By Eric Lusk
Sports Editor
elusk@elkintribune.com

WEST JEFFERSON — Senior Tyler Jackson threw a one-hitter, and his Starmount teammates supplied plenty of offensive support in a 12-0 mercy rule win at Ashe County on Tuesday night.

The Rams scored four runs in the top of the third inning and eight in the fifth to put an early end to the night.

Jackson struck out 11 of the 15 batters he faced. He did not give up a walk.

The win lifts Starmount to 3-3 overall, 2-1 in the Mountain Valley 2A Conference. Ashe County dropped to 3-4, 0-3 in the league.

“Tyler had a slow start and wasn’t really up to his true form in his first two outings,“ Starmount coach Mike McCann said. “He felt like he had a lot to prove. He pitched real well tonight.”

Ashe County’s lone hit came from the No. 8 man in the batting order.

The Rams cranked out 11 hits in all, headlined by freshman Dillon Dobson’s second homer of the season. This one was a three-run shot in the fifth inning.

“He’s a good athlete and that’s why we have him up there,” McCann said. “He’s got a lot of pop in his bat.”

Dobson, Jake Barr and Chris Andrews each finished with two hits. Jackson was 1-for-2 at the plate with two RBIs.

A Barr double got the onslaught started in the third inning. Chris Andrews moved him to third base, then Derrick Wishon and Sam Coe singled. Pardue was hit by a pitch. That was followed a Jackson single that scored two.

The Rams batted around in the fifth inning. Coe, Tyler Howard, Justin Snow, Barr and Andrews all had singles in the frame, punctuated by Dobson’s homer.

Starmount is scheduled to host Elkin in a non-conference game tonight, then will travel to North Surry on Friday. Next week brings conference games against North Wilkes and Wilkes Central.

Starmount and Wilkes Central finished tied atop the MVAC standings last season, with the Rams having the edge because of their season sweep of the Eagles. Wilkes Central went on to beat Starmount in the conference tournament finals.

Softball

STARMOUNT 1, ASHE COUNTY 0: The Rams softball team also earned a shutout win Tuesday, giving up just four hits to the homestanding Huskies.

Courtney Groce, a freshman, fanned 17 to earn her third win of the spring, outdueling Ashe County senior Kendra Yearick.

Starmount improved to 6-0, 2-0 in the MVAC.

“Courtney pitched an excellent game,” Rams coach Heather Courts said. “We just couldn’t find our bats and put them together against Kendra.”

Senior Jana Matthews had the clutch hit for the Rams. With the score still 0-0 in the top of the sixth, Starmount got Chelsea Varner aboard with a slap hit. Carla Cave tried to bunt her over but popped out, leaving the Rams with just one out to play with.

Matthews smashed a triple on a full count to score what would be the game’s only run.

Matthews was 2-for-3 on the night. She also had a double. Starmount had five hits on the night.

The Rams also play at North Surry this Friday night. The JV Rams go to Davie County tonight.

STARMOUNT 2, WEST IREDELL 1: Nichole Hutchens scored on a pass ball in the top of the seventh inning to give the Rams a non-conference victory Monday night.

With the score tied 1-1, Hutchens led off the frame with a single. Jessica White then doubled to right center, moving Hutchens to third and setting up the game-winning play.

West Iredell scored its only run in the second inning and held on to its 1-0 edge until the sixth. With one out in the sixth, Starmount’s Chelsea Varner slipped a liner to left center and turned the play into an inside-the-park home run.

“She was on third before the outfielders picked the ball up due to the slap defense,” Rams coach Heather Courts said.

Rebecca Aplin picked up the pitching victory, improving to 3-0. The Rams moved to 5-0 as a team heading into Tuesday night’s clash at Ashe County.

Varner, White and Hutchens led a six-hit Starmount attack, with Hutchens finishing 2-for-3.

Girls Soccer

ASHE COUNTY 8, STARMOUNT 1: Ashe freshman Mackenzie Domske overwhelmed the Rams with five goals, scoring at the eight, 23, 29, 32 and 44 minute marks.

Starmount scored early but couldn’t keep up with Domske and the Huskies, falling to 2-3 overall, 0-1 in the conference.

Domske has scored 10 goals in the past two games, also hitting North Surry with a hat trick-plus-two recently.

Starmount is scheduled to play out of conference tonight at West Wilkes .

Baseball Box Score

Starmount 12,

Ashe County 0

Tuesday • at West Jefferson

Starmount 004 08 — 12 11 1

Ashe County 000 00 — 0 1 4

WP: Tyler Jackson; LP: A. Sexton

HR: Dillon Dobson (SHS).

Softball Box Scores

Starmount 2,

West Iredell 1

Monday • at West Iredell

Starmount 000 001 1 — 2 6 0

West Iredell 010 000 0 — 1 4 0

WP: Rebecca Aplin (3-0); LP: H. Pennell

2B: SHS — Jessica White; WI — E. Stout

HR: SHS — Chelsea Varner

Leading Hitters: WI — E. Walden 2-3, 1 run; E. Stout 2-3, 1 RBI; SHS — Chelsea Varner 1-2, 1 run, 1 RBI; Nichole Hutchens 2-3, 1 run

Starmount 1,

Ashe County 0

Tuesday • at West Jefferson

Starmount 000 001 0 — 1 5 0

Ashe County 000 000 0 — 0 4 0

WP: Courtney Groce (3-0); LP: Kendra Yearick.

3B: SHS — Jana Matthews.