P.K. Yonge Baseball Dominant Again Against Eastside
P.K. Yonge baseball continued its dominance against Eastside with an 11-0 win Tuesday at Bobby Hawkins Field.
The Blue Wave (8-3) swept the season series and, since 2024, have run-ruled Eastside, with the last four meetings ending in shutouts.
P.K. Yonge jumped to an early lead and never looked back.
Starting pitcher Sean Hudson (1-1) set the tone immediately by striking out the three Eastside batters he faced in the first inning. The junior didn’t allow a hit in his four innings of work and struck out nine.
Hudson had only seen the mound twice this season before Tuesday’s game. Coach Rob Brunson said the start was meant to build Hudson’s confidence.
“He had a couple starts and had some walks,” Brunson said. “You can’t defend walks. You can’t walk people in high school baseball, so this was a confidence builder for him. He needed it.”
Brunson said building confidence has been a priority for his young team this season.
“You can’t get beat before you even walk out onto the field,” Brunson said.
Hudson said the start helped him feel ready on the mound and that he is looking forward to more time this season, especially against stronger-hitting teams.
“I’m just really trying to pound the zone. This is my first game back pitching, it’s been a while,” said Hudson, who transferred from Santa Fe High in January. “I knew if my fastball wasn’t working, just go right back to the curve.”
The Blue Wave bats responded in the bottom half of the inning. After Nico Wheeler walked, stole second and third base, Tyler Belleville delivered a run-scoring double for the game’s first run.
Belleville later came home when the Ram catcher mishandled the pitch, giving P.K. Yonge a 2-0 lead going into the second inning.
The Blue Wave continued its aggressive approach, consistently stealing bases (10) and bringing the lead to 6-0 entering the third inning. P.K. Yonge repeatedly capitalized on defensive weaknesses from the Rams (1-12).
“Their pitcher didn’t get to the plate very quickly and when the catcher received the ball, he didn’t do much with it,” Brunson said.
The Rams have struggled defensively this season, allowing an average of 17 runs per game.
The Blue Wave blew the game open in the third inning when Colt Kramer delivered a single that drove in two runs, followed by a two-run hit from Belleville.
Eastside’s best chance of a score came in the fifth inning when James Rozier reached first with its only hit and stole second, but the Rams were unable to turn the opportunity into a run when reliever Josh Pruitt set them down in order with two strikeouts and a grounder.
In the final inning, Brunson gave several junior varsity players an opportunity to see the field. The JV didn’t have a game this week, so Brunson said he wanted to give them valuable playing time at the varsity level.
The Blue Wave defeated the Rams 17-0 in February and Tuesday’s game followed a similar script.
P.K. Yonge looks to continue its momentum when it hosts West Port (1-9) on Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
Category: Eastside High School, High School Sports, PK Yonge High School
