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The Tullahoma Men’s Baseball League started on Thursday with the eight teams combining for 48 runs on opening night.

The defending champion Stache won their contest against the Piñatas 2-1. The Stache had three pitchers combine for nine strikeouts with only five hits allowed. Darrin Cole started the game, Michael Benusches relieved Cole and Layne Roberts finished the game. The Piñatas held the Stache offense in check only allowing nine baserunners on six hits and three walks. JD Parker threw a complete game for the Piñatas striking out five.  

The runner up Shelbvul Shovels took care of the Outlaws 11-1 at Grider Stadium. The Shovels had seven hits, five walks and benefitted from three Outlaw errors. Jay Blackburn was the only player with a multi-hit performance in the contest. He singled and doubled. Jacob Hawkins, Nick Hopper, Austin Johnson, Jacob Cooper, Dylan Roller and Jacob Price each had a base knock. Hawkins started on the mound for the Shovels and pitched three innings with seven strikeouts and only walking two batters. Braylon Green replaced him in the fourth, picked up three strikeouts and only one hit. Three wild pitches allowed the Outlaw baserunner to come around to score before the end of the fourth. Dustin Thomas had the lone hit for the Outlaws.

The Royals washed the Pink Sox in the first game of the season at Grider, 16-2. They reached base 19 times, taking 11 free bases and smacking eight hits. The Royals had a hit from eight different players in the game; Terrin Maupin, Clark Carden, David Gagnier, JJ Webster, Jason Waller, Derrick Boles, Danny Martinez and Charlie Pierce had the hits. Gagnier started the game, striking out four. Pierce relieved him for the last inning and struck out all three batters faced. Maupin had the only extra base hit for the team with a double in the second inning. The Pink Sox had a pair of hits, a double by Austin Odom and a triple from Xavier Northcutt. Skyler Hood walked to open the game and scored on Odom’s hit, while he scored on Northcutt’s hit for the Sox’s only runs. Odom started the game for the Sox and pitched two innings, striking out one while giving up four earned runs. Nick Howell and Dylan LaFlair finished the game for the team.

The Reds blasted the Braves 14-1. They had seven hits and 11 walks. Clay Burnett capped the Red’s three run second inning with a solo Home Run to make it 3-1. It was all Reds after that with them having an eight run third and three run fourth. Cody Stephens started for the Reds, he went two innings striking out three and allowing just three hits. Brandon Ness relieved him and threw two innings of one hit ball with five strikeouts. Shawn Stewart led the team with a pair of hits. Jay Phillips, Dillon Taylor, Mathew Wright, Burnett and Stephens had one hit. The Braves recorded four hits, led by Ben Weaver with two including an RBI single in the first. Jamison Plemons and Troy Harp had the other two hits. Austin Ingle and Ben Weaver pitched for the Braves, each going two innings with a pair of strikeouts.

The League was back in action Monday night with the Royals and Stache being the only teams to remain undefeated. The Royals beat the Shovels 6-2 and the Stache beat the Reds 6-3. The Stache had to come back with a five run bottom of the sixth to win the game.  The Braves got back on track by handing the Outlaws 11-2. The Piñatas turned it around by beating the Pink Sox 7-1, behind a five run top of the first.

The Royals will look to stay unbeaten Thursday while their opponent The Outlaws look to get their first win. The Stache will face-off with the Braves while trying to remain undefeated. The Pink Sox will look for their first win against the Reds. The Shelbvul Shovels and Piñatas will battle to see who moves to 2-1 and who goes to 1-2.