Photo by Kim North Martins Ferry shortstop Colby Kropka fields a throw from catcher Elijah Smith but Indian Creek’s Nick Maurer is safe with a stolen base during Thursday’s game in Martins Ferry. The Purple Riders fell, 15-3.

MARTINS FERRY — It surely wasn’t a Rembrandt or a Van Gogh, but Indian Creek baseball coach Mike Cottis will take it.

It was a 15-3 season-opening victory at Martins Ferry Thursday.

“We definitely took advantage of our baserunners today,” Cottis said. “We had some clutch hits with two outs.”

The two teams combined for 23 base-on-balls in the blustery conditions high stop the Purple City. Two Purple Rider hurlers teamed for 14 of the walks.

“We walked way too many guys and left too many guys on base,” Martins Ferry head coach Anthony Reasbeck said. “It was just bad baseball and we got whooped because of it.”

Martins Ferry makes the return trip to Wintersville today.

“We have to win that game,” Reasbeck stressed. “We just have to.”

Indian Creek lefty Sylus Hyde sailed through the first three innings, allowing only one hit. However, he left the bases loaded in the first and allowed the first two runners to reach in the fourth before striking out two of the next three to escape unharmed.

The Purple Riders finally broke through in the fourth as Mason Redinger beat out an infield single with one out. Alex Reese and Colby Kropka drew back-to-back walks to load the bases before an error allowed one run to score. Turner Krol singled in the second tally and the third came in on a groundout by Ayden Ludolph.

“Sylus started off good, but he got his pitch count up a little bit. This early in the year you, as a coach, worry about that, but he bore down and got out of some jams.”

Hunter Allen relieved Hyde to get out of the inning. He gave way to Caleb Bodo in the fifth. Bodo finished out despite walking the bases full in the seventh.

Gavin Pownall slugged two doubles – a three-run shot to left-center in the first that plated three runs and a two-run shot to left in the seventh. He finished with five RBI. Bodo and Stan Amis evenly split four singles and Bodo drove in two runs. Ty Householder singled, drew four walks and scored five runs. Landen Pownall had a two-run single and walked with the bases full for a third RBI.