On Friday night in Columbia, the Marshall County 15-year old all-stars opened up the Babe Ruth District 8 Tournament with a big 21-7 win over the host squad from Maury County and on Saturday, head Coach Mike Bailey's boys blasted longtime foe Giles County 16-1 in four innings.

Marshall County fell behind 3-1 in Friday night's opener before a five-run third inning put them ahead for good.

Maury County would cut the lead to 8-5 in the bottom of the fifth, but Marshall County scored seven runs in the sixth and crossed home plate six more times in the seventh inning to complete the blowout win.

Double threat

Bailey's crew banged out 15 hits in the win over Maury County with league MVP Brett McGehee leading the way with a 3-4 performance at the plate, including three runs scored and two RBIs.

McGehee also picked up the win on the mound for Marshall County, surrendering zero earned runs on just three hits in five innings of work.

McGehee struck out 10 and walked four Maury County batters before Will Johnson came on in the sixth to finish up the win.

Thomas Hawkins (2-5, 3RS, 2RBIs), Logan Bailey (2-4, 2RS, RBI), and Hunter Bradford (2-3, RS, RBI) all had a pair of base knocks in the contest, while Austin Wood (1-3, 3RS, RBI), Brayden Gentry (1-3, RS, RBI), Ben Taylor (1-4, 2RS, RBI), Triston Underwood (1-3, 3RS), Johnson (1-4, 3RBIs), and Denver Kelley (1-1) all had one hit.

Early blast

Brayden started on the mound for Marshall County in Saturday's winner's bracket tilt versus Giles County and after setting down the first two batters in the game, Gentry walked two and hit two batters that resulted in a run for the visitors.

Gentry had nothing to worry about as he and his mates went to work in a big way in the bottom of the inning, sending 19 batters to the plate, while scoring 13 times to put the game away early.

McGehee walked to start the inning, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch before Kelley drew a base on balls.

Gentry drilled an RBI double over the leftfielder's head to tie the game at 1-1 and Hawkins followed with another two-bagger that scored Kelley.

Underwood reached on an error to load the bases and Bailey worked a 3-2 RBI walk to make it a 3-1 ballgame.

Run explosion

Marshall County really heated up at the plate when Johnson laced a two-run double, Iendi Biggers drove in another run with a base hit, and Bradford drove in two more with a two-run single out of the number nine spot.

McGee walked again and Kelley followed with an RBI base hit to make it 9-1 before Giles County finally got an out.

Underwood would come up with a huge bases loaded three-run double moments later and then Johnson would drive in the final run of the offensive barrage for Marshall County, who took the 12-run lead to the top of the second inning.

Gentry set down Giles County 1-2-3 in the half stanza and an RBI single by Underwood in the home half of the frame made it a 14-1 contest.

Scores keep coming

The Pulaski nine was stymied once again by Gentry in the third inning and Biggers would scored on a passed ball in the bottom of the inning, giving the MC nine a 15-1 lead.

Bradford came to the hill for Gentry in the top of the fourth and after Giles County reached on a leadoff error, Bradford retired the next three hitters to end the inning.

Gentry and Hawkins banged back-to-back singles to lead off the bottom of the fourth and one out later, Bailey ended the run-rule win by lacing a double to right field.

Gentry and Bradford combined for a no-hitter on the mound, while the pair also came up with three hits apiece to lead the offense. Gentry (3-4, 3 RS, 3RBIs) and Bradford (3-3, 3 RBIs, RS).

Hawkins (2-3, 3RS, RBI, BB), Underwood (2-4, 2RS, 3RBIs), and Johnson (2-3, RS, 2RBIs) all had two hits, while Biggers (1-2, 2RS, RBI, BB), Kelley (1-2, 2RS, RBI, BB, HBP), and Bailey (1-2, RS, 2RBIs, 2BB) all had one hit.