By Adam MacDonald
VALDOSTA — The Cook Hornets scored 10 unanswered runs in a 13-5 win over the Lowndes Vikings in baseball action Wednesday night at Noel George Field.
Cook (6-3, 2-0) entered the top of the fifth trailing 5-3, but the Hornets put two runs on the board in the fifth, four more in the sixth and four more in the seventh.
The Vikings (2-8, 1-1) were trying to build on the momentum they built from their walk-off win over Colquitt on Tuesday, but Cook stars D.J. Johnson and Kaleb Cowart combined to wreak havoc on the Vikings.
Johnson struggled on the mound for Cook, going four innings and giving up five runs on eight hits and four walks, but his bat made up for his shaky pitching. Johnson, who led off, went 4-for-5 with three doubles, three runs scored, an RBI and a walk.
Cowart came on in relief of Johnson and pitched the final three innings without giving up a run. Cowart allowed just three base runners and struck out four. He was coming off a complete game no-hitter on Saturday against Thomasville where he was clocked in the mid-90s.
The Vikings took a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth when Lee Rewis knocked in Zac Freeman with an RBI single.
Vikings starter Ryan Farrill retired five of the last six batters he faced and appeared to be settling down, but he was still lifted in favor of Austin Hill at the start of the top of the fifth inning.
Hill gave up a leadoff single to Wes Warren, then Josh Barks blasted the game-tying home run over the left-centerfield wall to make it 5-5.
The Vikings avoided trouble the rest of the fifth inning, but Cowart shut them down in the bottom half of the fifth.
In the top of the sixth, Johnson led off with a double for Cook and was singled in by Parker Nix to give the Hornets a 6-5 lead. Three batters later, Nix was knocked in on an RBI double by Barks to make it 7-5. Tyler Norton then singled in Warren who walked earlier in the inning to make it 8-5. Barks capped off the inning for the Hornets by scoring on a wild pitch to make it 9-5.
It was more of the same in the top of the seventh. Cooks’ first four batters reached base and all scored in the inning.
Barks went 3-for-5 with four RBI and two runs scored for Cook.
Cowart picked up the win.
Hill took the loss for Lowndes after going 1 1-3 and giving up four hits and five runs.
Freeman went 2-for-2 with two singles, two runs scored, two walks and a RBI.
The Vikings will be back on the diamond on Friday when they take on Coffee in Douglas. First pitch is at 7 p.m.
