VALDOSTA — After losing a tough conference game to Tift on Friday, the best way for the Vikings to bounce back was a big win over Deerfield Beach, and that’s just what they did. Lowndes won 13-3 in six innings of play.

“It’s good to play another game after losing a tough region game last night,” said Lowndes head coach Danny Redshaw after the game. “This bunch is pretty resilient and will bounce back.”

Tanner Fudge was the starting and winning pitcher for the Vikings after going three innings, striking out five, and allowing only three hits and one run.

Lowndes got the bats going early when the team pulled together three runs in the bottom of the first. Chris Powell led off the game with a single and was drove in two batters later on a Dax Spriggs sac fly.

After a Colby Yates double, Justin Grey belted a two-run homer over the scoreboard in left center. All together in the inning the Vikings scored three runs off three hits.

Fudge had his best pitching effort in the second striking out three batters and allowing only one single. In the bottom of the inning the Vikings again lit up the score board. With Matt Rowland on second and Chase Prine on first, Travis Bragg belted a 2RBI double to left center. Two batters later Bragg was brought in on a Parker Pridgett sac fly.

With two outs and Powell on first, Yates came up to bat and sent the ball deep over the center field wall for another two-run homer for the Vikings. At the end of the inning Lowndes managed five runs off two hits and one error.

The Bucks from Ft. Lauderdale finally got on the board in the top of the third when Jarrad Stewart hit a solo home run down the left field line. Fudge struck out two of the next three batters and sent Lowndes into the bottom of the inning with more runs to come.

Scott Wilson led off the inning with a single and both him and Rowland were drove in on a Prine double to short right field. Yates came up next and drove in Prine with a single to left field. Lowndes extended the lead to 11-1 going into the fourth inning.

Deerfield managed one run in the top of the fourth and fifth to draw closer to Lowndes and avoid the 10-run rule. Chad Fender scored for the Vikings in the bottom of the fourth after getting on base with a triple.

The 12-3 score remained until the bottom of the sixth when the Vikings finally decided to put the game away. Wilson led off the inning with a double to left center. A walk put Rowland on first base and with one out and two on Bragg made his way back to the plate. This time Bragg hit a walk-off single to left field that drove in Wilson and the 10-run rule ended the ball game.

All together on the day, Bragg went 3-for-4 with 4 RBI’s and one run.

“I didn’t try to do too much when I was up to bat,” said center fielder Travis Bragg after the game. “I felt like I could read it, he was digging in his gloves before the pitch.”

All together the Vikings ran up 13 runs on 13 hits, but had four errors. Yates went 2-for-2 with 2 RBI, HR, and a 2B. Wilson went 3-for-4 with one run and a 2B.

Deerfield Beach left fielder Chris Beck went 3-for-3 at the plate, all singles.

Lowndes is looking at a tough early schedule this week when they host 1-AAAA Lee County on Monday and 1-AAAA Thomas County Central on Tuesday.