A lead-off single by Kaleb Brashears resulted in the first of the Travelers' 22 runs during a sweep of Oak Grove. (Chris Allen/Democrat-News) [Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Marshall got a pair of strong starts from its pitchers Sunday to take both ends of a Mid-Missouri River League doubleheader from visiting Oak Grove, 11-3 and 11-1.

Ryan Smith allowed only four hits and two earned runs, while striking out 10 batters, in six innings of work in the opener.

Bradley Boling was even better in his first start of the summer, a one-hitter in which he didn't yield an earned run, in the five-inning nightcap.

In fairness, none of the visitors had played for the Panthers' 17-7 spring varsity team, the town having already filled the rosters of two American Legion clubs with 35 players, but the Travelers aren't much older.

Smith, along with John Lozano one of two starters for the Owls' varsity, fired three hitless frames until doubles by Dwight Ridley and Derrick Higgins and a single from Spencer Salley produced three runs in the fourth -- which began when a third strike on the lead-off hitter got away.

After that, Smith didn't give up another run, but was lifted after walking the first batter in the seventh inning on his 102nd pitch of the game. Lozano set down the side in order, two on strikeouts, in relief.

Meanwhile, Marshall took advantage of three errors to score four unearned runs in the first two stanzas.

The Travelers scored six runs in the fourth, Smith striking a two-run single and Tanner Dillon following with an RBI double. Lucas Hart and Nathaniel Williams also drove in runs with singles during the rally.

Boling knocked in the final run of the game with a one-out single in the fifth.

Marshall's offense got untracked a little earlier in the getaway game, tallying nine runs in the first two innings -- six unearned due to four errors by Oak Grove (1-7, 1-7 MMRL).

Khristian Chamberlain singled and came in on Hart's double. Boling singled, two errors led to another run and Brock Musick plated the final run with a base hit.

Three walks, an error and passed ball let the Travelers score twice in the second frame, with only one out and two runners on base when Brian "Duke" Day smashed a triple. He scored when a pitch got away, but would have made it in anyway on subsequent singles by Jacob Phillips and Musick.

Hart hit a sacrifice fly for a run in the third inning and an error allowed Jerrad Kelly, who had singled with two outs, to complete the circuit with the game-ending run in the fifth.

Boling struck out four batters and walked only one, and got help from his defense as Lozano gunned down three runners attempting to steal.

The Travelers also got a double play in the first game when Josh Toliver scooped up a grounder, stepped on the second-base bag for a force out and fired to first to get the batter.

Hart went three for four with two runs scored and three driven in for Marshall (6-5, 5-1), which plays the first of three doubleheaders this week when it hosts Higginsville today.