BY BRIAN GOSSET
X – @Gosset41
X- @gmsportsmedia1
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS – Isaac Dunning belted a grand slam in the top of the first inning and Argyle rolled past Richland 12-3 in their District 6-5A opener at Richland HS on Wednesday night.
The two teams meet again in Argyle on Thursday.
The Royals (6-7-1, 0-1) had a tough time getting outs in the top of the first as the first three Eagles reached base on back-to-back walks and a single from Jaxon Casselberry.
Dunning then drove a 1-1 pitch to deep left field for a grand slam and Argyle led 4-0. Nixon Tooley gave up a lead off single in the bottom of the first, but then retired the side in order.
Argyle tacked on five more runs in the second inning as the Eagles batted around in the lineup. After a lead off walk by Ian Burrows and a single from Nathaniel Bruce, Grady Emerson followed with a two-run double to center field that extended the lead to 6-0.
Emerson is the top-ranked 2026 in the country and committed to the University of Texas.
Brodey McConnico added an RBI single and Casselberry scored on a passed ball that made it 8-0. DJ Denney added another RBI single and it was 9-0 through two innings.
Richland would get on the board in the bottom of the third on a two-run triple from senior Riley Wood (North Oklahoma Tonkawa). Nixon Spooner and Carter Alderson (Eastfield College) drew back-to-back walks with one out and then Wood ripped a pitch to right field. Casselberry made a diving attempt, but came up short as the ball rolled toward the warning track.
Emerson drove in Denney in the fourth with a grounder to second and Argyle upped its lead to 11-2. Richland made it 11-3 when LJ Allison picked up an RBI sac fly. Argyle added its final run in the sixth with an RBI single from Emerson.
Tooley went five innings and allowed three hits with three walks and three strikeouts. Noah Satine came on in relief and allowed one hit with no walks in two innings of work. He also struck out four batters.
Argyle won its sixth straight game after starting the season 1-5-1.
