By CURTIS ROCKWELL/Sports Director

HURLEY — Round one wasn’t much of match-up.

Visiting Vancleave thumped arch-rival East Central 15-3 in just five frames Tuesday night in the Region 4-5A opener for both teams. The contest was the first of three this week pitting the two teams that have accounted for the past three Class 5A state championships.

The win pushes the Bulldogs, the defending state champs, to 10-4 overall while the Hornets drop to 5-9. East Central won back-to-back state crowns in 2022 and 2023.

The win marked the fourth straight in this annual series for VHS dating back to last season when the Bulldogs swept the regular season series from the then defending state champ Hornets.

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Vancleave gave the fans a harbinger of what was to be early in the game, as the Bulldogs jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the top of the first.

Marin Shaw’s RBI-double plated the first run, while Dane McElroy’s run-scoring ground out made it 2-0 followed by an RBI-single from Wyatt Adams to make it 3-0.

East Central stayed close early though, as Jaxon Cripps drove in a run in the first and followed that with an RBI-single in the second to cut the deficit to 3-2.

But the Bulldogs bounced back big, with two runs in the third frame and two more in the fourth to take command at 7-3. The big blow in that span was a two-run home run from Hunter Harper in the fourth.

Vancleave ended things early erupting for eight runs in the top of the fifth, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring six more runs before the Hornets could record an out.

Kyle Capers had a two-run single in the rally, as did Conner Mitchell, while Harper added an RBI-double in the stanza as well.

Aidan Tapp, Harper and Mitchell each tallied three hits piece to lead the game-winning 15-hit attack for VHS, while Harper collected a game-high three RBIs. Jaxon Albert and Shaw each chipped in a pair of hits apiece for the Bulldogs, while McElroy, Mitchell and Capers each drove in two runs each also. Both of Shaw’s hits were doubles.

The Hornets managed 11 hits of their own in the loss, as Christian McFaul had three hits including a triple and Cripps, Grant Vick, Pacey Baria and Brody Long each added two hits apiece.

Harper went the complete game shortened distance to take the pitching win, allowing all 11 hits and all three runs.

Porter Martin, the first of four Hornet hurlers, took the loss.

Both teams face off in Vancleave Friday night in game two of the series.