AUXVASSE, Mo. - Senior catcher Wyatt Branson had three hits and drove in two runs as the North Callaway Thunderbirds toppled the Hallsville Indians for their first win of the season Thursday night.
North Callaway (1-3) - playing its home opener - built a 6-0 lead by putting up two runs in the bottom of the first inning and adding four in the second. After Hallsville (0-2) scored all three of its runs in the fourth, the Thunderbirds clinched the non-conference victory with two runs in the sixth.
Branson went 3-for-4 with a double and scored three times as North Callaway collected eight hits. Junior designated hitter Ben Bradley finished 1-for-1 with two RBI. Junior center fielder Adam Reno was 0-for-2 with a walk and was hit by a pitch, but had an RBI and stole three bases.
Junior Sam Althiser threw 3 1/3 scoreless innings in relief of senior starter AJ Stubblefield to earn the win for the Thunderbirds. Althiser (1-0) allowed just two hits and struck out two.
Stubblefield surrendered three runs - all unearned - on 10 hits over 3 2/3 innings, struck out three and issued a walk.
"I really liked the way the team competed," North Callaway head coach Kevin O'Neal said. "Both (Althiser and Stubblefield) pitched well and Wyatt had a lot of good hits."
The Thunderbirds (2-2) prevailed in the junior varsity game 4-0. Junior left fielder Tyler Bondurant went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI.
North Callaway hosts Blair Oaks in a non-conference matchup at 5 p.m. Monday.