BY ROB DAVIS
FOR THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — Wetumpka High School spoiled Lee-Scott Academy’s senior night celebration as the Indians (6A) defeated the No. 6 Warriors (3A) 6-3 at John Meals Field on April 20.
The defeat drops Lee-Scott to 19-11 overall on the season.
With the playoffs looming for both teams, the game was an opportunity to hone their skills against top tier talent before postseason play begins on Friday, April 24. Lee-Scott head coach Jarrod Cook was not pleased with what he saw, but hoped his team will be focused when they play Saint James on Friday.
“We just didn’t come out with the urgency that we really needed,” Cook said. “We got behind early, and by the time we got some traction, it was too late. But the bottom line is we didn’t come out ready to play. We’ve got to check ourselves and look at ourselves in the mirror.”
Wetumpka’s big inning came in the top of the second. With the game tied 0-0 with two men on base and two outs, Bobo Browning slapped a single to right field that scored Henry Evers.
Aiden Peake followed with a base hit to bring home Payton Dickey, and Connor Jacks delivered a single up the middle to score Browning.
Lee-Scott had runners on base in the bottom half of the second inning, but as was the case much of the afternoon, the Warriors left men on base and allowed the Indians to escape without any damage.
“I don’t know if our desire to really come out every day and compete is at the standard that I expect and where we had it in the early and mid part of the year,” Cook said. “It’s about leadership. It’s got to mean something to the guys who are our leaders. I don’t know who those are right now, but we better find them before Friday.”
Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Warriors had the bases loaded but managed just one run driven in by Andrew Owen.
Wetumpka added two runs in the top of the fifth behind singles from Logan Fawcett and Miller Lombardi, who both scored when Henry Evers ripped a double to deep center field.
The bottom of the fifth looked promising for the Warriors. After a single to left field by Preston Huguley, first-baseman Barrett Cook delivered a two out base hit to score Huguley. Back-to-back base hits by Rylan Smith and Harrison Snow scored Cook to make the score 6-3, but once again the Warriors would end the inning with the bases loaded.
Lee-Scott threatened again in the bottom of the sixth after Donaldson and Huguley both singled but Wetumpka pitcher Peyton Dickey struck out two batters to escape the inning without allowing a single run.
The Warriors will travel to Montgomery on Friday, April 24, to face Saint James in the first round of the 3A playoffs. The doubleheader’s furst game will begin at 4 p.m.
