POCATELLO – While the Pocatello Runnin Rebels began their doubleheader against Jerome, the sound of the baseball slapping against a mitt or bat mostly competed with the hum of the concession stand’s ice machine at a quiet and nearly empty Halliwell Park.

Emulating the aura, the double-A Pocatello tean was rudderless in the first two innings with four errors and entered the third frame tied 3-3 against a Jerom squad that was winless in Area C games.

The Runnin Rebels finally sprung forward in a three-run fourth inning to take 7-3 lead that was increased to 11-3 by the end of the fifth inning. When the game concluded, Pocatello walked away with an 11-4 win in a park that featured more people who saw the finishing flourish than the error-filled beginning.

A muted environment was not the only possible cause for what Pocatello coach Mark Davie called a “sluggish” start.

The Runnin Rebels had just split doubleheaders in the previous two nights against formidable foes, Blackfoot and the Idaho Falls Bandits.

“You come off a big-time doubleheader against the Bandits and come up against Jerome that hasn’t won a district game all year, it’s easy to let down,” Davie said. “But they definitely powered though it.”

While Pocatello did not start its Saturday in immaculate fashion, Runnin Rebels pitcher Dalton Jones did not let his team lose control of the opener. The junior set up his defense for routine plays en route to allowing no earned runs and four hits, while striking out one batter and walking two in six innings.

“Dalton Jones was consistent at throwing strikes,” Davie said. “He threw a lot of first-pitch strikes, and he did a lot better job at getting the leadoff hitter out today than we did against the Bandits.”

With Jones at the helm, Pocatello began to gain its footing in the top of the third inning, when no one on Jerome reached base. The Runnin Rebels shuffled to the batter’s box with momentum, and Ben Ditton scored on an error to put his team ahead 4-3 after singling to reach base, in what was the last lead change of the game.

Defensively, the Runnin Rebels had their second scoreless and errorless inning in the fourth. Seth Nate led off the bottom of the frame with a double before scoring on an error to increase his team’s lead to two.

Nate was also responsible for the first two runs of the fifth inning on a two-RBI double, putting his team ahead 9-3. Teammate Quinton Standley gave Pocatello its last run in each of the two high-scoring innings on sac-flies.

Pocatello's 11-run fifth inning powers Runnin Rebels to 14-4 win

Pocatello finished its doubleheader against Jerome with a 14-4 win in five innings Saturday at Halliwell Park.

The Runnin Rebels entered the bottom of the fifth inning down 4-3, but sealed the game before the frame was over with 11 runs to clinch a mercy-rule victory.

Trey Hough was Pocatello's leading hitter, compiling three hits, three RBIs and three runs in four at-bats.

Pocatello (15-14, 10-8 Area C) plays Wednesday at East Idaho.

VIDEO: Poky 11, Jerome 4