St. Aloysius could not have scripted a better start to its 2022 baseball season.

Adam Francisco hit the second pitch of the game over the left field fence for a home run, Tristan Wilbanks racked up nine strikeouts in four shutout innings, and the Flashes routed defending MAIS Class 1A champion Tallulah Academy 12-2 in their season opener Tuesday.

Francisco walked three times and scored four runs in addition to his leadoff home run. Cole Autrey drove in three runs, while Wilbanks and Carter Magee had two RBIs apiece. Magee also had two hits.

St. Al added five runs in the second inning and four in the third to turn the game into a blowout. Autrey hit a two-run single in the second inning and Magee had another in the third.

Wilbanks allowed one hit and two walks in his four-inning outing. Matthew Pitre pitched the fifth and had two strikeouts.

Todd Etheridge went 2-for-3 with two RBIs for Tallulah Academy. He drove in both of the Trojans’ runs with a single in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Tallulah pitchers Dee Morgan, Etheridge and Paul Michael Machen combined for 11 strikeouts, but also walked seven batters and gave up seven hits.

St. Al and Tallulah will play again Saturday at 2 p.m. at Bazinsky Field in Vicksburg.

Germantown 7, Warren Central 1
J.P. Robertson had 10 strikeouts in five innings pitched, Jackson Hood hit an RBI double, and Germantown defeated Warren Central in the season opener for both teams on Tuesday.

Germantown scored the go-ahead run in the fourth inning on a dropped third strike, then added single runs in the fifth and sixth innings before putting it away with three in the seventh.

Blake Channell went 2-for-3 with an RBI single for Warren Central.

The Vikings’ starting pitcher Brooks Willoughby went four innings and allowed two unearned runs, on two hits and two walks, while strikeout out eight. The Vikings committed three errors behind him.

Warren Central will go on the road Saturday to play defending MHSAA Class 6A champion Madison Central, beginning at 2 p.m.

Cathedral 7, Porter’s Chapel 3
Tanner Wimberley went 2-for-4 with a double, three RBIs and three runs scored to lead Cathedral past Porter’s Chapel Academy (0-2).

Zeke Flattman hit an RBI double in the first inning and Wimberley had an RBI single in the third as Cathedral built an early 4-0 lead. The Green Wave later scored three runs in the sixth — two of them came in on a triple by Wimberley — to blow it open.

PCA answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth, but couldn’t get back into it. Taylor Labarre was 2-for-3 with an RBI single, and Gage Palmer also had two hits.

Zach Ashley pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief for the Eagles, who played the second of four scheduled games this week. They will play at Clinton Christian Thursday at 2 p.m., and host Park Place Friday at 6 p.m.