Since taking over as head coach this school year, Tim Simmons has been preaching to the Vienna Eagle baseball squad two things during the offseason and fall campaign - pitching and defense.

A weekend into the spring season and the Eagles have obviously been paying attention.

Vienna roared from the starting gate by winning all three of its games over the weekend. The Eagles opened at the Vienna City Park by mauling Missouri Military Academy 15-0 Friday, March 20 behind a three-inning, perfect game pitching performance by junior right-hander Evan Simmons. And in the Salem Early-Season Doubleheader Saturday, March 21 Vienna put up an impressive sweep of a couple of larger schools by whipping host Salem 12-1 and clipping Waynesville in eight innings 2-1.

Tim Simmons couldn’t have ask for much more, getting a no-hit win against MMA, roughing up a Salem club coming off a couple of strong seasons, and showing extra-inning grit to rally past Waynesville.

“We’re pleased with all three games,” Simmons said. “I couldn’t have asked for Evan to pitch any better than that in the opener. We got after it and never let up. Against Salem, Reid Nichols was in the strike zone all game long. Against Waynesville, it was a long day; extremely hot for March. And Troy (Wulff) pitched great, then we put Hunter (Schwartze) in there and he looked great.”

And the string between all three games for the Eagles - strong defense and pitching. In the three games combined the Eagles committed just one error.

“The pitching is doing well; the kids are responding,” Tim Simmons said. “We worked on defense and pitching, defense and pitching. In the fall it was defense and pitching. In the offseason it was defense and pitching. They’re playing well and having fun.”

This week the Eagles were to return home to host their Show-Me Central Conference opener at City Park against Prairie Home Tuesday (5 p.m.).

March 20 - Vienna 15, MMA 0: It was all Eagles, as the Missouri Military Academy Colonels were completely outmanned.

MMA pitchers could not find the strike zone, as Vienna took advantage of six walks in the first inning and put up nine runs. The Eagles added two runs in the second and four in the third before the game was halted by the run rule. Four Vienna batters were hit by a pitches.

Meanwhile, MMA hitters could do nothing against Evan Simmons, who allowed no hits and no walks while fanning all nine batters he faced.

At the plate Nichols, a senior, had a double, single, RBI and run scored while Simmons got a double and three RBI; senior Dylan Long had two hits, an RBI and three runs; junior Brett Welschmeyer two hits, an RBI and run; T. Wulff a hit, RBI and two runs; senior Caden Kelley a hit, RBI and run; sophomore Wyatt Wulff and junior Jaiden Hayes an RBI and run each; Schwartze, a junior, two runs, and freshman Paxton Jeremey a run.

Vienna stole eight bases - three by Schwartze and one each by Welschmeyer, Long, freshman Parker James, T. Wulff and W. Wulff.

Salem Early Season DH, March 21

Vienna 12, Salem 1: The Salem Tigers took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. However, that didn’t last long as the Eagles put up four runs in the bottom of the frame. It stayed 4-1 until the bottom of the fourth when Vienna erupted for eight runs. The game was stopped after five innings due to the run rule.

The Eagles outhit Salem 9-2.

Nichols, senior, went the distance on the mound, allowing just two hits and four walks over five innings while striking out 11.

Vienna went wild on the bases, stealing 20 bases - seven by Schwartze and three by Simmons.

Schwartze went 4-for-4 at the plate, slugging a double, driving in two and scoring three times. Also for the Eagles, Nichols had a hit and two RBI; Welschmeyer a hit, RBI and run; W. Wulff a hit and RBI; Simmons and Hayes a hit and run each; T Wulff and Long two runs each, and junior Mason Via a run.

Vienna 2, Waynesville 1: For the second straight games the Eagles found themselves behind immediately, as the Waynesville Tigers plated a run in the top of the first.

Neither team would score again the next four frames.

The Eagles tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, when Via walked and later scored on an RBI by W. Wulff. It stayed 1-1 after seven, forcing extra innings.

After the Tigers were shut out in the top of the eighth, Vienna won it in the bottom of the frame. Welschmeyer opened things with a double, followed by a Via single. Schwartze was then issued an intentional walk to load the bases followed by a grounder to first base by Hayes, which pushed across the winning run.

T. Wulff threw seven innings for the Eagles, allowing a run on five hits and no walks while fanning nine. Schwartze came on to pitch in the eighth inning and set the Tigers down in order, striking out two, to get the victory.

Vienna was limited to just two hits by Waynesville pitching - one each by Welschmeyer and Via. T. Wulff stole a base.