BIG BLAST — Buckeye Local’s bench surround and celebrate with Madi Roset after the Panthers’ senior clubbed a solo home run over the left field fence against Union Local on Tuesday. - Mike Hughes

CONNORVILLE — Buckeye’s Joe Soos knew his team could hit. He’d seen it.

But through multiple scrimmages, the Panthers’ bats were spotty at best.

What he expected to see all along finally appeared on a chilly Tuesday evening in Connorville, much to the chagrin of visiting Union Local.

Buckeye Local banged out 14 runs on 16 hits and was never threatened in an commanding 14-4 victory in five innings, sending the Jets to 0-2.

Not bad for the season opener.

“That’s what I sort of expected to see,” Soos said, picking up his first win in his second stint as the Panthers’ head coach. “We hadn’t seen it all spring during the scrimmages where we’d hit in spots. But we have a lot of experience and when any team hits the ball like that, they’re going to be tough to beat.

“But I have no complaints. We played well in all facets of the game.”

The Panthers didn’t make a dent in the first inning on the scoreboard, collecting only one hit. But those three outs came off deep fly balls.

When Lexi Neily tattooed a hard-hit double into left field to start the second, Union Local head coach Melissa Lahna opted to make a change. She’d seen enough hard-hit balls to know where this was headed.

There’s only one problem.

UL’s second and third pitchers didn’t fare any better.

The Panthers loaded the bases in both the second and third innings, only to come away with three runs which, in comparison to the deluge of 10 in the fourth, was tame.

Of the six hits, only two were of the infield variety as Buckeye crushed line drives and gap shots into the outfield or ripped grounders through the infield gaps.

“They were keyed in,” Soos said. “We’ve been working on it a lot, working the batting cages and soft toss, and it’s paid off.”

Bella Russell led the way with a trio of singles and four RBI, while Paige Dombroski drove in three runs with a single and double.

Madi Roset made the most out of her two hits, clubbing a double and then crushed a pitch over the fence in left field for a solo home run.

In the circle, sophomore Karly Lander worked through a strong season opener, striking out six and allowing only two runs until surrendering the final two in the fifth inning.

“She’s a smart ballplayer,” Soos said of his pitcher. “She’s only a sophomore. We have a good mix of younger and older players and they all made a lot of good plays. I’m very, very proud of them.”

A few of UL’s hitters experienced some success. Alli Kellaway had a single and a double and Laken Vinskovich and Kylie Stidd each banged out a pair of base hits, with both driving in a run.

Buckeye Local takes on Shadyside next while Union Local hosts Monroe Central on Thursday.

Buckeye Local 14, Union Local 4

Union Local 000 22 – 4 9 6

Buckeye Local 021 (10)1 – 14 16 2

U – Stidd (0SO, 0W), E.Blakley (2) lp (3SO, 1W), Gallagher (4) (0SO, 1W) and Blakley. Kellaway S, D; Vinskovich 2S, rbi; Stidd 2S, rbi; Gallagher S, rbi;

B – Lander wp (6SO, 0W) and Russell. Roset D, HR, rbi; Bauknecht S, rbi; Neily S, D; Dombroski S, D, 3rbi; Kovalski S, rbi; Jones 2S; Russell 3S, 4rbi.