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BOONVILLE -- Starmount baseball coach Mike McCann got his first career win over Forbush about a month ago.
On Friday night, McCann's Rams proved that triumph wasn't a fluke, earning the season sweep against the Falcons.
Caleb Pardue hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and pitcher Tyler Jackson threw a complete game three-hitter to give Starmount a 9-2 win over its county rival.
The result creates a major logjam behind Wilkes Central in the Mountain Valley 2A standings. Starmount, Forbush, Surry Central and Ashe County all enter this week with three league losses -- two games off the pace set by Wilkes Central (6-1) but safely ahead of North Wilkes (1-6) and North Surry (0-7).
For the Rams, who were threatening to drop back behind the conference leaders with another loss, Friday's result was big for more reasons than keeping county bragging rights.
"We're back up there in the conference," McCann said. "If we can play well the rest of the way out, we could be a three or a two (seed). Wilkes Central and Ashe have to battle it out another game, and they've both got to go through Forbush and Surry Central."
The Rams set the tone Friday with an explosive first inning.
Leadoff hitter Daniel Swaim got aboard and eventually worked his way to third base. Derrick Wishon also got on and was standing at first when Pardue came to the plate.
Pardue has steadily moved up the batting order this season to the clean-up position. His home-run shot cleared the 350 sign in centerfield. It was his first round-tripper of 2008.
"We moved him up to the four spot because he was hitting it real hard," McCann said. "We knew it was just a matter of time. He hit it real well the last time at Forbush. He had two doubles, and one bounced off the fence."
A walk by Tyler Howard set up another run for the Rams in the opening frame. Ben Shore brought Howard's courtesy runner, Shane Bryant, home when he smoked a double up the first base line.
Forbush got two runs back in the top of the third inning, but Jackson and company shut the door on scoring the rest of the way. The Rams added two runs to their tally in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth.
Adam Saunders took the pitching loss for Forbush, his first in conference play this season. Starmount outhit the Falcons 10-3. Both teams committed two errors. Jon Harrell had a triple for Forbush.
"I thought we just hit the ball really well," McCann said. "Tyler Jackson threw well and we played good defense behind him. It's easier for him to pitch the way he does when you've got some runs on the board."
McCann praised the way his players communicated with one another on defense. On one play, Forbush had a runner at first with one out. The Falcon batter bunted the ball right back to Jackson. Shortstop Chris Cowles called for the throw, and Jackson turned and was able to gun down the runner heading to second.
"We got the lead runner," McCann said. "That was very important because the kid we got out is probably one of the fastest players on their team."
Starmount will take a break from conference play this Tuesday, returning to action Wednesday in a non-conference clash at West Davidson. The Rams will travel to Ashe County for a rematch on Friday. The Huskies won the first meeting 2-1 on March 25 but are riding a three-game conference losing streak coming into this week.
Forbush will visit Wilkes Central on Tuesday night with the chance to bring the MVAC closer together with an upset win. The Falcons lost to Wilkes Central 2-1 the first time those teams played back in March.
Starmount 9, Forbush 2
Friday * at Boonville
Forbush 020 000 0 -- 3 3 2
Starmount 400 023 x -- 9 10 2
WP: Tyler Jackson; LP: Adam Saunders
HR: Caleb Pardue (Starmount); 3B: Jon Harrell (Forbush)
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