Salina Eagles off to a rough start, while Salina Drive dominate in Grand Slam openers

It didn't take long for their Kansas All-American Grand Slam opener to get away from the Salina Eagles.

Topeka's Mammoth Sports sent 17 batters to the plate in an 11-run third inning and that was all she wrote for the Eagles, who dropped a four-inning, 13-1 decision in Pool A of the 16-under division Thursday at Dean Evans Stadium.

"They were a very good hitting team," Eagles coach Luke Curry said of Mammoth Sports, which improved to 2-0 in pool play. "They were crushing the ball. Kudos to them.

"Our pitchers both did a good job executing their pitches and filling the strike zone, but they just hit the ball really well."

Mammoth Sports broke a scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the top of the second inning on Eli Roberts' two-run single, then broke it open in the third. Roberts' two-run double was one of eight hits in that inning, which also included four walks and two Salina errors.

After Mammoth pitcher Garrett Fager was perfect through three innings, the Eagles finally got on the board with a run on three hits in the top of the fourth stringing together singles by Ty Young, Leon Rowe and Cole Gilpin.

"Their guy did a fantastic job," Curry said of Fager. "But the last inning, after we made it through the order once, we had some good hits.

"It was just one of those games where we made a couple of errors and they really hit the ball."

The Eagles wrap up pool play Friday at James Matson Field, taking on the Topeka Stogies-Reynolds at 12 p.m. and the Topeka Scrappers at 2:30. Mammoth Sports, which started the day with a 21-8 victory over the Scrappers, plays its pool finale at 4:45 p.m. Friday against Topeka Stogies-Reynolds at Dean Evans.

More:Updates: Kansas All-American Grand Slam baseball tournament resumes Friday

Salina Drive off to a fast start

At McPherson's Grant Complex, the Salina Drive got off to a terrific start in 16-under Pool B on Thursday afternoon, edging McPherson-Gerstner, 3-1, and then blowing out Buhler, 17-0, in just three innings.

Gunnar Gross was 2-for-3 with a triple and drove in all three Salina runs, while Evan Bogart and Stockton Timbrook combined for a one-hitter on the mound. Bogart was the winner, allowing one hit in four innings while striking out four, and Timbrook gave up an unearned run but no hits in the final three with four strikeouts.

Against Buhler, Timbrook was 3-for-3 with a home run, while Bogart and Zach Miller each drove in three. Bogart had a home run and Miller a double.

Miller pitched the first two innings, allowing Buhler's only hit and striking out two, while Gross struck out the side in his only inning.

The Drive play twice again Friday, starting with a 10 a.m. game against Topeka Stogies-Freeman at Dean Evans and completing pool play at 2:30 p.m. against Bandits Baseball Academy in McPherson.

The top two 16-under teams in each pool square off in the bracket semifinals Saturday afternoon, with the championship at 2:30 p.m. Sunday. All three games will be played at Dean Evans.