BY DANIEL SCHMIDT
THE OBSERVER
AUBURN — After a reinvigorated Lee-Scott Academy baseball team dominated in the first round of the 3A playoffs, they sought to put together an equally strong showing against Thorsby High School.
The No. 8 Warriors (24-11) did just that and more, disposing of the Rebels (23-10) in a 17-0 and 5-3 sweep at John Meals Field on May 1 in the second round.
Game 1
The Warriors struck first in the bottom of the first when Harrison Snow lined a single to left, scoring Preston Huguley from third.
LSA added three runs in the second, with Huguley doubling to center to score Luke Donaldson and Ethan Hardee before Barrett Cook brought Huguley home on a sacrifice fly.
The floodgates then opened in the third as the Warriors sent 14 batters to the plate and pushed across 10 runs. Hardee doubled to right to score Andrew Owen and Jack Fuqua, a bases-loaded walk plated Donaldson, and Cook singled to center to drive in Hardee and Huguley. Griffin Gaston scored on a hit batter, and Fuqua’s fielder’s choice brought Cook home. Rylan Smith scored on a wild pitch, and Hardee capped the rally with a single to center that scored Fuqua and Donaldson before later coming home on another wild pitch.
LSA added two more in the fourth as Snow doubled to center to score Cook, and Owen’s sacrifice fly to right brought Turner Underwood home.
Braden Martin earned the win for the Warriors, allowing just two hits and striking out seven across four full innings.
Cooper Gray took the loss for THS, giving up five hits and four earned runs with three walks and a strikeout in 1 ⅔ innings.
Game 2
LSA jumped on the board in the top of the first when Snow singled on a line drive to left field, scoring Gaston from second.
With the Warriors up 1-0, Hardee extended the lead in the second with a solo home run to center.
However, THS answered in the bottom of the fifth and took its only lead in either of the two games. With two outs and the bases loaded, cleanup hitter Collier Price doubled to right field, driving in Hunter Caudle, Max Burnett and Braylon Carroll for what would be the Rebels’ only runs of the day.
The Warriors immediately regained control in the sixth after Donaldson doubled on a hard grounder near third to score Fuqua, who had tripled earlier in the inning. Hardee quickly followed with a line-drive single to right, plating Donaldson from second.
LSA tacked on its final run in the seventh when Snow scored on a wild pitch that got past the catcher.
The Warriors finished with nine hits, with Hardee leading the way with two RBIs while going 2-for-3 at the plate. Cook also added two hits.
On the mound, Cook earned the win for LSA, surrendering six hits and three runs over seven innings while striking out nine and walking two.
Carroll took the loss for THS, going 5 ⅓ innings and allowing four runs on eight hits, with one strikeout and two walks.
