Following last year’s third-round exit at the hands of eventual Class 1A champion East Webster, St. Aloysius coach Clint Wilkerson vowed his team would be bigger and stronger in 2009.

In its home debut Tuesday at Bazinsky Field, that looked to be the case. The Flashes (3-0) crushed a previously unbeaten Madison St. Joseph squad 13-0 in five innings. St. Al bashed the Bruins with hits to all fields, tallying 15 in the run rule-shortened game.

“We wanted to be bigger, stronger and more physical and I think we are those things,” Wilkerson said.

The Flashes return all nine of last season’s starters, and though one is not yet fully recovered from an off-season automobile accident, they have all bought into Wilkerson’s bigger, stronger, faster mantra.

“I think it’s something that is going to pay off all season,” said senior catcher Sean Weaver, who had a huge game against the Bruins, driving in five runs on three hits.

Ryno Martin-Nez gave up a single to the game’s first batter but then came back to strike out eight over four innings of scoreless ball. Josh Eargle finished up, striking out one in the fifth inning.

Blake Haygood and Pierson Waring each had three hits to join Weaver. Corey Jones had two hits. Greg Horlock had two hits to lead Madison St. Joe.

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Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com.