Four Rudder pitchers combined to pitch a five-inning four-hitter as the Rangers rolled to a 21-1 victory over Houston Sharpstown on Monday at Rudder Baseball Field.

Rudder pounded out 15 hits and took advantage of five Sharpstown errors in the first two innings, improving to 20-5 with the nondistrict win. It served as warm-up game for the playoff-bound Rangers, who finish District 24-3A play Friday at Navasota.

"We needed to throw, and I wanted to see some other people throw," Rudder coach James Ward said. "We will have every bullet in the pistol because Navasota is a big game Friday night. We're already in [the playoffs], but we want to finish it with a bang."

The Rangers quickly took control Monday against the Apollos, grabbing a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Blake Kopetsky had the only hit, a double, but a pair of errors at third base and one in center field helped get Rudder started.

Kyle Danford, who took advantage of one of those errors on a high drive to center, had three doubles in his next three at-bats and drove in a pair of runs.

Ten of Rudder's hits went for extra bases, and the Rangers drove in two of their three third-inning runs without a hit. Will Johnson and Austin Baron each had a sacrifice fly to build the lead to 14-1.

Sharpstown (2-20) had hits in each of the first four innings, and first baseman Miguel Feraudy had hits in both of his at-bats. He singled, moved to third on a pair of wild pitches by Johnson and scored on a groundout by Anthony Nguyen in the second.

Feraudy doubled in the fourth inning and tried to take third when a pitch bounced away from Rudder catcher Matt Smith, but Smith recovered to throw Feraudy out.

Rudder, which held Parents Night at its final home game, scheduled the game in November. Like the Rangers in 24-3A, the Apollos had an open date in District 21-4A.

"They came up and played Rockdale and I thought they played pretty hard in Rockdale, way back early in the season," Ward said. "We got some eyes back on the ball and that's what I was hoping for, just to get the rhythm back down."

Rudder starting pitcher Blake Kopetsky allowed a two-out hit by Sharpstown starter Armando Gonzalez in the first inning, but the left-hander struck out the side.

Johnson pitched the second and third, and Danford and Charleston Samuels had single innings on the mound. Samuels was the only one to escape without allowing a hit.

Johnson hit a three-run home run in the Rangers' seven-run fourth after they had scored seven in the second.

Matt Fritsche tripled, singled, walked and scored four runs. He intentionally swung weakly at three strikes in the fourth inning to end the frame.

With an open date in district play next Tuesday, Rudder coaches will scout Orangefield, which had a scout taking notes on the Rangers on Monday.

Rudder 21, Sharpstown 1

Sharpstown010 00 -- 1 4 5

Rudder473 7x -- 21 15 0

Armando Gonzalez, Anthony Nguyen (3) and David Thurdmon, Gonzalez (3). Blake Kopetsky, Will Johnson (2), Kyle Danford (3), Charleston Samuels (4) and Matt Smith. WP -- Kopetsky. LP -- Gonzalez. Records: Sharpstown 2-20; Rudder 20-5. Next: Sharpstown plays at Houson Yates Wednesday and Rudder is at Navasota Friday.