Easton, PA — By Kyle Craig | For lehighvalleylive.com Easton’s coaching staff wanted to get pitcher Justin Johnson a little work. Once the senior posted two overpowering innings, it was the Red Rovers offense’s turn to do its thing. Easton churned out double-digit hits and blazed on the base paths to earn a 17-7 victory over Wilson in a five-inning game shortened by the mercy rule at Richards Field. “Everybody did their job today and we came out with the win,” Johnson said. Johnson’s first job was to get things started on the mound for the Rovers (2-0) in the battle of two programs separated by the old Dixie Cup plant, and the senior exceled at that task. The left-hander struck out all six batters he faced (five swinging) in his two innings. “They didn’t want to stretch me out too much because we have a big game on Tuesday against (Bethlehem Catholic) ... It felt good. The arm is feeling loose,” said Johnson, who is committed to Division I Coppin State. Easton, which had a pair of games with Liberty postponed due to COVID-19 issues at the Bethlehem school, hadn’t played since its opener last weekend vs. Bangor and wanted to give its ace some live action. After Johnson was relieved, the Rovers’ bats erupted for six runs in the bottom of the third inning, paced by extra-base hits from sophomore Braydon Hubbard, senior Frank Castrovinci and senior Isaak Torres, as well as a two-RBI single from senior Max Squarcia. “I think we need to be a little sharper, but overall, we did come through and get some big hits at good times,” Rovers coach Carm LaDuca said. “We ran the bases really well. The kids did what they needed to do to win the ballgame, but we need to get more game action.” Easton, which had double-digit steals to go with 16 hits according to the home scorebook, added seven more runs in the fourth inning. Torres, junior Justin Ramirez, Squarcia, junior Patrick Keegan and senior Keegan Stem all drove in runs to push the Rovers’ advantage to 13-1. Wilson (0-2) staved off the 10-run rule in the top of the fifth inning by registering five extra-base hits and scoring six times, cutting Easton’s advantage to 13-7. “Offensively, overall, we’re happy with it,” Wilson coach Steve Wagner said. “We stood around and watched a lot of strikes against Palisades (an 11-3 loss). We came out here and we battled. They didn’t make an error and we scored seven runs.” Senior Tyler Batdorf, who pitched a pair of scoreless innings to start the game for the Warriors, paced the Wilson offense, going 1-for-2, with two runs and two RBIs. “We’ve got to clean the defense up. We’re a very young group. We graduated eight starters from last year, so there are guys that played JV as a freshman that are now expected to be varsity starters,” Wagner said. “You’re seeing that. You’re seeing what happens with the layoff, especially after Connie Mack and Legion got canceled as well.”