E-Express, Citizens prevail

from staff reports

   Expert Express got off to a good start Thursday night, scoring five runs in the first inning en route to a 14-3 victory over Elizabethton Federal in American Little League play at Jim Ensor Field.
   Express totaled three hits in the opening frame, with base hits by Franky Birchfield and Nick Papantoniou complementing a Hunter Taylor double.
   Brent Thomas ripped an inside-the-park home run in the fourth as Express produced a six-run frame. Papantoniou and Aaron Bradford each had a triple, and Shane Heaton a single during the inning.
   Papantoniou was tops offensively for the winners, going 2-for-3 with three runs, while Birchfield pitched three solid innings for the win.
   Elizabethton Federal was limited to one hit, which came off the bat of Bret Price, who went 1-for-1.
   Citizens Bank 22
   Summers-Taylor 4
   Citizens Bank exploded for 13 first-inning runs by taking advantage of eight walks and a pair of Summers-Taylor errors.
   Jacob Taylor and Jeremy Hall added a base hit apiece as the Bankers sent 17 batters to the plate during the first.
   J.D. Scalf and Hall banged out two hits apiece for the winners, with Scalf and Adam Colbaugh both scoring four runs. Corey Scalf and Matthew Gouge contributed a base hit each.
   Scalf picked up the win by striking out 12 batters.
   Daniel Jenkins had a nice game for Summers-Taylor, going 2-for-2 with a run scored. S-T did all of its scoring in the fourth inning.