by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi
The varsity Red Devils opened Northern Neck District play last week with a pair of wins to improve to 8-1 overall and get off to a 2-0 start in the district.
Lancaster edged Rappahannock, 2-1, in the district opener Tuesday with Matthew Kleinfelter giving up only three hits in seven innings for the win. Kleinfelter walked two and fanned 12.
At the plate for LHS, Nick Wohleking went 1-for-2 with a walk, a run scored and an RBI. Spencer Crittenden was 1-for-3 with an RBI and Adam Wilmore went 1-for-2 with a walk and a run scored.
Rappahannock scored with a lead-off walk and a triple in the second inning and held the 1-0 lead until the bottom of the sixth when Adam Wilmore hit a two-out single and stole second and scored on a double to right centerfield by Wohleking to tie the game. Tae Middleton, running for Wohleking, scored the go-ahead run on a single by Crittenden. Kleinfelter took the Raiders three-up-three-down with two strikeouts in the top of the seventh for the win.
Lancaster 5
Essex 2
Talik Redmond hit a two-run triple and Wohleking went a full seven innings on the mound for a 5-2 win over Essex Thursday.
Wohleking struck out three batters, walked one and gave up seven hits.
Lancaster scored one in the bottom of the third on a base hit and fielder’s choice then took a 3-1 lead in the fifth on two hits and a sacrifice fly. Jayson Gill was hit by a pitch to lead off, then pinch runner Damarcus Doggett stole second and scored on a double by Chris Cunningham. Cunningham moved to third on a single by Wilmore and Danny Hinson laid down a sacrifice bunt.
Essex, which pushed one across on a two-out base hit in the fourth, scored again in the top of the sixth to pull within a run. Lancaster’s defense turned a key play in the sixth when Doggett fielded a line drive to left field, hit his cut off in Hinson at short and Hinson threw out a runner at the plate.
Redmond’s two-out triple drove in Jacob Taft and Doggett in the bottom of the sixth and Wohleking retired three in the top of the seventh.
Redmond led LHS at the plate, going 1-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI. Cunningham was 2-for-3 with an RBI and run.
The Devils will travel to Washington & Lee today, April 19, and go to the Eastern Shore for a make-up game against Northampton on Saturday, April 21.
