by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
Lancaster gave up one run to Colonial Beach in the bottom of the seventh and held off the Drifters for an 8-6 conference win in varsity baseball last Tuesday.
The Red Devils also routed Northampton, 12-1, Monday and lost, 3-1, to Mathews last Wednesday.
Against the Drifters, Lancaster broke open a 5-5 tie in the top of the sixth inning when Hunter Koonce and Adam Wilmore hit back-to-back one-out singles. Matthew Kleinfelter scored Koonce with a double and Spencer Crittenden drove in Wilmore and Kleinfelter with a two-out single to lift Lancaster, 8-5.
Kleinfelter led Lancaster at the plate, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs and three runs scored. He smacked a double in the top of the first to score Wilmore then advanced to third on a wild pitch and came home on a sacrifice fly by Crittenden. In the top of the third, Kleinfelter led off with a single and advanced to third on an error. He and Crittenden both scored on fielder’s choices.
Lancaster pushed one across the plate when Koonce scored on a Kleinfelter sacrifice.
Crittenden finished with three RBIs, while Wilmore had two hits and two runs scored. Koonce scored twice.
Mathews 3
Lancaster 1
Mathews held Lancaster to two hits last Wednesday with Nick Wohleking recording an RBI single and Jayson Gill hitting a double.
Danny Hinson pitched the full game for Lancaster, giving up six hits, walking two and striking out two.
Lancaster 12
Northampton 1
Lancaster blew open a 1-1 tie in the fourth inning Monday and returned from the Eastern Shore with a slaughter-rule win over the Yellow Jackets.
Lancaster scored one in the second when Crittenden walked and advanced to third on a Wohleking single. He scored on a pass ball.
The Devils rallied for three runs in the fourth after a lead-off solo homer by Gill. Brandon Rosalia singled and Jacob Taft singled. Koonce registered two RBIs, scoring them both on a single.
Eight straight batters scored for LHS in the fifth with doubles from Rosalia and Wilmore and singles by Taft, Kleinfelter, Hinson and Crittenden.
Wohleking got the win in his first varsity pitching start, holding Northampton to one run, giving up two hits, walking one and striking out three.
“It was a great performance by Nikki and it was exciting to see him throw so well on the mound,” said LHS coach Welby Saunders.
The Devils will end regular season play today, May 18, at Washington & Lee. Conference #43 tournament play will begin on Monday, May 22. Seeding has not been determined.
