By RYAN ARENA

Sports Editor

If East St. John entered Monday’s season opener looking to start 2008 with a bang, then consider it mission accomplished.

The Wildcats scored four runs or more in each of the first three innings of play on their way to a 16-2, 10-run rule win in five innings over St. Augustine.

“We had a lot of quality at bats, back to back to back,” said East St. John Coach Ryan Sims. “Our guys were real patient, and they took a lot of walks.”Those walks kept East St. John (1-0) busy at the plate throughout the game. St. Augustine pitching handed out 11 free passes in all, to go along with six Wildcat hits.

Justin Howard’s sacrifice fly in the first inning gave East St. John its first lead of the game, 1-0.

From there, the floodgates opened. The Wildcats scored three more runs in the first inning, then four more in the second to take an 8-0 lead. The Purple Knights (0-1) answered with two runs in the third, but East St. John scored five in the bottom half of the inning to slam the door shut.

Brandon Trant would go 2-4 and score three runs. Cornell Brown scored three of his own.  Donald Goff went 2-4 with two RBIs. Howard added a second RBI of his own with a RBI double.

“It was important for us to get our feet wet this season,” said Sims. “It wasn’t so much about who we played against, but the way we came out to play.”

Brighton Trepagnier (1-0) notched the win for ESJ. He went three innings, allowing no earned runs and one hit. He struck out three.

“He solidified the mound for us,” said Sims.

Trant started the game and pitched two innings, giving up no earned runs and three hits to go along with three strikeouts.