A series sweep to the hands of Leake Academy was a disappointment to coach Charlie Smith.
The Winston Academy Patriots are a better team than the one that the coach saw in those three games but let the jersey of the Rebels beat them in all three games so he had a challenge for them last week. With another tough district opponent on the way in Lamar School, Smith wanted his team to show some fight and that’s exactly what he got.
The Patriots were a couple of runs away from sweeping that series themselves as WA rallied to win two out of three over the Raiders in what was a huge series win to get the team right back in the thick of things.
In game one of the series at home, Bryson Wright carried his weight as he has all year. The junior threw all 7.0 innings on the mound with an exceptional outing as he gave up just three hits, one run and three walks with three strikeouts on the way to a 3-1 victory.
Wright gave up a solo home run in the fourth inning but that was all that he would have against him in the victory. It was a well-pitched game for both teams as Lamar would only surrender four hits to the Pats but WA made them count.
Braxton Rone was 2-for-3 with two of the four runs driven in and a double. Trey Williamson hit a solo home run in the ball game as well.
Thursday’s game two was one that the Pats felt slipped away. The team jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third with a four-run frame but the Raiders slowly crept back into it and would walk it off in the seventh for the 5-4 victory.
It was another day where hits were at a premium for WA as the team had just three in the game. Reed Yates and Rone drove in two of the team’s four runs and no one had multiple hits. Rone’s was a solo home run.
Holder Tidwell started the game and pitched 3.1 innings giving up three hits and four runs but only one of those runs was earned. Yates also threw 3.1 innings and he gave up a run on one hit with two walks and a strikeout.
As frustrating as that defeat may have been, the team fired back in a big way on Friday night for the rubber match. The Pats scored six runs in the sixth inning to take a close game and blow the doors off of the series with a 10-3 victory.
WA had a 4-0 lead after two innings following a three-run first and another run in the second. With the lead down to 4-2 going into the sixth, WA put up a six spot to push the lead out and away from Lamar.
The Pats had 10 hits in the contest with two each from J.T. McGinnis, Williamson, Rone and Hayze Gregory. Williamson, Gregory and Rone drove in two RBI as Gregory and McGinnis both hit long balls in the game.
Gregory threw 6.1 innings in the contest with five hits scattered along the way as well as three runs and three walks. He struck out five.
The good times kept rolling on Monday afternoon as the Pats went to Park Place and took home a 3-1 victory. The win was the third in the last four games and improved WA’s record to 14-7 and 3-4 in district play. The series continues on Tuesday at home against Park Place Christian while the team was expected to go back to PPCA on Thursday afternoon if the weather permitted.
