The All-Star baseball teams from the Barrow County Parks and Recreation Department have struggled in competitions with teams from other counties so far this summer.

The 14-and-under team might be able to change that. Barrow opened up its postseason with a dominating 16-0 victory over Banks County Friday, with the game ending in the bottom of the fourth via mercy rule.

While Barrow got its share of runs from Banks miscues, they also played error-free baseball in the field and starting pitcher Justin Jonte only walked one and allowed a single hit in three innings.

“That was one of the best games I’ve ever seen,” coach Dana Brown said. “We got good defense, good offense, good pitching.”

Banks was the designated visiting team, and Jonte walked the leadoff hitter on a 3-2 pitch. However, the runner was gunned down by catcher Tyler Shipp when he tried to steal, and Jonte retired the next two batters on groundouts.

Barrow went right to work in the bottom of the first. After Alex Visbal flied to center leading off the inning, Shipp hit a standup triple.

He scored when an attempted pickoff through from the catcher went awry, and not only was that the only run Jonte would need, it set the tone for the Banks struggles.

Barrow ended up scoring six more runs in the inning, all of them after the second out had been made. They were the beneficiaries of five walks and another error in the field, and Visbal put the finishing touch on the first by cracking a two-run single.

They put the game completely out of reach in the second, and once more got clutch two-out hits to make Banks pay for errors. This time, Thomas Brown walked after two quick outs. Three consecutive singles followed, with Nick Duplontis plating Brown then Brody German drove in two. Duplontis and German both scored when the left fielder couldn’t handle a well-hit fly ball off Visbal’s bat.

Starnes scored again in the third when he reached on an error, stole second and third and scored on a wild pitch. In the fourth, Visbal hit an RBI triple and then scored on Jonte’s single, ending the game on the mercy rule.

“Our next game won’t be as easy,” Brown said. “We’re going to have to play the same way.”

Visbal finished up 2-for-3 with three RBI and swiped three bases, while Shipp went 2-for-3. Duplontis had a pair of singles.

Brown said Jonte, since he only threw three innings Friday, would be able to start Sunday’s game. Barrow’s opponent for a 1 p.m. game Sunday is undetermined. Win or lose, they will play again Sunday at 3 p.m.

If they keep winning, the championship game will be either Monday or Tuesday. The top two teams in the tournament reach the state tournament.

Also Friday, the 8-and-under Barrow County team played host Dawson County in their tournament in Dawsonville.