ADEL — Valdosta High got its baseball season started on a good note, defeating Cook 9-3 Tuesday night at the Cook Invitational.

The Wildcats pounded out 12 hits and crossed the plate nine times Tuesday in their season opener, and gave the kind of effort a coach is usually pleased with.

“That was a good win for us, a real good one,” Valdosta head coach Bart Shuman said. “We put the ball in play. We ran the bases well. We played good defense. We got good pitching.

“We’ve got a good little squad. I like them. They’re working hard, and they played well tonight.”

Valdosta starter Will Flail (1-0) shut down Cook’s veteran lineup. Flail pitched four shutout innings, limiting the Hornets to four hits. He did not allow a runner past second, and struck out six batters. Flail also helped himself out at the plate, driving in three runs.

“We got real good pitching tonight from Will Flail,” Shuman said. “He did a good job.”

It took Valdosta just two batters to get on the board. Ryan Danbury opened the game with a single up the middle. Danbury then stole second, and took third when the throw went into center field. Briggs Smotherman followed with a single over the second baseman’s head, and Danbury trotted home to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead.

Valdosta struck for two more runs in the second. Earl Daniels’ double put men on second and third with one out, then Tuzer Chism scored on Taylor Prain’s sacrifice fly. Danbury followed with an RBI single, scoring Daniels for a 3-0 lead.

The Wildcats continued to hit the ball in the third. Daniel Fowler and Will Welch started the inning with singles, then Flail’s fly ball was dropped. Fowler and Welch both raced around to score, Welch sliding in just ahead of the tag. Brent Turner followed with an RBI single to left, making it 6-0.

Cook got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Jonathan Surrency started the inning with a single, and took second on a pitch in the dirt. Will Wright then singled him home to make it 6-1.

But Valdosta responded with a run in the top of the sixth. Chism started the inning with a double to deep center field, then tried to steal third. The throw got away from the third baseman, and Chism raced home to make it 7-1.

Valdosta tacked on its final two runs in the seventh. With one out, Andrew Moore’s fly ball fell just inside the right field line for a single, then Galen Smith was hit by a pitch. Flail then lined a double to right center field, scoring Moore. Two batters later, Chism lined a single to left, plating Smith to make it 9-1.

Wright slammed a two-run home run to right for Cook in the bottom of the seventh, which made the final score 9-3. Wright was Cook’s best hitter, going 3-for-3 and driving in all three Hornet runs. “Cook’s a good team. They’re going to have a great season,” Shuman said.

At the plate for Valdosta, Danbury was 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. Chism was 2-for-3 with an RBI. For Cook, Cody Gooden was 3-for-4 and reached base all four times.

This was the second day of the Cook Invitational. The tournament continues today at Bruce Long Field, with Valdosta facing Colquitt County at 4 p.m. and Cook playing Worth at 6 p.m. The tournament culminates on Friday, when Valdosta plays Worth at 4:30 p.m. and Cook faces Colquitt at 7 p.m.