VALDOSTA— The Lowndes Varsity baseball team traveled to Richmond Hill on Friday to cap off their regional series against the Wildcats with a dominant 11-1 win in game one, followed by a dramatic 6-3 extra-inning victory in game two. 

Game One

The Vikings wasted no time in game one, putting together a well-balanced performance that saw them perform on both sides of the ball. Brinson Rountree dominated the game, pitching six impressive innings, allowing only one run on a single hit, and striking out six. Michael Fletcher closed out the final inning, securing the win in the seventh.

Lowndes struck first in the second inning when Noah Burnham doubled and later scored on a sacrifice fly by Heath Davis, giving the Vikings a 1-0 lead. The Vikings’ offense came alive in the fourth inning, starting with Westin Hancock’s RBI single to extend the lead to 2-0. Matthew Kerrigan followed up with a two-run double, pushing the advantage to 4-0.

In the fifth, Coleman Lewis launched a solo homer to right field, adding to the lead at 5-0. The Vikings continued their offensive tear in the sixth inning, capitalizing on defensive errors and big hits, including Lewis’ second home run of the game, to add four more runs, making it 9-0.

Though Richmond Hill managed to plate a run in the bottom of the sixth off the bat of Grant Wagner, Lowndes responded immediately in the seventh, tacking on two more runs to take the game 11-1.

Game Two

The second game of the doubleheader proved to be a gritty battle, with Lowndes coming from behind and using a three-run eighth inning to break a tie and claim the 6-3 victory.

The Wildcats came out strong in the first inning, stringing together singles to take a 2-0 lead. A sacrifice fly from Jaxson Wagner plated the second run as Richmond Hill put the Vikings on their heels early.

Lowndes responded in the second inning with Burnham’s single, who later scored on an RBI hit from Lane Pridgen, trimming the deficit to 2-1. However, a bases-loaded walk in the bottom half of the inning gave Richmond Hill a 3-1 lead.

The Vikings continued to chip away at the deficit in the third, as Davis singled, stole second, and was driven home by an RBI triple from Kerrigan, making it 3-2. In the fourth, Lewis drew a walk, advanced to third on a Tyler Parker single, and scored on a passed ball, evening the score at 3-3.

After allowing three early runs, the Vikings’ pitching locked in. Garrett Moon started the game, pitching three innings while allowing three runs on six hits. Drew Inman took over in the fourth, shutting down Richmond Hill’s offense over the next two innings, putting away three and allowing just one hit.

Lewis and Burnham closed the game, throwing a combined three shutout innings with five strikeouts, keeping Richmond Hill off the scoreboard. After three scoreless innings, the game entered extra innings tied 3-3. 

In the eighth inning, Derrick Carter ripped a double, bringing in two runs to give the Vikings a 5-3 lead. Moments later, Burnham followed with an RBI double, extending the advantage to 6-3. Lewis returned to the mound in the bottom of the eighth to seal the victory and complete the series sweep.

The Vikings will continue their regional run on Tuesday as they travel to Norman Park to play against the Colquitt County Packers.