All you need to know about the West Lowndes High School baseball team’s 17-5 win over Columbus on Monday can be found in Fred Rice’s line in the scorebook.
The junior shortstop stepped up to the plate four times, going 0 for 0 with four steals and four runs scored.
It was that kind of game for the Falcons, as four pitchers combined to surrender 12 walks, hit five batters, uncork five wild pitches and commit a balk.
But while it wasn’t pretty, it was a much-needed win for West Lowndes, which was playing only its sixth game of the year after losing its first five.
“The first five games, we just haven’t played well,” said West Lowndes coach Todd Stanley, in his 25th and final season coaching the Panthers. “We haven’t put it all together — pitching, hitting and fielding.
“The last two games we’ve been pitching a little better, the weather’s warming up, and hopefully we’re starting to play better.”
The first four batters in the West Lowndes order — Jayden Spencer, Rice, Decamby Willis and Royquavious Williams — combined to score 11 runs, and the onslaught started quickly. Spencer and Rice walked to open the game, and one out later Williams boomed a double to the fence in left for an early 3-0 lead.
West Lowndes doubled that in the second, and this time the key hit came from Kaden Stallings, who plated Rice and Willis with a double to left to make it 6-0.
Meanwhile, Cam Ellis pitched well during the first few innings, allowing a run on three hits through three. He ran into some trouble in the fourth, but it was all academic because of the Panthers’ seven-run uprising in the bottom of the third.
Jaquavious Tate led off with a perfect bunt single and stole second. Quanterrious Johnson walked, the two executed a double steal and scored on a hard-hit single up the middle by Spencer. Rice was hit for the second consecutive at-bat, Willis was hit immediately after that, and, after a pitching change, Williams walked in a run.
Another run scored on a ground out, Ellis and Taylan Brown hit back-to-back singles (the only back-to-back hits the Panthers had during the game), Tate was hit by a pitch and Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to cap the big inning.
From then on, it was a matter of when the mercy rule would be invoked; that happened in the bottom of the fourth, when, after three more walks and a hit batter, Ellis belted a sacrifice fly to deep center to give the Panthers a 12-run lead and end the game.
“We’ve been hungry for a win,” Stanley said. “It’s been frustrating for all of us. As the season goes on you’re supposed to get better, and I think we are starting to get better.”
The veteran coach said three players in particular have been leading the improvement.
“Cameron Ellis has been hitting the ball well, Kaden Stallings has been coming through for us, and Decamby Willis, our senior, bats third and got hit a couple of times tonight, but he’s usually on base. He’s hard to keep off, and he’s kind of our leader.”
Everybody was on base Monday night. Seven of the night starters drew at least one walk, and each starter scored at least once. No Panther had more than one hit, but Spencer and Rice each had four stolen bases.
Despite the one-sided score, there were a couple of highlights for the Falcons. Freshman Caleb Williams had the at-bat of the game in the fourth inning, fouling off three pitches before finally sending a 3-2 delivery into left field for a two-run single.
Leadoff hitter Kelton Cox came up earlier in the inning and worked the count to 3-2 before being hit by a pitch to force in a run. Ferlonzo Coats had two of the Falcons’ six hits.
Ellis ended all four Columbus at-bats with a strikeout. He finished with seven strikeouts and three walks.
Stanley said the Panthers have four or five pitchers they can turn to, and some position switches appeared to help against Columbus.
“We moved some guys around today into different positions, and it seemed to pay off,” he said. “We moved Taylan Brown and Quanterrious Johnson, swapped those two out, putting Taylan in right field and Quan at second base. They both seemed a little more comfortable and relaxed. Small school, we need guys that can play multiple positions.”
Wherever they played, for this night they certainly fared better than their large-school neighbors.
“These kids know each other,” Stanley said. “It’s a rivalry game, so there’s a lot of nerves involved. But it’s a fun rivalry between the two schools, and we were just fortunate to come out on top tonight.”
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