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First round mercy-rule win for TC Eagles in postseason
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Howie Skinner of Turlock Christian gets ready to slide into third base during Tuesday’s 11-1 win over Foresthill in the first round of the Division-VII Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

Liam Jones pitched a complete game, allowed no earned runs and struck out the final batter of the game while the offense racked up double-digit runs and the No. 4 TC Eagles cruised through No. 5 Foresthill from Cal State Stanislaus after an 11-1 mercy-rule win in the first round of the Division-VII Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs.

“Timely hitting, taking advantage of the other team’s mistakes, we have team speed and we have good pitching — that is what we experienced all of last year, except for the playoffs. We are peaking at the right time,” said TC head coach Bill York. “We had our top three pitchers out for playoffs last year so I have been telling people what happened, but I have my dudes this year, no excuses.”

TC’s ‘dude’ for the game was Jones, who pitched an entire game and was nearly untouchable by the opposition.

Jones allowed just one hit in five innings pitched.

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Turlock Christian starting pitcher Liam Jones pitched a complete game and allowed just one unearned run on one hit as the Eagles beat Foresthill, 11-1, in a mercy-rule victory in the opening round of the Division-VII Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs (CANDY PADILLA/The Journal).

The first run of the game came from Foresthill, who notched an unearned run in the top of the fourth to make it 1-0.

That was the final run scored for the visiting team as TC then began to add runs in the fourth inning.

They notched an 11-run inning in the fourth that started with a hit-by-pitch RBI.

Three walks ensued with bases loaded and the score then read 4-1.

Markie Delgadillo had an RBI sacrifice that made it 5-1.

Ryan Leonesio smacked an RBI single that extended the lead to 6-1.

Leonesio and Myles Jenkins then scored off an error by Foresthill to make it 8-1.

Jones walked, then a passed ball allowed Micah Blomenkamp and Matt Leonesio to score which then made it 10-1.

Howie Skinner drove in the final run after hitting an RBI single to make it 11-1.

Jones pitched a 1,2,3 inning in the fifth to secure the 10-run mercy-rule victory.

The TC Eagles record improves to 13-11 overall.

“Of course, it is win or go home now. When you have had the season we had with 24 games, they are ready. We will let the results fall where they should, just execute the plays and that is Eagles baseball,” said York.

TC’s next game will be on the road against No. 1 Alpha Charter from American River College at 4 p.m. Friday.

“Alpha… they are the defending section champions, and had a really good season this year. But if we are prepared and regardless of who is in the dugout, we are excited that we put a good product out on the field,” York added.