Pleasant Grove lit the Mortimer Jordan pitching staff up for nine runs in the fourth inning, on their way to a 15-5 win in the first of a three-game series Friday.

Freshman starting pitcher Orion Recke was shelled from the outset, giving up three runs in the first inning on a single by Brett Sivley and a two-run double by left fielder Steven Kanute, all with two outs.

But things would get worse for the young hurler in the fourth, as the entire Spartan batting order, top to bottom, would score.

Pleasant Grove got a two-run blast over the left field fence from third baseman Judd White.  After a double by Ben Wheeler, who then scored on a Kevin Plyler single, center fielder Harrison Woods sent a three-run blast over the fences in right field — all before Recke recorded an out.

After Recke then hit Grove pitcher Tyler Blackwell with a pitch, Jordan coach Shayne Carnes had seen enough, pulling Recke for Ty Miller.

The reliever took a while to settle as well, giving up two more runs before inducing the bottom of the Spartans order into three straight outs.

After another Pleasant Grove run in the fifth, the Blue Devils (10-7) came back to stay alive with four runs in the bottom of the inning, thanks in large part to a three-run homer to right by third baseman Jesse Stanley, his fourth home run of the season. By that time, Blackwell was starting to have major control problems, and was replaced by Jordan Bisharat, who went the rest of the way.

But reliever Jacob Burns could not keep the margin under 10 runs as the Spartans’ Woods sent in two runs on a single, despite getting caught in a rundown on an attempt to get to second.

Jordan had a chance to extend the game in the bottom of the sixth, but baserunning mistakes in what should have been a single that dropped between two outfielders, instead became a double play.

Jordan had its chances to cut the lead significantly, but stranded nine runners on base over six innings.

“Getting in that three-run hole early was hard on us,” Carnes said. “And we threw too many pitches right down the middle, and they can hit a little. We’ve got to find a way to get two-out hits.”

Stanley added a double to his homer for a 2-3 day at the plate; he also reached on an error in the first inning. Stanley led the Devils starters going into the game with a .449 batting average and a gaudy .755 slugging percentage.

Blackwell got the win for the Spartans, striking out two, walking three and hitting three batters with pitches. All five runs were earned.

Recke got the loss (1-2), giving up nine earned runs on six hits with two walks (one intentional) and two hit-by-pitches. He struck out two.

Carnes said he wanted Recke to start in this game instead of Saturday’s doubleheader at Pleasant Grove because he wanted the youngster to be feel more comfortable in familiar surroundings.

“Right now he’s taking his bumps and bangs, coming up from middle-school ball to the varsity. But he’s going to be a great pitcher someday,” Carnes said.

The teams resume hostilities Saturday morning at 11 a.m. at Pleasant Grove, in a twin-bill that was originally scheduled for Friday. That doubleheader was moved when Thursday’s game was moved to Friday because of rain.