NEW MADISON – The Tri-Village baseball team began its season by sweeping Preble Shawnee in a doubleheader on Saturday.

Tri-Village won the first game of the doubleheader 6-5, scoring the winning run in the bottom of the seventh.

Tri-Village scored first with a run in the bottom half of the second. Preble Shawnee tied the game in the third and took a 3-1 lead in the fourth. Tri-Village went up 4-3 in the bottom half of the fourth inning.

After both teams scored a run in the fifth inning, Preble Shawnee knotted the score at 5-5 in the top half of the seventh.

In the bottom of the seventh Christian Ricker led off with a double. Following a walk to Trey Frech and a wild pitch, Jonny Wilson drove in Ricker for the winning run with a sacrifice fly.

Tri-Village had eight hits and five errors in game one while Preble Shawnee had four hits and two errors.

Luke Wheeler was 2-for-3 with two doubles and RBI. Jared Buckley was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Mason Sullenbarger went 2-for-3 and scored two runs.

Ricker pitched one inning and earned the win. Wilson pitched four innings, and Cameron Munchel pitched two.

After the dramatic win in game one, Tri-Village dominated game two and run ruled Preble Shawnee 11-1 in five innings.

Tri-Village started the game with four runs in the first inning and five in the second to put the Patriots up 9-0. Preble Shawnee scored its lone run in the third, and Tri-Village added two more in the fifth to win 11-1.

Tri-Village had seven hits and no errors while Preble Shawnee had four hits and two errors.

Wilson led the Tri-Village offense by going 3-for-4 with a double, a triple, two runs and four RBI.

Munchel pitched 2 2/3 innings. Ricker pitched 2 1/3 innings to earn the win and improve to 2-0 on the year.

Tri-Village will return to action on Tuesday at Ansonia in its Cross County Conference opener.