Post 642 Sedalia cruised through its first game Thursday hosting the Missouri Senior Legion State Tournament.
The Travelers bludgeoned Post 69 Hillcrest early in an 18-6, seven-inning victory at Liberty Park in Sedalia.
Seven Sedalia runs in the top of the second appeared to sink the Hillcrest Merchants, who led 1-0 after the first inning.
Baxter Mays, third baseman and leadoff hitter for Sedalia, said little was known about Hillcrest, beyond the fact that the Merchants faced no opponents in its respective zone tournament.
“We’ve never seen them this year,” Mays said. “We haven’t really heard about them, so we had to be ready for anybody.”
Mays was 4-for-6 with two doubles and a run. Christian Jones and Mason Sanders scored three times apiece.
Hillcrest starter Tanner Cassity lasted one and 1/3 innings, relieved after a Chase Plymell RBI single made it 6-1, Travelers.
Plymell was 2-for-2 with a walk, two hit-by-pitches and four runs scored. A dual-threat Thursday, Plymell pitched five innings, surrendering three runs and striking out two.
Post 69 scored three runs off Connor Spunaugle in the sixth inning, cutting the deficit to 12-6. Sedalia, who batted around in the second inning, did so again in the seventh for six runs and pushed its lead into mercy-rule territory, 18-6.
Tristan Jackson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
The Travelers advance to a 1 p.m. matchup against the winner between Post 218 Washington and Post Post 150 Ste. Genevieve at Liberty Park Stadium in Sedalia. Gehrig Taylor is scheduled to start Friday for Sedalia.
