ASHLAND, Ky. — The St. Joseph Flyers took care of business early and in the process took the pressure off freshman Caleb Blackburn.

St. Joseph scored eight runs in the first inning to make Blackburn’s debut easier as the Flyers went on to rout the Rose Hill Royals 19-2 Monday in five innings.

“We went out and scored eight runs in the first and that took a lot of pressure off Caleb. It was his first high school game and all he had to do was throw strikes,” Flyers coach Greg Bryant said.

“And we hit the ball pretty. (Pat) Gagai and (Alex) Swarts had some nice hits. We hit the ball up and down the lineup.”

Gagai was 2-2, Jeremy Addis 2-3 and Swarts 2-3 as St. Joseph banged out 12 hits. Blackburn went four innings and gave up one earned run on two hits. He struck out five and walked four.

St. Joseph erupted for eight runs with two outs in the first inning.

Jerrod Laber scored two runs when he reached on an error, Gagai and Aaron Whaley each had two-run singles. Chad Harvey also knocked in a run with a base hit.

The Flyers came back with four runs in the second inning to take a 12-1 lead.

Blackburn walked, Gagai doubled, Whaley was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Addis and Swarts followed with two-run singles.

The lead went to 18-1 in the top of the third inning.

Blackburn singled, Gagai, Whaley and Harvey all walked for a run. Addis was hit by a pitch and Ryan Schwab walked to force in runs. Swarts doubled home a pair of runs and Ryan Waginger singled in two more.

The final St. Joseph run scored in the fifth when Swarts walked, Alex Brown grounded out, Blackburn walked and Gagai had a RBI single.

St. Joseph84601=19121

Rose Hill10100=224

Caleb Blackburn, Ryan Waginger (5) and Jeremy Addis. Fultz, Waginaar (3) and Marsh. W-Blachburn (5-K, 4-BB, 1-ER, 2-H. Waginger (1-K). L-Fultz. 2B-St. Joseph: Alex Swarts, Pat Gagai. Hitting-St. Joseph: Jeremy Addis 2-3, Ryan Schwab 1-3, Alex Swarts 2-4, Ryan Waginger 1-4, Caleb Blackburn 1-3, Pat Gagai 2-2, Reed Smith 1-1, Chad Harvey 1-4, Aaron Whaley 1-1; Rose Hill: Fultz 1-3, Messer 1-1.