Monitor Photo/Russell Slaton
Kerens’ Lane Lynch pitches against Mart, striking out eight Panther batters in four innings.

KERENS–The Kerens Bobcats scored eight runs in the bottom of the third inning to pull away from the Mart Panthers Feb. 28, run-ruling their visitors in five innings, 14-0. The Bobcats improved their record to 4-2 after winning their third game in a row.
Kerens put its first run on the board when Lane Lynch’s two-out single in the bottom of the opening inning scored Danny Conklin. Leading off the bottom of the second, Danny Conklin tripled and later scored on a Mart passed ball. In the top of the third, Lynch sat down Mart’s third out swinging, leaving two Panther runners in scoring position to preserve Kerens’ 2-0 lead.
The Kerens offense exploded in the bottom of the third. Matthew Rickard’s bunt for a base hit loaded the bases with no outs. JJ Hightower walked in a run to increase the Kerens lead to 3-0. Muziq Gunnell hit a Texas Leaguer single followed by a Mart error, all of which plated two more Kerens runs. The eight-run inning also included a Kannon Ritchie sacrifice fly and a Krayton Ritchie triple that scored Andy Conklin. Adrian Solis added a two-out single to score Krayton Ritchie.
With Kerens leading 10-0, the Bobcats pushed across four more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Andy Conklin walked in Hightower, Kannon Ritchie walked in Gunnell, Krayton Ritchie was hit by a pitch (scoring Danny Conklin) and a Lynch sacrifice fly plated Andy Conklin.
Andy Conklin relieved Lynch in the top of the fifth, striking out the side to cap off the Kerens shutout win.