St. Aug sweeps series against East Jefferson in dominating fashion

St. Augustine’s 20-0 victory Friday against East Jefferson in the Division I select state baseball playoffs was a sight for Purple Knights coach Barret Rey’s sore eyes.

The Purple Knights, seeded No. 15, pounded out 14 hits in sweeping the best-of-three first-round series at Wesley Barrow Stadium.

St. Augustine had beaten No. 18 East Jefferson 14-0 in Thursday’s opener. However, Rey said he was not as impressed with that triumph, even though both games were shortened to five innings because of the 10-run-lead rule.

“This game, we swung the bats,” Rey said. “(Thursday), we only had three hits; they had 17 walks,” Rey said. “I was pleased with what happened today. We weren’t trying to do too much (at the plate). Everybody stayed clean, trying to go up the middle and just make solid contact.”

The Knights advanced to the regionals, where they will meet fellow District 9-5A foe John Curtis, the No. 2 seed, in a series scheduled to begin Tuesday. Curtis received a first-round bye.

Curtis won both regular-season district games against St. Augustine this season, but the second meeting was by 7-6 on April 9. The Knights (15-20) lost eight games by one run this season, including four in 9-5A play in finishing 4-9.

“I like our chances,” Rey said. “I feel like against anybody in (9-5A), we’ve got a puncher’s chance. We’re going to put our clothes on and go compete.

“Curtis swings the bats. They are going to put the bats on the baseball. We’re going to have to be ready for it.”

Like Tyrin Kirklin, St. Aug’s opening-game pitcher against East Jefferson (17-15), Friday’s starter, CJ Cornelius, handcuffed the Warriors. After Kirklin allowed one hit Thursday, Cornelius did not allow a hit in three innings, walking one — East Jeff catcher Riley Scudier, who led off the bottom of the first inning.

“He only had one walk, and that was our goal coming in — to minimize the walks,” Rey said.

St. Aug showcased some pop in its bats, getting six extra-base hits — five doubles and a triple. Right fielder Yerdin Castillo had two doubles, the first one coming with one out in the third inning before he scored on a groundout that made the score 4-0. Castillo’s second double came in the fourth after Kirklin led off the inning with a triple to the left-field corner.

The Knights took a 2-0 lead in the first on Jackson’s two-out, opposite-field double that plated shortstop Kenyon Hughes, who reached on an infield single, and Kirklin’s single through the hole that brought in Jackson. Cornelius doubled with two out in the second, and later scored on a wild pitch.

St. Aug broke it open with four runs in the third in which the Warriors had three errors and the Knights hit two doubles, the second one with two out by first-baseman Troy Brown that made the score 8-0. Even substituting liberally, St. Aug scored 12 runs in the top of the fourth.

The series marked the first time in coach Karl Williams’ eight-year tenure that East Jefferson, the 8-5A runners-up, landed a playoff berth.

St. Augustine 215 120 — 20 14 2

East Jefferson 000 00 — 0 2 5