[03/14/02]JACKSON First, Richland pitcher Ryan Bailey was a little wild. Then, his fielders were wild. Finally, St. Aloysius ran wild.

St. Al (8-0) took a 6-0 lead in the first inning without getting a hit, then pounded out seven hits in the last four innings to cruise to a 12-0 win and advance to the Capital Classic semifinals for the first time.

St. Al faced Yazoo City this mornng at Veterans Field in Jackson. With a win, they would play either Forest Hill or Murrah in the championship game at 3 p.m.

“If you look at everything we’ve done, this is about the way we’ve been playing all season great defense, great pitching performances and timely hitting,” St. Al coach Joe Graves said. “We’re 8-0, we’ve only given up eight runs in eight games. This team probably plays better together, on and off the field … than any team I’ve ever had at St. Al.”

Aaron George struck out seven, walked none and scattered three hits to earn the shutout and improve to 4-0, and also went 3-for-4 with an RBI triple.

Jason Brown had an RBI single and scored four runs for St. Al, Blake Warnock had two RBIs, Alex Frisbee went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI singles and Walker Hengst and Chad Cox each drove in a run.

“(Bailey) was just throwing fastballs and we were jumping on them,” George said.

The Flashes seized control of the game in the top of the first inning and never looked back.

Bailey (2-1) walked four and committed two of Richland’s four errors in the inning including an overthrow of the catcher following a soft, bases-loaded grounder as St. Al sent 11 batters to the plate and took a 6-0 lead.

“Sometimes it happens. Once you get one, it’s just a domino effect,” Richland coach Trey Lindsey said. “When you face a team like this, as good as they are, you can’t make errors.”

The Flashes went on to score in every inning after that, slowly easing the game to a mercy-rule finish just as the two-hour time limit was set to expire.

George kept the Rangers (10-2) from getting back into the game with a good mix of pitches. Two of Richland’s three hits were seeing-eye singles through the hole between first and second base.

He retired seven of the last eight batters and struck out the side in the fifth to end the game.

“That first inning set the tone for the entire ballgame,” Graves said. “They had to play catchup against Aaron, and that’s tough to do. If you don’t get him in the first couple of innings, he gets better at the end.”