Brothers Justin and Travis Quarisa carried the Jim Elliot Christian Eagles baseball team past the Mother Lode Cougars 7-3 in the Mountain Valley League opener for both teams Thursday night.

Freshman sibling Travis Quarisa pitched a complete game while striking out 14 and allowing only four hits, while senior brother Justin, last season's MVL Co-MVP, stole seven bases and scored three runs.

"I was getting the green light to run tonight," Justin Quarisa said about his performance.

He had the green light to go in the sixth inning when he had his most impressive play of the night. After stealing second and third, the senior caught the Cougars by surprise and stole home.

"I wish I could have got some hits, but I'm happy."

"Justin is a gamer," Elliot coach Don Blythe said. "He doesn't need to be taught baseball, he just knows how to play."

Despite only getting three hits, the Eagles offense benefited from nine steals, nine walks and four Mother Lode errors to get their seven runs.

"For the first league game we did good," Blythe said. "But we do need to hit better if we expect to do well in league."

Elliot (3-4, 1-0 MVL) came sluggish in the first inning, but was still able to put a run on the board off of a Mother Lode (3-2-1, 0-1 MVL) error.

After a scoreless second inning, Elliot went into the third inning tied 1-1.

Justin Quarisa led the inning off with a walk. He quickly stole second and third before Tim Evje blasted a deep fly ball to center field for a triple that scored Quarisa.

Travis Quarisa followed the triple with a bloop single to add another run, putting the Eagles up 3-1.

After Mother Lode scored two runs in the fourth inning to tie it up, Elliot pulled away with three runs of its own in the fifth inning.

With the bases loaded on two walks and an error, the Eagles' Chris Bishop hit an RBI sacrifice fly to right field. Following another walk, Roy Woodrum hit a single through the middle of the infield that scored two more runs.

"I told the kids they need to fight to win games in league," Blythe said. "You need to fight a full seven innings."

The Eagles host Valley Christian at Zupo Field tonight at 7.

Elliot 7, Mother Lode 3 Mother Lode 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 — 3 4 4 Elliot 1 0 2 0 3 1 x — 7 3 2 T. Quarisa and J. Quarisa; Baldwin and Henson.

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