Bogalusa scores late to cap victory over Varnado
Published 5:22 am Friday, March 8, 2013
Bogalusa’s Lumberjacks saw their 8-0 lead get trimmed to 8-6, but the Lumberjacks put up six runs over the final two innings to pull off a 14-6 victory over Varnado’s Wildcats at the Bogalusa Sports Complex Tuesday.
The Lumberjacks’ offense came out strong, getting out to an 8-0 lead.
Four of those runs came in the first inning. Pitcher Travion Harris led off the game by being hit and Tim Brown, who also posted a single, doubled to left field. Cam Robinson’s bloop single to right scored Harris for a 1-0 lead. The next two runs were tallied on wild pitches with the final one coming when Eli Hatcher reached on an error for a 4-0 advantage.
Robinson, who left with a fifth-inning injury, went 2-3 with three runs batted in.
Harris, who drove in a run, went the distance, allowing no earned runs on eight hits with 10 strikeouts and just one walk.
Bogalusa coach Michael Cummings said Harris did phenomenal.
“He threw good,” Cummings said. “He was learning his placement tonight. This was his first game to start. We just had to work his placement. He had one rough error, but he never let it get to him. That’s what’s making him a good pitcher. That’s why I believe in him, as a freshman, is because he knows there’s another pitch coming after this one. Move past this batter, let’s get this out and move on. He’s cool, calm and collected up on the mound.”
Harris said he was happy they won and that he was able to have a good game. He said the fastball and curveball were working the best. It was Harris’ first high-school complete game.
Bogalusa (1-1) added three more during the second. Vinson Mixon walked to begin. Brown singled with one out before Robinson’s two-run single to left sent both runners home, upping it to 6-0.
“I think it was real clutch because we really need the hits,” Robinson said. “We need as many hits as we can get. I’ve been practicing on my batting all week. I’m planning on getting better.”
The other run crossed on Hatcher’s single.
Bogalusa put up one more in the third with Harlum Magee and Kentrell Anders both singling. Magee crossed the plate on an error to make it 8-0. Magee posted three singles, while Anders had two.
It appeared to Bogalusa’s night, but Varnado took advantage of four errors in the fourth and posted five runs to get back in it.
Isaiah Alexander reached on a two-base throwing error. The Lumberjacks had him picked off, but an errant throw to third during the rundown allowed him to score, making it 8-1. Jaylen Jefferson, who had three hits, singled to left before Russ Smith reached on a miscue. Reggie Green drew a walk to load the bases. Xavier Moses picked up an RBI and then reached via an error to make it 8-2. Following a strikeout, Daylan Morris drove in a run on fielder’s choice after hitting it back to the mound and being thrown out at first. With runners on second-and-third and two outs, Kyle Slocum came up with a clutch hit, a two-run single to right, trimming it 8-5. Slocum logged two hits.
The Wildcats inched closer with a run in the fifth. Jefferson doubled and stole third. Errol Varnado grounded out to third. They threw home after the out at first and then tried to get Jefferson at third, but an errant throw to third allowed Jefferson to score and it was 8-6.
Wildcats’ coach Paul Smith said his club dug their own hole, but battled back.
“We’re still young and got a lot to learn,” Smith said. “We’ve got to stop making mental and physical errors and get right.”
Smith said his young team is improving.
“We had eighth graders on the corners, an eighth grader at short and ninth graders on the corner in the outfield and a couple of seniors. We’re still young, but we’re making progress. We’ve just got to learn how to compete and win and finish it,” Smith said.
Bogalusa put up three runs over the next two frames. Ashed Levi and Fred Brooks were hit to begin the sixth. Levi stole second-and-third, while Brooks swiped second. Hatcher’s sacrifice fly make it 9-6. Later, Magee collected an RBI single to left before Anders capped the rally by reaching on an error, which plated the final run for an 11-6 lead.
The Lumberjacks essentially put the game out of reach during the seventh. Harris reached on an error. Two batters later, Levi singled and then Brooks belted a pitch high and deep over the left field wall, a three-run homer to finalize the scoring at 14-6.