ELSBERRY - The Thunderbirds used five-run outbursts in the top of the second and third innings to hammer the Indians in Thursday night's Eastern Missouri Conference romp.
North Callaway (3-5, 3-1 EMO) also logged three runs in the first to stop the game on the mercy rule after five innings. Elsberry (2-4, 1-2) scored single runs in the first, third and fourth.
Senior third baseman Sam Althiser finished 3-for-4 with a double, a run batted in and two runs scored as the Thunderbirds collected 13 hits. Junior second baseman Josh McCowan went 2-for-2 with a triple and an RBI, while senior Justin Popp was 2-for-4 and scored twice.
Junior center fielder Jordan Delashmutt finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored.
Popp threw an inning in relief of senior starter Chad Maupin to obtain his first win of the season. Popp (1-1) gave up an unearned run on three hits.
North Callaway (3-3) won the junior varsity game 8-3.
The Thunderbirds open play in the Marshall Tournament against Chillicothe at 5:30 p.m. today. North Callaway continues the round-robin format Saturday with games against Clinton (2 p.m.) and Marshall (4:30).