Valwood sweep keeps Brookwood perfect in region play
Published 4:28 pm Friday, April 9, 2021
Brookwood swept its second consecutive three-game series to start region baseball play on Thursday night at Valwood, winning 6-1 and 6-3. The pair of wins in Thursday’s doubleheader has the Warriors at 6-0 in Region play and 12-4 overall.
The day’s first game started off as a pitcher’s duel with neither side scoring until the top of the fifth. The visiting Warriors used Camden Harbin reaching on an error and a Parker Lee walk to put pressure on the homesteading Valiants. Zack Counts two-run double scored Harbin and Lee to ignite the Brookwood offense.
The Warriors extended the lead with two more runs in the sixth. Jacob Lauderdale came around to score on a passed ball after his leadoff single and Camden Harbin’s RBI single scored Josh McCaskill. The Warriors added two more runs in the seventh, with Jaevyn Salter scoring on a passed ball and Lauderdale’s sacrifice fly scoring Harper McLendon.
Lauderdale went six innings, striking out six and walking three while giving up three hits and not allowing an earned run.
It was more of the same in the nightcap as Brookwood jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first.
Valwood took a 3-1 lead in the second on Connor Hutto’s bases-clearing double.
Lauderdale led off the fourth with a single and scored on McCaskill’s triple. McCaskill later scored on an error to tie the game.
Senior pitcher Parker Mirick helped himself with a single and was replaced with courtesy runner Jaevyn Salter. Camden Harbin’s single scored Salter to give Brookwood a lead it didn’t relinquish.
Brookwood scratched across an insurance run across in both the fifth and sixth innings, the first on a McLendon RBI double and the other on a Lee RBI single.
Mirick nearly went the distance on the mound, pitching 6 2/3 innings. He struck out 10 Valiants for the evening, to go with three hits allowed and five walks.
The Warriors take a break from region play next week for three games. The first of those three is a strong North Florida Christian team from Tallahassee on Monday at Strickland Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.