By Christian Malone
VALDOSTA — Three Valdosta High pitchers combined on a four-hit shutout, leading the Wildcats to a 6-0 win over Deerfield Beach Monday night at Bazemore Field.
Tyler Stalvey, Ryan Whilden and John Mark Stephenson combined to limit Deerfield Beach, a school from southern Florida currently traveling on its annual spring break trip, to just four hits and kept the Bucks off of the scoreboard.
“We used three different pitchers, and all of them did a very good job,” Valdosta head coach Bart Shuman said. “Ryan Whilden is a sophomore, and it’s good for him to get some innings on varsity.
“It was a well-played game. We only had one error. We only walked two batters. It was a good, solid win.”
Valdosta’s baseball team improved to 9-6 with the win.
The game was a pitcher’s duel for the first three innings, as Deerfield starter Kurt Hardy matched zeroes with the Wildcat pitchers, retiring nine of the first 10 batters he faced.
Valdosta finally broke through with two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Chad Prain led off the fourth with a single to left center, then advanced on a wild pitch. Cameron Cain walked. Jamie Turner hit a routine ground ball, but Deerfield shortstop Kevin Zarote booted the ball, and Prain scored the first run of the game. Later in the inning, Stuart Brooks lined out to left, but Cain tagged up and scored from third to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.
Valdosta increased its lead with four runs in the fifth. Leading off the inning, Harrison West beat out a bunt, then stole second. Brent Robison hit a fly ball that the wind carried over the center fielder’s head. West scored easily, and Robison raced into third with a triple. Prain’s fly ball was dropped by the center fielder, and Robison scored, making it 4-0. Two batters later, Jamie Turner lined a double down the left field line, scoring Prain.
Valdosta got its last run of the inning on a bizarre play. Wesley Welch struck out, foul tipping strike three into the catcher’s glove. Brooks was running on the pitch, and turned around, thinking he had to return to first on a foul tip. He didn’t, and soon found himself in a rundown. But Brooks eluded the first baseman’s tag, and got back safely. Meanwhile, Turner took off for home and scored, making it 6-0.
That was more than enough support for Valdosta’s pitchers. Stalvey allowed one hit in two innings, striking out two. Whilden was the winning pitcher, holding Deerfield to just two hits in four innings of relief, striking out four. Stephenson closed out the win with a scoreless seventh.
“It’s big. You never know when we’ll need one of them,” Shuman said. “Last Friday, Chad had trouble, and John Mark came in and did an outstanding job. We’re trying to build a pitching staff and get our young guys ready.”
Deerfield thought it scored a run in the first. Tyler Hubbard reached on a two-base error to start the game, and was sacrificed to third. Hardy hit a fly ball to left field, and Hubbard tagged up and scored. Or so he thought. Shuman appealed that Hubbard had left third early, and the umpires agreed, calling him out.
Robison was the only Valdosta player with multiple hits Monday, going 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI. Prain scored two runs. The Wildcats only had seven hits, but took advantage of their opportunities.
Valdosta will host Coffee at 6 p.m. today in a big Region 1-AAAAA game.
