NORTON SHORES – The Mona Shores baseball team can be a real hitting machine – and the Sailors seem to get real motivated at the plate when they face rival Reeths-Puffer.

The Sailors continued to show their muscle on Wednesday, sweeping a home doubleheader against the Rockets, 6-1 and 12-0.

The Sailors improved to an impressive 16-2 overall with an 11-0 mark in the O-K Green conference. Reeths-Puffer fell to 9-4 overall and 8-3 in conference play.

The two teams will meet again on Thursday in a single game at Reeths-Puffer, then could see each other a fourth time this week in the Tier 1 GMAA City Tournament on Saturday.

Mona Shores’ Jason Anderson, who hit a grand slam on Wednesday against Reeths-Puffer. Photo/Jeremy Clark

“We have a pretty deep roster offensively,” said Mona Shores coach Brandon Bard. “We are very senior driven. It’s fun when our guys understand getting themselves into a good count to get good pitches to hit. We did that in the tail end of the first game and into the second game.”

The Sailors were led in Game 1 by standout pitcher Jaxon Huffman, who tossed the victory by allowing one run while striking out 13 batters.

Huffman also hit a three-run home run in the fourth inning to extend Mona Shores’ lead to 4-0.

Javanni Johnson opened the scoring for the Sailors in the opener with an RBI double in the second inning.

Anderson pitches in Game 2 for the Sailors. Photo/Jeremy Clark

Mona Shores closed out the scoring in the sixth inning with a two-run double from Landen Thalman.

Reeths-Puffer pitcher Jordan Bochenek went the distance for the Rockets, scattering seven hits. Kyle Schlaff had two singles and scored the Rockets’ only run.

The Sailors continued to ride the momentum from the end of opener right into the nightcap.

Mona Shores jumped out to a 4-0 lead after the first inning on a grand slam home run by Jason Anderson.

Mona Shores runner Trevor Cunningham dives back to first base while R-P first baseman Cody Mitchelson waits for the throw. Photo/Jeremy Clark

The Sailors tacked on another four runs in the second inning on an error that scored Thalman and a three-run homer from Mark Konecny and led 8-0.

Mona Shores added a run in the third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Konecny, then closed out the scoring with three in the fourth on RBI singles from Johnson and Thalman.

Johnson scored the final run of the contest on a wild pitch.

Konecny is leading the Sailors on the season with four home runs, while Anderson and Huffman each have three homers apiece.

Reeths-Puffer pitcher Alex Orchard warms up. Photo/Jeremy Clark

“It is just a matter of getting yourself in a good count and putting yourself in good situations,” Bard said. “We were able to do that today and I am proud of these guys because they have been working their butts off.”

Anderson pitched a solid game for the Sailors in the nightcap, tossing four scoreless innings while allowing one hit and striking out four batters.

“Our pitching staff allowed one run on the day and pitched out of jams when we got into them,” Bard said. “We have been preaching about throwing strikes and getting ahead in the count and we did that today.”

The Rockets lone hit during the nightcap was a single off the bat of Coby Mitchelson.

Jaxson Whitaker suffered the Game 2 loss from the mound, allowing seven runs in an inning-plus of work.

“We have to set ourselves up for the second half of the season,” said Reeths-Puffer coach Butch Attig. “We have to make sure we are ready and prepared for what is coming at us in the near future.

“We did some good things today in the first game. We put some hard balls in play, we just have to take the next step with that.”