BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — Lee-Scott Academy’s baseball team faced little difficulty against Thomasville High School in a two-game sweep at John Meals Field in the quarterfinals of the 3A playoffs.
Across the 20-1 win on May 6 and the 10-1 win on May 7, the No. 8 Warriors (26-11) outhit the Tigers (21-11) by a combined 24 to five margin.
Since beginning postseason play on April 24 against Saint James, LSA is 6-0 and has only trailed for half an inning while scoring 60 runs and allowing eight.
With his team peaking at the right time and facing bitter rival and No. 1-ranked Glenwood School on the road in the semifinals, Warriors head coach Jarrod Cook said he was pleased with his team’s quarterfinal showing.
He attributed the scorching run to an intense behind-the-scenes approach throughout the playoffs.
“If you can put the ball in play and get some timely hits, we’re going to get good stuff from our guys on the mound,” Cook said. “Our practices have not been easy. The last few weeks, we’ve really gotten after them, and we’ve competed. We don’t just show up and take a little [batting practice] and take a few ground balls. I wouldn’t say I’ve figured it out, but I think what motivates this team is to go out there and compete.”
Cook then previewed the pivotal showdown with the Gators in Smiths Station on May 13.
“At the end of the day, they’ve got to go beat us at what we do well, and I’m sure they feel the same way,” Cook said. “We’ve got to play our brand of baseball, and if it’s good enough, it’s good enough. I don’t think we can overthink it. Obviously, they’re really good, and it’s going to be a really good series, but I think our guys are going to respond. I think the last series [against Glenwood] was a gut punch, but we’ve responded well since then. But we’ve just got to go play.”
With numerous Warriors heating up in the batters’ box heading into the semifinals, designated hitter Rylan Smith will certainly factor in if LSA is to advance.
Across both games against THS, Smith went a combined 5-for-8 with a home run, three runs and eight RBIs, epitomizing LSA’s sterling series as a team at home plate.
“I was just able to keep my confidence high [despite] having a bad couple of series where I had good barrels, and I knew eventually balls would start to fall for me,” Smith said. “We knew we had to play clean baseball no matter if we were hitting well or not, and we knew we had to play clean in the field, bring it back into the dugout, try to score some runs and keep the game close at the very least. And we’ve been able to do that.”
Game 1
The Warriors wasted no time, plating five runs in the bottom of the first. Barrett Cook kicked things off with a single that brought home Preston Huguley with the first run, and Ethan Hardee reached on an error in right field that allowed Cook and Harrison Snow to score. Andrew Owen then drove in Hardee with an RBI single, and Smith capped the inning with a run-scoring groundout.
Hardee extended the lead to 8-0 in the bottom of the second with a three-run home run to right field that scored Huguley and Snow.
The Tigers finally broke through in the top of the third, when Christian Draper singled to center to score Gunnar Lewis from third for THS’s lone run.
LSA responded with a 10-run, seven-hit outburst in the frame’s bottom half. Smith’s two-run homer to left brought home Jack Fuqua, and Snow’s RBI single drove in Luke Donaldson. Huguley then scored on a balk to make it 12-1. Fuqua later singled home Snow and Hardee, Smith added a single that scored Owen and Huguley capped the inning with a bases-clearing double for an 18-1 lead.
The Warriors quickly tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the fourth, when Smith’s two-run single to left scored Cook and Turner Underwood.
Braden Martin earned the win for LSA, allowing two hits and one run over four innings while striking out six and walking one. Davis MacIsaac added a scoreless inning of relief, allowing no hits and issuing no walks.
Draper took the loss for the Tigers, surrendering 13 runs — 11 earned — on nine hits over 2 ⅔ innings. He struck out two and walked two.
The Warriors collected 13 hits, with Huguley, Snow and Fuqua each recording multiple. Fuqua stole two of the team’s four bases, and the Warriors did not commit an error. Snow handled a team-high six chances in the field.
Game 2
After a powerful storm system delayed the second game until the next day, the Warriors struck first in the top of the first when Snow’s RBI single to left scored Huguley.
LSA added another run in the top of the fifth on Donaldson’s RBI single to left, scoring Owen England.
The Warriors pushed the lead to 9-0 in the top of the sixth on Cook’s solo home run to right field.
LSA tacked on its final run in the top of the seventh when Smith grounded out, and Fuqua scored from second on a throwing error near first base.
THS got on the board with a consolation run in the bottom of the seventh when Lewis homered to center field for the Tigers’ lone run.
Cook earned the win for LSA, allowing three hits and one run over seven innings while striking out nine and walking two.
Isaac Parten took the loss for THS, completing seven innings while giving up 10 runs — nine earned — on 11 hits with five strikeouts and four walks.
LSA racked up 11 hits, with Hardee, Snow, Donaldson and Smith each collecting two. Snow, Donaldson and Smith each drove in two runs as well. The Warriors turned a double play and did not commit an error, with Snow leading the way in the field with nine plays.
