MOUNT VERNON — Following a pair of lopsided losses, the Skagit Sox found baseball more enjoyable on the other side of a blowout.

The Sox scored in four innings and pitcher Marcus Abbott took care of the rest Tuesday during a 9-1 victory over the Shoreline Renegades in senior American Legion action.

Abbott worked quickly and from ahead in the count, allowing just four hits. He had a two-hit shutout going into the seventh inning, but two well-placed singles and an error — Skagit’s only miscue of the game — led to an unearned run.

“That’s the best game he’s thrown this summer,” Sox coach Dave Storrer said. “He didn’t throw many pitches. He should have had a shutout.”

Abott struck out only two, but induced 12 ground-ball outs from the first 18 batters he faced.

“I was just trying to get ahead in the count,” said Abbott, who didn’t walk a batter. “I hadn’t thrown in like a week and a half, so my arm felt good.”

The Sox used just about every tool available to scratch out nine runs in a game played with wooden bats.

Abbott had a pair of hits, including a double, while Matt Zitkovich had two hits, including a key two-out, two-run single in the third that put the Sox ahead 4-0.

Travis Serna had two hits. He and Brandon Thomas each scored two runs.

The Sox stole four bases and benefited from four hit batters, four walks, four wild pitches and five errors.

Coming off two 10-run losses to Lakeside Recovery, the Sox improved to 8-19.

“It’s nice to have a win,” Abbott said. “We still like to compete. You don’t think about losses all night, but you still want to win.”

After a game against Bellingham Post 7 today, the Sox travel to Centralia for a four-day Fourth of July Tournament beginning Thursday.

Eric Francis can be reached at 360-416-2131 or by e-mail at