The Tucson Saguaros set a 2020 Pecos League high on Wednesday morning, pounding out 19 hits and scoring 24 runs in a 24-10 victory over the Houston Apollos. Nathan Etheridge led the way with a career single-game high seven RBI on four hits. James Prockish also had four RBI for Tucson, who moved to 8-1 this season.

This game was a blow out almost from the first pitch. Tucson scored four in the first and added a six in each of the next two innings to blow this game open early.

In the top of the first, Etheridge drove home Thomas DeBonville with a base hit. Prockish followed with a two-run double and Danny Kerr drove home the final run of the inning with a single.

In the second, the first two batters reached to put runners at first and second. Two batters later, DeBonville singled up the middle scoring Blake Berry. Etheridge followed with a double that brought home Christopher Eusay, then Prockish delivered a double to score both DeBonville and Etheridge. Kerr then drew a walk before Erwin Real plated both runners with a two-run double.

The onslaught continued into the third. Back-to-back walks put two on with one down. Etheridge then singled up the middle, scoring Cody Earl. The ball was misplayed, allowing DeBonville and Etheridge to come home as well. A walk and two singles loaded the bases before Berry walked to drive home the fourth run of the inning. Eusay then grounded back to the pitcher, who threw wildly to first allowing two more runners to score to make it 16-0.

Houston came back with three runs in the bottom of the third. A bases loaded walk to Jalin Lawson brought home the first run. Christian Briscoe brought home Myles Waley with a single and Rodney Goldsmith brought home the final run of the inning on a ground out.

Tucson added a run in the fourth and sixth innings. Kerr singled home Prockish in the fourth and Gary Mason was hit by a pitch to bring home Etheridge in the sixth. That made it 18-1.

Despite being battered, the Apollos never quit. They came back with four in the bottom of the sixth. Tyler Blair doubled to bring home Goldsmith. Waley brought in Blair with a double and Lawson plated two runs with a single.

In the seventh, Houston added two more runs thanks to an inside the park homerun by Eric Olvio. He raced out of the box after drilling a ball to the wall, narrowly beating the throw to the plate.

It was an exciting moment that did not last long as the Saguaros scored six in the top of the eighth on just two hits. Prockish walked to start the inning and Noah Mahoney followed with his first homer of the year. With one down, Houston Williams walked the bases loaded. Chris Caffrey then drove home a run with a walk and a ground out by Blaze Speas plated Caleb Psycher. Etheridge brought home the final two runs for Tucson with a single to make it 24-9. An RBI single by Blair in the bottom of the ninth closed out the scoring.

Tucson rapped out 19 hits and drew 15 walks in the game. They also reached base on three errors. Etheridge finished 4-6 with four runs scored and seven RBI. Prockish was 4-6 with four runs scored and three RBI. Kerr was a perfect 3-3 with two runs and two RBI and Mahoney added his two run homer after taking over for Kerr behind the plate. Waley was 1-2 with two runs and two RBI for Houston.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier