Bloop hits. High choppers. Infield singles. Deep gappers. Towering home runs.

And when they were done, the Class 2A No. 4-ranked Eagles had racked up 19 hits in routing Edna 19-7 in five innings Thursday to take a 1-0 lead in a best-of-three area-round playoff series.

“I like the way we hit the ball. That’s a blessing,” said Salado coach Melvin Bates, whose team scored five runs in the first inning and exploded for 10 in the fourth.

Added Eagles first baseman Kevin Jackson: “We know we can do that game in and game out. We just busted out tonight and thank goodness, too.”

Game 2 is at 6 p.m. today, with a third game set for 6 p.m. Saturday if needed. The series winner will advance to next week’s Region IV quarterfinals to battle the victor of tonight’s one-game playoff between Troy and Danbury in Weimar.

Jackson (6-2) is slated to start for Salado (24-5), while Edna likely will throw ace Michael Vickery.

Salado wasted no time taking command against Cowboys starter Ross Orsak.

In the top of the first, Seth Collins was hit by a pitch before Matt Fritsch, Jackson and Justin Schiller had consecutive singles for a 1-0 lead. Justin Berumen doubled down the left-field line to bring home three runs for a 4-0 lead. Tyler Wright eventually singled home Berumen to make it 5-0.

With Salado leading 8-0 going into the bottom of the third, Edna fought back.

Two straight hits and a hit batter loaded the bases before Vickery hit an opposite-field grand slam to right-center to close the margin to 8-4. Last week, Vickery hit a walkoff three-run homer to give the Cowboys a 12-9 bi-district victory over East Bernard.

Unfazed, the Eagles responded in a big way with 10 runs in the fourth to seal the win.

Garret Ward golfed a low, inside pitch for a two-run homer down the left-field line for a 10-4 lead. Jackson delivered the biggest blow, a grand slam that pushed the lead to 16-4.

“He just laid it up there perfectly,” said Jackson, who went 3-for-5 with six runs batted in. “I was up in the count and looking for the perfect one and he gave it to me.”

Every Salado player had at least one hit and scored a run. Collins had three hits and Ward had four RBI. Collins, Fritsch, Schiller, Ward and Josh Coleman reached base four times.

Salado’s spectacular offensive display overshadowed some defensive woes in the blowout win. The Eagles committed three errors and also stranded 10 runners.

Salado left-hander Sam VanHoozer (8-2) allowed seven hits and six earned runs, including two homers.

Senior right-hander Jackson understands what he has to do to slow down Edna’s offense.

“I just have to keep the ball down,” Jackson said. “Every time Sam left it up, they hit it hard. That’s the main thing - I need to live low.”

Added Bates: “Our lack of practice this week showed out here today. I’m very grateful for the offense and I’ll take that every single game, but I’d sure like to see better defense.

“I told the boys we can improve on this and this game doesn’t mean squat if we don’t win one more.”

cmeister@temple-telegram.com