BY MIKE MONTFORT

Third baseman Ethan Ruiz slugged a two-run home run and leftfielder Alex Vergara drove in three runs Thursday as 13th-ranked Navarro rolled to a 10-6 victory over Paris in its Region XIV weekend series opener.

Navarro (12-4/7-1) secured its fifth consecutive win, heading into Saturday's 1 pm doubleheader against coach Clay Cox's Dragons (10-8/2-6) here at Perry D. Graham Field.

Righthanded starter Cooper Randall (4-0) worked five-and-two-thirds innings while allowing three runs on five hits and struck out three.  Austin Ream threw three innings of relief.  Lefthander Jackson Braun came on to record the final out on a strikeout and earned his first save.

Paris touched Randall for two first-inning runs off Randall, thanks to centerfielder Julio Riggs' triple and first baseman Shelby Becker's sacrifice fly.  Second baseman Sam Creed's leadoff walk scored ahead of Riggs' triple, and Becker's fly to centerfield was deep enough to allow Riggs to score.

NC sliced the lead in half during the third off losing starter Austin Testerman as Vergara reached on an error that enabled first baseman Chad Ricker to score from third.  Ricker singled, moved to second when Cash Rugely walked, and advanced to third on a tag-up after Zac Vooletich's fly to right field. 

It was the first of three consecutive innings in which the 'Dawgs scored.

Ruiz' third home run of the season gave NC a lead it never relinquished.  Vergara's three-run double off reliever Reese Grimes in the fourth resulted in a 6-2 lead.

NC, which clubbed six PJC pitchers for 10 hits on the day, increased its lead to 8-2 in the fifth as Ricker scored after Zac Vooletich's two-out single to centerfield.

SCORE BY INNINGS.................R-H-E (LOB)
Navarro.........001...610...002 -- 10-10-1
Paris.............200...001...003 --   6-  9-2
W: Randall.   L: Testerman.    Sv: Braun. 
PITCHING:
NC: Randall, Ream (6), Braun (9).  PJC: Testerman, Grimes (4), Martinez (4), Krall (6), McKissick (9), Backhus (9).
BATTING:
2B: Tallon Heine, Cash Rugely, Alex Vergara
HR: Ethan Ruiz
TB: Tallon Heine 3, Logan Letney, Chad Ricker, Cash Rugely 3, Ethan Ruiz 4, Alex Vergara 3, Zac Vooletich
RBI: Tallon Heine, Logan Letney, Cash Rugely, Ethan Ruiz 2, Alex Vergara 3, Zac Vooletich
ROE: Chad Ricker, Alex Vergara
FC: Ethan Ruiz, Alex Vergara
HBP: Cal Stark, Zac Vooletich
SB: Tallon Heine
CS: Cash Rugely