From staff reports

Ever since the final out of the 2007 season, the St. Aloysius Flashes baseball team has had one game circled on the schedule — Feb. 18 at Stringer.

The Flashes made the most of it.

Sophomore Ryno Martin-Nez pitched seven shutout innings, had 14 strikeouts and scored the game’s only run in a 1-0 victory over the division-rival Red Devils. The Flashes (2-0) won their first division game of the year.

“It’s huge to go down there and beat them this early,” St. Al coach Clint Wilkerson said. “The best thing is we don’t have to go down there again, unless we meet in the playoffs.”

The two teams played in the playoffs last season with Stringer taking the heated series in two straight games.

Martin-Nez doubled in the first inning and scored on an RBI single by Stephen Evans for a 1-0 lead. Evans led the team with two hits and no Stringer player had more than one hit.

That had plenty to do with Martin-Nez. He struck out six of the first nine hitters he faced and scattered three hits. The Flashes’ defense did not commit an error.

“He did unbelievable,” Wilkerson said of Martin-Nez. “He got better as the game went on. He was on fire.”

Standout Stringer pitcher Andrew Pierce scattered four hits in taking the loss.

The Flashes are scheduled to return to action on Friday against Yazoo City at 5:30 p.m. at McLaurin High School in the Mid-Mississippi Classic.