Valdosta High’s Harrison Waller (8) catches the ball and tags out Deerfield Beach’s Brian Johnson (11) during the Wildcats' 9-2 victory on Wednesday evening at Bazemore Field.

The Valdosta Wildcats played arguably one of their best baseball games of the season, and defeated Deerfield Beach (Fla.) 9-2 Wednesday at Bazemore Field.

The Wildcats scored nine runs, pounded out 11 hits and got a superb pitching performance from Trey Haygood en route to their victory.

“It was good to get a win like this,” Valdosta head coach Bart Shuman said.

Haygood pitched six strong innings on Wednesday, allowing just one hit and two runs. He struck out eight batters and walked three.

“Trey Haygood pitched real well,” Shuman said. “He’s a hard worker, and I’m happy to see him pitch like this.”

Haygood’s teammates gave him plenty of run support, crossing home plate nine times.

Valdosta grabbed the early lead with a two-run first inning. Harrison Waller led off the inning with a double to left center. Brent Robison was hit by a pitch and Ryan Whilden reached on an error, loading the bases with nobody out. Tyler Yelito hit a fly ball to right, and Waller tagged up and scored. Then Robison raced home on Bo Walthall’s fly ball to left, giving the Wildcats a 2-0 lead.

Valdosta added a run in the second. Haygood walked to start the inning, and advanced on an error and a wild pitch. Then Waller singled to left center, and courtesy runner Drew Morrison scored to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. Valdosta loaded the bases, but reliever Kevin Zarate escaped further damage by getting a double play ground ball.

Deerfield Beach came back with two runs in the top of the third. The Buccaneers loaded the bases with a walk, a hit by pitch and another walk, and Andre Campbell’s sacrifice fly scored Evan Wieder. Then, with runners on the corners and one out, Luis Matias got in a rundown between first and second. During the rundown, Joey Ursetti took off for home, and beat the throw to the plate, cutting Valdosta’s lead to 3-2.

The Wildcats scored another run in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, Waller was hit by a pitch. Two batters later, Whilden beat out an infield single, and when the throw got away, the runners moved up to second and third. Then Yelito lined a single into right center, and Waller came home to give his team a 4-2 lead.

Valdosta then exploded for four runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Zarate retired the first two batters of the inning. But then Randy Cook beat out an infield single, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Devontae Foster walked, putting runners on the corners. Waller singled to left, scoring Cook. After Robison walked to load the bases, Whilden hit a chopper that the third baseman leaped for but could not make a play on. Foster scored, making it 6-2. Then Yelito ripped a long fly ball that fell just inside the right field line. Waller and Robison scored on Yelito’s double, giving the Wildcats an 8-2 lead.

Valdosta added one more run in the bottom of the sixth. With Haygood on first and two outs in the inning, Foster lined a double into the left field corner. Haygood, who had been hit by a pitch two batters earlier, turned on his speed, sprinted around the bases and crossed home plate to give the Wildcats a 9-2 lead.

Yelito went 3 for 3 at the plate and drove in four runs for the Wildcats. Waller went 3 for 4, scored three runs and drove in two more.

Brian Johnson’s single to left in the second was Deerfield Beach’s only hit. Nick Miller was the losing pitcher, allowing three runs and three hits in 1 1/3 innings.

The baseball team from Deerfield Beach, a school near Fort Lauderdale, has made trips to Georgia to face Valdosta and several other schools during its Spring Break the last few years.

Valdosta will travel across town on Friday to face Lowndes at 6 p.m.