An exciting first district series couldn’t be replicated for Winston Academy last week.
After getting a walk off win over Leake Academy in game three to earn a series win two weeks ago, the Patriots got the first win of the series on the road. But WA couldn’t find a way to take either of the next two as they dropped the three-game set.
There was no doubt left in the opening game of the series, however. The Patriots went from being tied 3-3 going into the sixth inning to winning 13-3 in the ball game. That was a 10-run final two frames from the Patriots as they managed six runs in the sixth and four in the seventh to get the win. The team was trailing 3-2 going into the fifth before making the comeback complete.
Brylee Wall had himself a game as he went 4-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and two doubles. Jennings Fulton, Hayze Gregory and Jett Joiner all had two hits and two RBI. J.T. McGinnis also drove in two runs and Trey Williamson had a double with three walks.
Dalton Powell pitched 7.0 innings, gave up nine hits, three runs and two walks and struck out six.
As the Patriots returned home, they couldn’t replicate that performance in a 9-4 loss on Thursday. Winston got a one-run lead in the first inning just as they did in the opening game with a 3-2 advantage, but the Patriots managed just one more run the rest of the game while Lamar kept scoring and pulled away.
WA managed just four hits in the contest led by Wall’s 2-for-4 day with an RBI. Williamson hit a home run in the loss. Bryson Wright started the game and threw 4.0 innings giving up seven runs but only two of those were earned as his defense let him down. He had four strikeouts.
Fulton and Braxton Rone threw the final 3.0 innings and both of them gave up a run but each were unearned as well.
In the rubber match between the two teams back in Meridian, heartbreak hit the Patriots late. WA came back from a 3-0 deficit early to take a 6-4 lead going into the ninth inning but Lamar scored two runs to walk it off and take the series, 7-6.
WA fell to 13-8 on the season and have an evened up record in district play at 3-3. Tuesday they were scheduled to play Park Place Christian at home. They’ll go on the road to play Park Place on Thursday and will welcome them back to Louisville on Friday as they try to get back over .500 in district play this week.
