Valdosta second baseman Braeden Lampkin (1) reacts after making a play during a game against Thomasville.

VALDOSTA – On an uncharacteristically chilly night at the ballpark, the Valdosta Wildcats found just enough offense and pitcher Cohen Smith found his groove on the mound in time to squeeze past the Thomasville Bulldogs 3-2 Tuesday night.

“Offensively, we’re not explosive but we just kind of put the bat on the ball every now and then and we get some walks and we bunt well,” Valdosta head coach Bart Shuman said. “Braeden got a big hit there – I think it was two outs – and we got great defense from our guys and of course, Cohen pitched another good ballgame.”

With already cool temperatures dropping below 50 degrees, Smith struggled to find the strike zone early – allowing the Bulldogs to jump ahead 2-0 in the top of the second inning.

With two outs in the bottom of the second inning, Valdosta’s Braeden Lampkin tied the game at 2 on a two-RBI base hit.

In the bottom of the third, first baseman Isaiah Haygood flew out and Jacob King reached on a wild pitch. After Michael Kirk flew out for the second out, Smith came to the plate looking to help his cause.

With King in scoring position, Smith smacked a double into the outfield. The Bulldogs looked to make a play at the plate but the throw home was dropped by the catcher – allowing King to score to give Valdosta the lead at 3-2.

The ‘Cats had an opportunity to blow the game wide open as Colson Moody and Turner Samples drew walks to load the bases. Andre Mason came to the plate looking to inflate the lead, but his cut at the ball popped up and was caught by the Bulldogs to end the third.

Between the third and fourth inning, Smith complained to his father in the bleachers that his arm felt dead. His father responded, “Play through it. Some nights, you just don’t have it.”

Then, he found it.

Smith struck out seven of the next 12 batters he faced, including the last three in a row to slam the door shut on the Bulldogs.

“I got out there and I wasn’t really ready for this cold weather. It kind of came out of nowhere and my arm kind of took those first three innings to get in the zone,” Smith said. “That fourth inning, when I got out there, it just felt perfect. I was on the money after that.”

Shuman added, “He said he was cold. It got a little chilly there in the fourth and fifth inning, but he got warmed up and got in the strike zone. He battled through it. He struggled early, he couldn’t find the zone but he found a way, though.”

The ‘Cats play at Columbia Thursday and will be off until the start of region play Tuesday, March 21 at home against Camden.

Valdosta defeated Columbia 3-0 back on March 9.

“Thursday’s gonna be a tough game because we’re not pitching Haygood the whole game because we’re saving him for region but we’re getting a little bit better swinging the bats, hopping on fastballs,” Smith said. “We just need to keep hitting the ball and keep pitching good like we’ve been doing.”