By Ben Brooks - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

WINCHESTER -- Technically, Kettle Run High School's Zach Phillips ended Wednesday night's baseball game against James Wood with a pickoff at first base to close out the fifth inning.

In reality, though, Phillips and his fellow Cougars ended it much earlier. Kettle Run erupted for 12 runs over the first three innings en route to a 12-2 non-district victory over the Colonels at R. Charles Hott Field.

Phillips, a junior first baseman, led the Cougars' 11-hit onslaught by going 3-for-4 with six RBIs. He was a mere single away from hitting for the cycle after hitting a triple, double and home run in the first three innings. Phillips wasn't alone. Greg Giunta had a pair of hits and three RBIs, Connor Adams had two hits and two RBIs and David Stuart drove in a run with a pair of singles. Cougars coach Ty Thorpe was pleasantly surprised to see his team come out of the gate so quickly after having been off for two weeks because of spring break and weather cancellations. Kettle Run hadn't played a game since its 3-0 home win over the Colonels on March 22.

"We've been swinging it well in practice, but you're never sure what's going to happen after not playing a real game in two weeks," Thorpe said. "We did a good job tonight squaring up a lot of pitches and driving the ball."

Phillips credited some of his team's spirited inter-squad scrimmages during the break for keeping players sharp.

"We get pretty competitive," Phillips said. "We have umpires and everything. We took all that energy out on the field tonight."

Kettle Run (4-2) jumped on Wood starting pitcher Cooper Franks early. Phillips got things started with his two-run triple to the fence in left-center. Adams followed with an RBI double down the third-base line and Stuart added a run-scoring single for a 4-0 lead.

The Cougars sent 10 to the plate in the second, getting a two-run double from Phillips, a two-run single from Giunta, and an RBI single from Adams. Phillips' two-run home run to left highlighted Kettle Run's three-run third and put the Cougars in position to end the game early with the 10-run mercy rule.

The Colonels (1-5) got two runs back in the bottom of the third when Matt Copley's seemingly routine fly ball to right dropped in front of Josh Leonard for a two-run double.

James Wood threatened in both the fourth and fifth innings, but couldn't scratch another run across to extend the game. In the fourth, the Colonels loaded the bases with one out, but Giunta, one of four pitchers the Cougars used, escaped by getting two straight strikeouts.

And in the fifth, Brock Lockhart doubled to lead off. Copley sacrificed him to third and Cody Vorous drew a one-out walk. After Daniel Garber's line out to left and with runners on the corners, Phillips faked a throw to third and quickly wheeled around and fired to first. He caught the runner leaning and got the out to end the game.

"It's one of those moves that works about once a year," Thorpe said. "I guess tonight was the night for us."

Colonels coach Jared Mounts took some solace in the fact that his team didn't quit. Reliever Niko Bobadilla retired the Cougars in order in the fourth and fifth innings. And even though they didn't score in the final two frames, the Colonels put runners on base and showed signs of life.

"They don't quit," Mounts said. "It doesn't matter what the score is. They won't lie down. We still have a lot of young guys out here, but I told them that we weren't going to use that as an excuse any more. They've got five or six games under their belts. We've got to grow up real quick. We're starting to hit our district schedule this Friday. I guess the positive thing is that we're 0-0 in district right now."

Bobadilla, one of the three Wood pitchers, worked four innings. He allowed just three runs.

"He pitched pretty well," Mounts said of his sophomore. "It was good for him to get some experience."

The Colonels had four hits. Lockhart reached base three times, including two walks.

After hearing that the Cougars hadn't played since their last meeting his team, Mounts smiled a bit and said, "If that's all it takes, we'll be happy to take a week off."