The Lions hosted their first home game of the season Thursday night with a matchup against the Patrick Henry Patriots. Although they fell short, the Lions played a great game and they are ready for the rest of the season. Junior, Wyatt Stanley started on the mound for the Patriots while senior Garrett Duerson got the call for the Lions.
The Patriots jumped to an early lead in the first three innings scoring four runs on just two hits. Duerson pitched the first two innings allowing two runs on two hits with three walks. Junior, Ethan Snyder took the mound for Louisa in the third inning, giving up a leadoff double and three walks. Snyder allowed just two runs and would pitch until the fifth inning.
The Lions were able to follow the Patriots with a few base runners of their own in the first inning. Duerson singled following a hit from J.B Lamb and a hit by pitch from Jack McDonald, but the Lions failed to score their runners. Again in the second inning, Lamb and Bryce Clarke were able to add a few hits for the Lions, but both were stranded.
Snyder allowed just one hit in the top of the fourth inning with two strikeouts and put up a zero for the Lions on the inning. Stanley continued his scoreless streak into the fourth inning allowing just six baserunners in five innings. Junior Keegan Kracke took over for the Lions in the fifth inning. Kracke allowed just two hits and one walk to the Patriots, but his night would be done after pitching one inning. The Lions would put up another scoreless inning in the fifth after a pop fly double play to end the inning.
The hot bats of the Patriots would come back to strike in the top of the sixth inning. Senior, Michael Weakley made his season debut proving to be a consistent arm on the team. Back-to-back-to-back hits from the Patriots would score two, but a relay from right fielder Travis Pleasants to catcher McDonald would prevent the third run from scoring. With a 7-0 run difference, the Lions knew they had to bounce back in the last few innings. And that they did.
Garrett Duerson led off the inning with a single followed by two immedient outs. In their two out rally, the Lions gathered three hits and a walk to score three runs. One of those hits came from Lamb, making him 4-4 on the night with two doubles.“I just came in ready to hit,” said Lamb. A strikeout would end the inning, but that did not end the momentum in the Lion’s dugout.
The Patriots failed to score a run in the top of the seventh after another outfield relay to the catcher. Louisa would carry their momentum into the bottom of the inning. McDonald led off the inning with a double followed by an RBI double from Pleasants. The Patriots would put in Zak Plageman to face Michael Barber who was 0-3 on the night. Barber ended his hitless streak with a single to score Pleasants. Clarke followed with a single, but a double play from the shortstop would end the inning and the Lion’s rally.
Although the Lions fell short, they showed a tremendous amount of effort throughout the game that they hope to bring further into the season. The Lions are set to play the Charlottesville Black Knights on Friday night at Charlottesville. “We’re going in with the same mentality we go into every game with,” said McDonald. “Be focused, ready to go. It’s baseball, anything can happen.” Good Luck and Let’s Go Lions!
