Zane McLendon was 4-4 with three extra-base hits. (Monte Dutton photos)

Zane McLendon’s smooth batting stroke played particular dividends in Clinton’s 11-3 first-round playoff victory over Broome on Tuesday night.

How smooth? Smooth as butterscotch pudding.

A first-inning triple, a double in the second, a single in the fifth and another double in the sixth. Three runs scored. Only one RBI, but McLendon was the Red Devils’ instigator, the lead-off man. Wil Stewart and Justin Copeland each drove in three.

Even with McLendon’s astonishing performance, 14 hits left plenty to pass around. Zach Fortman, Wilson Wages, Stewart and Caleb Taylor each collected a pair. The first six in the batting order were 13-24.

The Centurions had but five safeties to share – courtesy of Clinton pitchers Carson Glenn (W), Taylor and Copeland – and five had one. Jackson Fowler had the only extra-base hit, a double. McLendon and Stewart had two doubles apiece.

Will O’Shields (L) pitched the first four innings for Broome and fared considerably better than Silas Brown, who succeeded him and yielded seven earned runs in two innings on the mound.

Clinton (19-3) scored two runs in both the first and second innings, but the Red Devils led only 4-3 when they batted in the bottom of the fifth. They promptly produced three runs and four more in the sixth. Broome (5-15) scored its three runs off Taylor.

McLendon led off the bottom of the first with his triple. In three of his at-bats, he started rallies. In the other, he doubled in a run with two out.

Wren visits Clinton on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the winner’s bracket of Class 3A Upstate District 2.