Shane Thomas | The Valdosta Daily TimesValdosta pitcher Jude Ard (23) throws during the second inning in Game 2 of a GHSA Class 6A State Playoff game against M.L. King on Wednesday.

VALDOSTA –– The Valdosta Wildcats opened the state playoffs with a bang.

In fact, the hits kept coming as Valdosta (23-8) walloped the M.L. King Lions (16-6-1) 15-0 to secure a two-game sweep on Wednesday night.

Colby Thomas smashed two home runs in the second game, one of which was a grand slam that put the ‘Cats ahead 12-0 in the top of the third inning. Valdosta didn’t stop there as Avery Stephens and Lamonte Lindon delivered back-to-back RBI singles to take a 15-run lead. Senior pitcher Jude Ard slammed the door shut with two strikeouts and a fly out to seal the win.

In all, the ‘Cats tallied 10 hits in Game 2 –– four leaving Bazemore Field –– to advance to the second round.

“Our guys swung the bat well,” Valdosta coach Brad Porter said. “Twenty-six hits in two games –– that’s a credit to their approach at the plate, the discipline we have and the job Coach Hayden Jones does with them. It was just a great job of swinging the bat.”

Ard threw a no-hitter on Wednesday, pitching just three innings with seven strikeouts and one walk. In perhaps his sharpest outing of the season, Ard threw a first pitch for a strike to most batters he faced in Game 2.

The ‘Cats wasted no time pouncing on the Lions from the first pitch on. Cory McCann smacked a leadoff double to start the game, followed by center fielder Justin Rome drawing a walk to bring Thomas to the plate. Thomas sent one of Lions pitcher Jeremy Cain’s offerings deep to center for a three-run home run to give the ‘Cats a 3-0 lead.

One the next at-bat, Ard reached on an error. Two batters later, Avery Stephens crushes a two-run homer out of the park to make it 5-0 in favor of Valdosta.

Ard got the Lions out in a 1-2-3 bottom half of the first inning, striking out Cain and Antione Lloyd in the process.

Following up his base hit in the top of the second inning, McCann scored on a passed ball to put the ‘Cats up 6-0. In the bottom half of the second, Ard struck out Lions first baseman Jahe Worrell and outfielder Caleb Chisolm before Colin White reached on an error. The Lions built no momentum from the error and Ard fanned Joshua Haigler swinging to end the inning.

The top of the third turned out to be an all-out disaster for the Lions as Elijah Guilliams led off with a solo home run to give Valdosta 7-0 lead. Following a walk issued to Stephens, Lindon reached on an error and Trevor Green was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Though Jackson McMillan struck out, McCann came up and drew a walk to bring in Stephens for an 8-0 Valdosta lead that preceded Thomas’s grand slam.

In all, the Lions saw 15 batters in the top half of the third and issued four walks with six hits and nine total runs.

The ‘Cats seemed to find countless ways to punish the Lions for mistakes, whether they came at the plate or on the mound.

“Guys threw a lot of strikes and we were aggressive with the ball in the zone and were able to hit the ball in the gap a lot today,” Porter said. “That’s a good baseball team that’s in the playoffs. They’re one of the 32 that made the playoffs and we had a lot of respect for them coming in and played with a lot of intensity. … We attacked the baseball.”

Though they made a roaring statement with their play, the ‘Cats also caught eyes with a striking show of solidarity. Ard, Rome, McCann and Guilliams were among a number of ‘Cats to sport bright blonde hair on Wednesday. Much like professional players will grow beards during a playoff run, the ‘Cats chose to dye their hair to show togetherness.

“We have a traditional here at Valdosta High where, come playoff time, we do something as a ball club,” Porter explained with a smile. “I love it. I love the way they get in there and it’s a brotherhood, it’s a family atmosphere and they’re all in it together –– it’s a complete buy in where they want to have some solidarity for the playoffs. I love the fact that our kids are so supportive of each other. … It’s fun.”

GAME 2

Valdosta 17

M.L. King 0

The ‘Cats scored 12 of their 17 runs in the first inning as they torched the Lions in the opener.

Valdosta tallied 16 hits, three of which were homers as Justin Rome, Colby Thomas and Elijah Guilliams all mashed long balls in the win.

Game 1 starter Avery Stephens pitched a no-hitter in the opener, going three innings with six strikeouts and a walk. Cory McCann finished 3-for-3 with a double and three RBIs as well as three runs scored in the game. Rome, Thomas and Guilliams each went 2-for-3 with home runs, three RBIs and a double, with Guilliams ending up with four RBIs for the game.

Lamont Barner Jr. picked up the loss for the Lions as he surrendered 16 hits, 12 earned runs and three home runs. Barner managed just one walk and one strikeout in two innings of work.

Porter praised his starting pitchers for executing the game plan and doing so without going past the third inning or having to go to the bullpen in either game.

“It was very important for us to come out today and throw strikes –– both of our pitchers did that,” Porter said of Stephens and Ard. “Avery Stephens was really, really sharp in the first game and Jude Ard was very sharp. He had one or two hitters where he wasn’t as sharp as he’d been, but the rest of the game, he was very sharp.

“We wanted to see that out of our guys. Also, at this time of the year, pitch counts start to build and all the pitches you’ve thrown all year start to build. So for us to go out there and have very limited pitch counts and not to get in our bullpen was big for us. We’ll get our bullpen some work in practice the next couple of days. We’ll get out and we’ll scrimmage to try to still see some live pitching and let those guys work. As far as our game today, we were very happy with our starting pitching.”

With the sweep, the ‘Cats have won five straight heading into the second round of the Class 6A State Playoffs.

UP NEXT

Valdosta advances to face the winner of Lakeside Evans and Effingham County in the second round, starting May 2.