T-Birds maul Mark Twain, end four-game skid

An early blast gave the North Callaway Thunderbirds just the boost they needed to halt their recent skid.

Sophomore catcher Wyatt Branson's two-run homer in the top of the first keyed the T-Birds in a 13-2, six-inning EMO rout of the Mark Twain Tigers on Monday.

"That was big," North Callaway head coach Kevin O'Neal said. "We've struggled scoring runs (lately) so that gave us confidence and hopefully we can continue with that confidence."

The T-Birds (4-7, 2-4 Eastern Missouri Conference) never trailed after Branson's big hit en route to snapping a four-game losing streak. North Callaway added 1 run in the second, two each in the third and fourth, one in the fifth and capped off the day with five in the final frame.

The offense was enough to lift senior starter Michael Early to his first win of the season. Early (1-1) struck out six in five innings and allowed an unearned run on one hit, hit a batter, but didn't allow a walk.

"He did a very good job," O'Neal said. "He did a good job of throwing strikes and getting ahead of batters."

Sophomore shortstop J.T. Higgins finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, a double and two runs scored for North Callaway. Sophomore second baseman AJ Stubblefield was 1-for-2 with a triple and a run scored, while Branson finished 1-for-3 with a run scored to power the T-Birds' eight-hit day.

Senior center fielder Brandon Hagedorn didn't register an at-bat, but drew five walks, drove in a run, scored twice and stole a base.

North Callaway (4-4) prevailed in the junior varsity game 11-3.

The Thunderbirds couldn't cash in on seven errors by the Father Tolton Trailblazers in a 7-2 loss on Saturday at the Columbia American Legion Ballpark.

North Callaway didn't help its own cause offensively, managing just three hits in suffering its fourth straight defeat.

Sophomore center fielder Alex Brazil hit a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning to plate the T-Birds' first run. Freshman left fielder Adam Reno reached on an error later in the frame to drive in North Callaway's final tally.

Brazil finished 1-for-3 with a double, while Hagedorn - starting on the mound - and Branson were both 1-for-4.

Hagedorn (0-4) allowed seven runs (six earned) in three innings to take the loss. He struck out three, but gave up six hits and four walks.

The T-Birds host an EMO makeup game with the Wellsville Indians at 5 p.m. Wednesday.