Western Albemarle’s pitching was dominant and held the Lions to just five hits and three runs on Thursday night. The Lions put up a fight but failed to secure a win and fall 2-3 on the season. UVA commit Nathan Fink would start on the mound for the Warriors while Michael Barber got the call for the Lions.
Barber started the night strong with a quick first inning. One baserunner was allowed after an error, but Barber would retire the side with a strikeout. Fink allowed a walk to Travis Pleasants in the bottom of the first inning, but a strikeout from Garrett Duerson ended the inning.
The Warriors posed their first threat in the top of the second inning after two hits and a hit by pitch loaded the bases. Braiden Byers and Owen Agee turned a double play for the first two outs, but a run would score on the play, giving the Warriors an early 1-0 lead over the Lions. The Lions would push back in the bottom of the second inning with an RBI single from Agee to tie the game, but another strikeout from the Lions’ offense would end the threat.
Barber started the top of the third inning with back-to-back walks followed by an RBI single from Jacob Lively. Another walk from Barber would load the bases, bringing in Michael Weakley for relief. With a 2-1 count, Zachary Mallia drove a grand slam to left center field giving the Warriors a 6-1 lead. Evan Cash came in for relief in the top of the fourth, giving up two runs on four singles. Duerson came in the game for Cash with one out in the fifth, securing the inning.
The Lions rallied two more runs in the game, but the offense wasn’t enough to defeat the Warriors’ pitching. The Lions’ pitching staff gave up 12 hits on the night, struggling to contain the hot bats of the Warriors. The Lions lost the game 9-3 after struggling offensively.
Varsity gets a week off until their next game against Patrick Henry and they hope to use that time to look back on the past few games. Let’s go Lions!
