RIDGELAND — Enterprise head coach Johnny Welch couldn’t have asked for a better start to the playoffs.

Behind the pitching of Jake Shelby and a steady offensive approach, the Bulldogs got past St. Andrew’s 7-1 in Game 1 of the their first-round MHSAA Class 3A baseball playoff series Thursday night.

Game 2 is set for Friday night at Enterprise at 7 p.m. If necessary, Game 3 will be back at St. Andrew’s on Monday.

“Jake has been solid for us all year on the mound, and that is what we expect from him tonight is go out there and throw strikes,” Welch said. “Offensively, we’ve been on spurts where we hit well and then not hit well, and tonight we put a game plan in to move runners over and bunt, and they executed.”

Enterprise struck first in the top of the first on a RBI fielder’s choice by Shelby to take a 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 2-0 in the second on a RBI single to left by Memphis Adams.

The lead increased to 4-0 in the third thanks to an RBI single by Ridge Jackson and an RBI squeeze bunt single by Clark Galyean. Trace Roy had a solo home run to left to extend the lead to 5-0 in the fourth, and the Bulldogs got a two-run double to right by Blake Wilkins to give them a 7-0 advantage in the fifth.

Enterprise scored in every inning except the sixth and seventh, and a minimum of five batters came to the plate each inning. Fourteen runners were left on base. Wilkins, Jackson and Aiden Arellano all had two hits to lead Enterprise (12-16) offensively.

“We had to come in and make positive things happen every inning offensively, extend at-bats and make them have to make plays,” Welch said. “We chased their guy out of the game early, and we were able to accomplish our goal tonight, and now we have to come ready to play tomorrow at home.”

Shelby (3-3) got the win on the mound for the Bulldogs, tossing five and two-thirds innings and scattering five hits, giving up a run, walking three and striking out six.

“I was able to locate the fastball, especially on the corners and elevate it and was able to get a lot of swings and misses,” Shelby said. “The goal tonight was to score three runs, and we exceeded that. We need to keep this energy up tomorrow at home.”

St. Andrew’s (17-9) lone run came in the sixth on a single and an error. Matthew Azordegan (6-2) took the loss on the mound for the Saints.

“Everything went their way tonight, but they had a great plan, and they came out and ambushed us from the start,” St. Andrew’s coach Mark Fanning said. “They made plays and created opportunities for themselves every inning, and we were a little bit lost offensively, and we didn’t execute pitching-wise. We just have to move forward to tomorrow and try to get back here Monday.”