18-4A Baseball: Rusk doubles up Mustangs for first district win

Apr. 3—MADISONVILLE — Trent Byers and Ethan Foster combined to go 5-7 at the plate for Rusk and the Eagles posted their first District 18-4A win of the season Tuesday by taking a 10-5 decision over Madisonville.

With the game — one in which the Red and Black never trailed — knotted, 4-4, the Eagles (10-11-2, 1-3) exploded for five runs in the top of the fifth inning to gain the upper hand on the Mustangs (13-6, 2-2).

Ethan Foster, who went 2-3 at the dish, stroked a base hit past the Madisonville shortstop with two outs in the decisive frame that scored Kade Blankinship and Carter Holland, who both walked earlier in the inning. Foster drove in two runs for the Eagles.

Trent Byers had three hits in four official trips to the dish to spark Rusk. Byers' night was highlighter by a pair of doubles and an RBI.

Other offensive standouts for the Eagles were: Tilton Beard (double, RBI),Blankinship (double), Nash Acker (single, two RBI) and Mason Trowbridge (single, RBI).

Collecting the win on the hill for Rusk was Trowbridge. He toiled six innings, giving up five earned runs off of nine hits. Trowbridge fanned seven and walked five.

Rusk will travel to Jacksonville for a 7 p.m. game Friday.