By BAKER ELLIS / Sports Editor

ALABASTER – The Kingwood Christian School baseball Lions have gotten off to a hot start in 2016. Through seven games, the Lions are 6-1 and have put up at least 10 runs per game in the six games they have won. The one blemish on the schedule through Feb. 26 came on Feb. 12 in an 8-4 loss to Hooper Academy. On Feb. 25, Kingwood welcomed in cross-county foe Cornerstone Christian, and beat the visiting Chargers easily, by a final score of 14-4.

In the game against Cornerstone, the Kingwood bats were alive early. Buddy Kittrell put the first pitch of the inning in play, which was good for a single. Then, Wyatt Baker came to the plate and homered on the third pitch he saw. Baker, coming off of a recently fractured wrist, gave the Lions an early 2-0 lead that they never relinquished.

One inning later, Kittrell singled to right, which scored G Landry and Martin to give Kingwood a 4-0 lead, and Kittrell later scored when he stole home, giving Kingwood a 5-0 lead after two innings.

Cornerstone pulled the score to a four-run deficit in the top of the fourth at 6-2, but Kingwood promptly opened the lead up to 9-2 in the bottom of the inning before eventually getting the 14-4 win in just five innings.

Baker was a perfect 3-for-3 from the plate against Cornerstone with two RBIs while Kittrell, Corey Robinson and Josh Wright each had two hits and two RBIs as well.

Kittrell also threw the entire five innings against Cornerstone, and threw 89 pitches, gave up six hits and four runs while striking out 10 batters.

Cornerstone used four pitchers on the day, and Cade Adams led the Chargers from the plate with two hits on three at-bats with two RBIs as well.