In his first-ever appearance on the mound, Manchester right hander Jase Thatcher threw two and a third innings of two-run relief as the Greyhounds upended West Union 3 on Saturday night by a final score of 18-3. Thatcher also had a base hit, RBI, and scored two runs in the win.

West Union 3 southpaw Andrew Weeks pitched a complete game for his team in their June 6 defeat at the hands of the Manchester Greyhounds. Weeks was a workhorse, offering up 137 pitches in a gutsy effort on the mound.

Going for a perfect two for two in “A” league baseball, the Manchester Greyhounds played host on June 6 to West Union 3 and played not so gracious hosts, using a big 11-run third inning to pull away from their visitors and roll to an 18-3 run rule win in six innings. The Hounds are now 2-0 on the season in “A” competition.

West Union threatened in the top of the first off of Manchester starter Rickey DeAtley when Dylan Dunn drew a walk, Andrew Weeks reached on an error, and Casey Mullenix reached on an infield hit. DeAtley got out of the bases loaded jam by picking Dunn of of third base and then getting Damon Webb swinging for the third out.

The Hounds picked up one in the bottom of the first off of West Union lefty Andrew Weeks. Lead off man DeAtley reached safely on a dropped third strike, stole second, went to third on a ground out by Jordan Carpenter, and scored on an RBI ground out by Jase Thatcher.

West Union tied the game in the top of the second when Tyler Rothwell walked, moved to second and third on wild pitches, then came across on a passed ball to even the score.

The tie didn’t last long as the Hounds broke it with two in their half of the second. With two outs and Ryan Dryden at second, a base hit to right by Kaige Cox plated the go-ahead run and a Jalen James single to center brought Cox home to make it 3-1.

DeAtley retired the side in order in the top of the third and in the bottom half, the Hounds put the game out of reach by scoring 11 times. DeAtley walked and came all the way around when Carpenter blasted a long triple to right field. Carpenter came home on a wild pitch, stumbling his way across the dish. Thatcher reached on an infield hit and came home when Nick Hoskins reached on an error that made it 6-1.

A double down the left field line by Kaulen Cox scored Hoskins and Cox scored when West Union committed another miscue in the field on a grounder off the bat of Mason Applegate. Applegate crossed the plate later on a passed ball, Gage Lucas and Kaige Cox walked, Lucas scored on a wild pitch, James lined a single to left, and DeAtley reached on a fielder’s choice to bring home another run.

Carpenter then rocketed his second triple of the inning, a long drive to right, to score another and the Hounds suddenly found themselves with a comfortable 14-1 advantage.

With two outs in the top of the fourth, DeAtley was replaced on the mound by right hander Jase Thatcher, making his first ever appearance on the hill. Thatcher got the third out of the frame and the two teams headed for the bottom of the fourth, where the Greyhounds added another score when Applegate singled and came home later when Dryden was thrown out at first after another dropped third strike.

West Union threatened off of Thatcher in the top of the fifth but didn’t score and Weeks has his best inning of the night in the bottom half, setting down the side in order with a pair of strikeouts. The visitors scored twice in the top of the sixth, with both runs scoring on Manchester errors, making it 15-3.

The Hounds came to bat needing three runs to put a long evening of baseball to an end and they began the stanza with DeAtley reaching on an infield hit and Carpenter being hit by a pitch. Both runners stole to get in scoring position and DeAtley came home on a wild pitch and Carpenter scored on a West Union error. Thatcher drew a walk and came in on a bloop single to right by Hoskins, thereby enforcing the 15-run rule and giving the Greyhounds an 18-3 triumph.

The winning Hounds banged out 10 hits in the game, led by Carpenter’s two three-baggers and a pair of singles by Jalen James. Rickey Deatley fulfilled his role as the lead off hitter, scoring four times. Carpenter, Thatcher, Applegate, and Kaige Cox all scored two times in the win.

DeAtley got the win with three and two-thirds innings of one-run baseball, with Thatcher polishing off the final two and a third.

West Union only managed two hits in the loss, one by Casey Mullenix and the other by Tyler Rothwell. Andrew Weeks gave it a yeoman’s effort on the mound, gutting his way through 137 pitches in five full innings of work.

WEST UNION 010 002 —3

MANCHESTER 12(11) 103 —18

West Union Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): R. Nehus 3-0-0-0, Dunn 1-0-0-0, Weeks 3-0-0-0, Mullenix 3-01-0, Webb 2-1-0-0, J. Nehus 2-1-0-0, Rothwell 1-1-1-0, C. Nehus 3-0-0-0, Patrick 1-0-0-0, Team 19-3-2-0.

Manchester Hitting (AB-R-H-RBI): DeAtley 3-4-1-2, Carpenter 3-2-2-2, Thatcher 3-2-1-1, Hoskins 4-1-1-1, Kaulen Cox 3-1-1-1, Applegate 3-2-1-1, Dryden 2-1-0-1, Lucas 2-1-0-0, Kaige Cox 2-2-1-1, James 3-1-2-1, Kessler 2-1-0-0, Team 30-18-10-11.

Extra Base Hits: Carpenter 3B (2), Kaulen Cox 2B

W.Union Pitching: Weeks (L) 5 IP, 10 H, 18 R, 8 ER, 6 BB, 7 K, 137 pitches

Manchester Pitching: DeAtley (W) 3.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 62 pitches

Thatcher 2.1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 2 K, 54 pitches