VALDOSTA —
Lowndes won the first Winnersville baseball game of 2012, defeating crosstown rival Valdosta 8-2 on Friday night at Bazemore Field.
Lowndes pitcher Logan Hutchinson was dominant, taking a no-hitter into the sixth, and his teammates gave him plenty of support, scoring eight runs.
Seth Evans and Ty Harwell homered for the Vikings (5-5), who improved to 3-0 in Region 1-AAAAA and took over sole possession of first place in the region.
The Vikings scored two runs in the first and one in the fourth, then broke the game open with three runs in the fifth and two more in the seventh.
The Wildcats dropped to 1-8 this season, and 0-4 in region play.
Valdosta pitcher Trey Haygood retired the first two batters in the top of the first. But then he walked Evans. Luke Miller singled, and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Then Mason Brooks hit a ground ball back towards Haygood. The ball deflected off of Haygood’s glove and rolled towards second baseman Bradley Felkel. Felkel fielded the ball, but threw the ball away, and Evans and Miller scored to give the Vikings a 2-0 lead.
Valdosta threatened in the bottom of the first. David Posas and Felkel, the first two batters, reached base on errors, and they tagged up and advanced on Daniel Tefft’s fly ball to center. Hutchinson struck out Haygood, Valdosta’s leading hitter, for the second out.
Then lightning appeared in the sky. The umpires motioned for everyone to leave the field, and they stayed off of the field for well over an hour.
When the lightning delay ended, Hutchinson got Drew Morrison to pop up to third to end the inning.
Leading off the top of the fourth, Harwell jumped on a fastball and drove it over the left field fence for a solo home run, increasing his team’s lead to 3-0.
Lowndes doubled its lead in the fifth, scoring three runs. David Wortham walked to start the inning and was sacrificed to second by Parker Armstrong. Evans walked, putting runners on first and second with one out. Then Miller connected with a hanging curveball and drove it off of the left field fence. Wortham scored, Evans went to third and Miller took second with a double. One out later, Harwell walked to load the bases. Then Nick Higginbotham’s fly ball to left center fell in between the left fielder and the center fielder. Evans and Miller, running on contact, scored easily, giving the Vikings a 6-0 lead. Harwell tried to score from first, but Posas took the throw from the outfield and fired a strike to Morrison, who tagged out Harwell at the plate.
Hutchinson held the Wildcats hitless through 5 2/3 innings. But with two outs in the sixth, Haygood broke up the no-hitter with a double to the gap in left center. After that, with Hutchinson’s pitch count getting high, Lowndes head coach Danny Redshaw went to the bullpen and brought in Hank Davis for the last four outs.
Hutchinson pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings, struck out four and only allowed five baserunners (two on errors).
Lowndes added two more runs in the seventh. Josh Day led off the inning with a pinch hit single past the third baseman. Then Evans blasted a two-run homer over the left field fence to give the Vikings an 8-0 lead.
Valdosta finally got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh. Brogen Berard walked to start the inning. With one out, Corey Jaramillo singled to right center, and Posas’ two-out single to center loaded the bases. Then Felkel hit a low line drive that fell barely out of the reach of a diving Higginbotham in center. Berard and Jaramillo scored, making it 8-2. Then Tefft hit a line drive to right that could have brought two more runs home, but Miller made a diving catch to rob him.
Miller went 2 for 4 for Lowndes with two runs batted in. Higginbotham was also 2 for 4 with two RBIs. Evans scored three runs and drove in two with his home run.
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Related Photos
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Lowndes’ Logan Hutchinson throws a pitch during the first inning of Friday night’s game against the Valdosta Wildcats at Bazemore Field in Valdosta. Hutchinson pitched 5 2/3 shutout innings and took a no-hitter into the sixth. Hubby Brooks | The Valdosta Daily Times
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Lowndes' Luke Miller (18) is congratulated by a teammate after crossing home plate during the Vikings' 8-2 win over Valdosta on Friday. Hubby Brooks | The Valdosta Daily Times
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Valdosta’s David Posas swings at a pitch during the first inning of Friday night’s game against crosstown rival Lowndes at Bazemore Field. Hubby Brooks | The Valdosta Daily Times
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Valdosta pitcher Trey Haygood stands on the mound during the Wildcats' game against Lowndes on Friday at Bazemore Field. Hubby Brooks | The Valdosta Daily Times
Discussion
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