Photo by Sam Thiel Marshall’s Jordan Mernaugh follows through on a swing during their game against BOLD on Monday. Marshall 18U defeated BOLD 7-3.

MARSHALL — The Marshall 18U baseball team also closed their home schedule on Monday, squaring off against BOLD. Using a hot start offensively, Marshall grabbed an early lead and never looked back, as they took down BOLD 7-3 at Legion Field.

After neither side could take advantage of having a baserunner aboard in the first frame, Marshall quickly jumped out of the gates to begin its second at-bat. Jack Bly reached on an infield single before stealing second and Peyton Grant later reached on an error and took second base as well to put runners in scoring position with one out. After Jacob Hughes drew a walk to load the bases, Jaden Pearcy brought in a run on an RBI groundout to make it 1-0. Marshall wasn’t done there, as Matt Hmielewski smacked a two-run triple on the first pitch to left-center before an RBI infield single by Chase Douglas pushed Marshall’s advantage to 4-0 after two.

Marshall continued its scoring in the fourth, getting back-to-back singles by Hughes and Pearcy before an RBI single by Douglas made it 5-0. On the ensuing at-bat, Jordan Mernaugh grounded into a fielder’s choice to plate a run and push the lead to 6-0.

After a 1-2-3 fifth inning via strikeout for BOLD, Marshall returned to the plate looking for more on the offensive end. AJ Toulouse would draw a one-out walk before Benson Kuecker connected on a single. Kuecker would then steal second and Toulouse scored in the process, bringing it to 7-0.

BOLD wouldn’t go down without a fight, though, using a pair of singles to plate a run in the top of the seventh before a single and two errors added a couple of runs to make it 7-3. But that would be the closest BOLD got, as Marshall got a lineout and a groundout to end the game.

Douglas led the way for Marshall with two hits and two RBI while Hmielewski added a hit and two RBI and Mernaugh and Pearcy each had a hit and an RBI.

Bly earned the victory on the mound, going 3 1/3 innings while allowing no runs on two hits and struck out three.