Photo by Kim North Maynard third baseman Hunter Westlake tags out Moundsville’s Joel Wise trying for third in the third inning of Sunday’s OVBL season-opener at Firemen’s Field inside the Community Park in Maynard.

MAYNARD — Three-time defending Ohio Valley Baseball League champion Maynard started its quest for a fourth straight title with a revamped roster that included a pair of junior college players.

Those two — Rhys Francis and Cullen Flowers — combined for 11 strikeouts on the mound and drove in four runs in leading the Indians to a 9-3 victory over visiting Moundsville Sunday on sun-drenched Firemen’s Field inside the Community Park.

Francis, a Shadyside grad and East Florida State Community College product, fanned five in three innings and sparked an 8-run uprising in the bottom of the third with a bases-clearing triple down the right field line. Flowers, just finished his sophomore season at Galveston Community College in Texas, picked up his first OVBL win in his initial appearance. He struck out six in four innings and delivered an RBI single to cap the scoring in the bottom of the sixth.

Francis and Flowers, who, ironically, didn’t bat during their collegiate careers, are teammates on a college summer league team and will leave this week for North Dakota.

“I’m proud of my guys. They came out and took care of business,” Maynard manager David Vickers said. We hit the ball pretty well, took advantage of some walks and errors and pitched really well.”

Trailing the Expos 1-0 on a two-out RBI double by Matt Brooks in the top of the third, the Indians recorded half of their eight hits in the bottom of the frame while sending 13 batters to the plate.

Joey Lewis drew a leadoff walk and Mason VanNest legged at an infield single. Both runners advanced via stolen base before Matt Busby walked to load the bases. Eric Banal walked to force in a run and end the day for Moundsville starter Greyson Loweecy. Grant Swift relieved and served up a two-run double by Hunter Westlake to make it 3-1.

After Tyler Ramsay was intentionally walked to once again load the bases, Francis sent a full-count laser down the line in right as all three runners scored for a 6-1 advantage. Ryan Florence and VanNest added RBI singles for the 8-1 margin.

“We bunched a few hits together and ran the bases well,” Vickers said. “We played a pretty good game for it being the opener.”

Brooks singled in addition to his two-run double. Swift also had an RBI single.

Westlake also singled for a second hit.

Maynard is off Monday while Moundsville returns to Belmont County to face Barton on Henning Field in Pramesa Park in Crescent. The first pitch is at 6.