BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
LOACHAPOKA — A three-run third inning and Kamarion Norris’s strong pitching and batting performance lifted the Loachapoka High School baseball team to a crucial 6-3 home area win over Lanett High School on March 18.
The Indians improve to 2-2 overall and 2-0 in 2A Area 6 play, while the Panthers fall to 1-3 overall and 0-2 in area play.
In 6.2 innings pitched, Norris recorded 16 strikeouts and allowed just two earned runs, good for a 2.90 earned run average. On home plate, he was equally as good, scoring two runs and earning a .667 batting average during three at-bats.
From the opposite dugout, Fred Broughton provided most of Lanett’s firepower with his own impressive performance, turning in 17 strikeouts in six innings and two runs and three stolen bases in four at-bats.
Jaiden Harvey struck first for the Indians in the bottom of the first after an attempted throwout flew well over the third baseman’s outstretched arm and into the outfield. Upon successfully stealing third base, Harvey then easily rounded third base and reached home plate.
The Panthers quickly responded in the top of the second as a wild throw-out attempt at second base allowed Camron Johnson to score from third base and tied the score at 1-1.
However, Loachapoka retook a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third after the Lanett first baseman failed to secure an attempted throwout at first base, which scored Norris and Jaden Mabson from third and second base, respectively. During the next at-bat, Peter Chenier scored Travis Andrews from third base with a looping RBI single that dropped into the dirt near the second baseman to make things 4-1.
Broughton cut the deficit in the top of the fifth to 4-2 as an attempted throw out at third base hit him in the back of his batter’s helmet and gave him an uncontested trot to home base.
In the bottom of the sixth, a wild pitch that flew past the catcher and ricocheted off the wall allowed Harvey to race home from third base. Later in the inning, Mabson effectively ended the game with a line-drive single between first and second base that delivered Norris from first base and gave Loachapoka a 6-2 lead.
Broughton then concluded the scoring in the top of the seventh after an attempted throw out by the catcher at third base flew over the third baseman’s outstretched arm and outside of the foul line.
