got a lot of guys that can hit well,” Rawls said. “It’s tough to put a lineup together when you have a deep lineup who can all swing it. I was very proud of that.”
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Engels hit an RBI single to score Huleatt and put LC up 7-1. In the fifth inning, Mount Baker reliever Sayer McLemore walked Eli Stamps and Elton, then hit Huleatt. Maberry then smashed a three-run triple to make it 10-1. Lynden Christian put the run rule into effect when Kok was walked with the bases loaded, scoring Engels to give the Lyncs an 11-1 victory.
Lynden Christian (2-1) will travel to Squalicum (0-3) for another non-conference matchup at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 22. Mount Baker (1-2) will begin Northwest Conference play when it heads to Anacortes (0-3) at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 25.
Nick Zeller-Singh is CDN's sports reporter; reach him at nickzellersingh@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 104.
