ADAMS TWP — A broken left foot hampered Matt Yough’s off-season last winter.

On Thursday, it was his right arm that gave Mars fits.

He fanned 10 and did not walk a batter in a five-hit shutout as Karns City’s legion baseball team routed Mars 10-0 in six innings.

Yough injured his foot during a pick-up basketball game, but battled back to help KC’s varsity baseball team go 12-5 and reach the District 9 Class AA playoffs in May.

“I had two or three complete games during the high school season,” Yough said. “It feels good to finish what you started on the mound.”

Yough stranded six Mars baserunners, three of them coming in the first two innings.

“He had a tough start with the mound, it’s higher than the one at our field,” said Karns City coach Brad Callihan. “Once he figured it out, he rolled.”

Mars’ lineup struggled the entire game against Yough, never managing more than one hit in an inning. Shortstop Brandon Wetherholt had two of the team’s five base hits, singles in the first and sixth.

“The hits we did get came when our guys jumped on him early in the at-bat,” Mars coach Cliff Weigand said. “When he was able to get to a pitcher’s count, he used that curveball to get the strikeout.”

“I tried to mix up my pitches,” said Yough, who will play in college at Gannon University. “When I can throw my off-speed stuff for strikes, it makes my fastball look even faster.”

Yough’s counterpart, Mars’ Nico Romano, struck out seven and did not walk a batter. He allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits in five-plus innings.

Romano was unable to record an out in the top of the sixth. He pitched to two batters — Jason Criley reached on an error and scored on Nolan Riley’s triple that put KC up 5-0. Ryan Astbury then took the hill for Mars, but another error extended the frame as five more runs scored. Yough tripled home Alessandro Marotto and Evan Stitt.

“Our offense has done a good job of hitting the ball,” said Callihan, who was playing with the minimum of just nine players Thursday. “We need to get some guys back from vacation. This is Karns City’s first legion team in five or six years. We just want to compete.”

Astbury struck out two and walked two in relief.

KC’s offense staked Yough to an early lead. In the top of the first inning, Cody Deal and Marotto both reached base on an infield single, then came home on Zach Moore’s base hit to right.

Karns City 201 016 x — 10 9 2

Mars 000 000 x — 0 5 4

W: Matt Yough 6 IP (10K, 0BB). L: Nico Romano 5+ IP (7K, 0BB).

Karns City (4-1): Cody Deal 2-1B 2R, Alessandro Marotto 1B 2R, Evan Stitt 2-1B 2R RBI, Matt Yough 3B R 2RBI, Zach Moore 1B R 3RBI, Dom Callihan 1B, Jason Criley R, Nolan Riley 3B R RBI

Mars (4-5): Brandon Wetherholt 2-1B, Nico Romano 1B, Kevin Weigand 1B, Doogie Cannon 1B

Saturday: Mars at East Butler; Butler City at Karns City