The Bainbridge baseball team got their bats going Wednesday with a 19-1 win over the Albany Indians (2-16). The victory clinched the Bearcats a spot in the State Playoffs.

Ten runs scored by Bainbridge (18-7, 13-6 Region) in the top of the first set the tone for the game. A three-run homer by Caleb Boutwell highlighted the inning.

Boutwell was 2-for-2 at the plate. Other big hitters were Keith Lyle, who went 2-for-2 with two runs and RBI, and Carson Inlow, who was 2-for-3 with three runs and two RBIs.

On the mound, Preston Strickland handled four innings with eight strikeouts, allowing one hit and one run.

Nick Barber cleaned in the fifth inning with three strikeouts.

With 13 runs in the first three innings, Bainbridge Bearcats Varsity left no doubt about the eventual outcome.

Three errors, a bases loaded walk, a sacrifice fly by Russell Wheeler, a three-run home run by Boutwell, an RBI triple by Will Kelley, and an RBI single by Noah Bryant during the first inning and a passed ball, a sacrifice fly by Wheeler, and an RBI single by Lyle the second inning helped Bainbridge put some runs on the board early.

Will Burrell and Cayden McQuaig scored in the fourth and Griffin Long, Inlow, Burrell and McQuaig scored in the fifth.

Jordan Walton was the game’s losing pitcher for the Indians. He allowed 19 runs in five innings, walked eight and struck out five.