LADDONIA, Mo. - Senior catcher Wyatt Branson and junior starter Chad Maupin both launched grand slams as the North Callaway Thunderbirds demolished the Community R-6 Trojans in Tuesday night's EMO rout.
North Callaway improved to 11-6 on the season and 7-1 in the Eastern Missouri Conference. The Thunderbirds bounced back nicely after having their nine-game winning streak halted in a 5-1 non-conference loss at Father Tolton on Monday night.
North Callaway tallied a run in the top of the first inning Tuesday night, but Community (2-12, 0-6) pulled even when it scored its lone run in the second. The Thunderbirds then put up three runs in the third to go in front to stay at 4-1, adding a run in the fourth.
Branson's slam in the sixth made it 9-1 and Maupin's slam in the seventh highlighted an eight-run outburst by North Callaway.
Senior third baseman JT Higgins went 3-for-3 with two runs batted in and scored three times as the Thunderbirds accounted for 12 hits. Sophomore right fielder Skyler Morris was 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI and three runs scored, while senior left fielder Tyler Barton finished 2-for-2 and scored once.
Maupin (2-3) posted the complete-game victory, allowing an earned run on only four hits while striking out 12 and walking four.
North Callaway returns home for an EMO game against Silex at 5 p.m. Thursday.