Lightening sometimes does strike more than once in the same place as it happened both literally and figuratively during the 2nd round of the Jefferson District baseball tournament this past week in Palmyra at host Fluvanna High School.
In what began as a lightening delay, ended in the same fashion in a called game due to weather conditions as #2 seeded Louisa fell 5-0 to the Monticello Mustangs propelling them into the Jefferson District championship game against Powhatan High School.
“It was a frustrating game but you never know what’s going to happen in baseball but we had opportunities early in the game and didn’t execute while they (Monticello) did”, said Head Coach Kevin Fisher.
Taking a 1-0 lead in the top-half of the second inning, Monticello’s Sam Patterson singled to short-right field then moved into scoring position by stealing second base. Two batters later, designated hitter Will Decker doubled to right-centerfield, bringing home Patterson and giving the Mustangs the early edge.
The skies actually opened brightly for Louisa (11-9) as senior Jacob Conley doubled to begin the game for the Lions and, a couple of hitters shortly thereafter, teammate Christian Buckler walked to place runners in scoring position only to have them left stranded.
Leaving a pair of runners on base in each of the first three innings and failing to bring anyone across home plate with the bases loaded and one out in the fifth coupled with threatening clouds and the roar of thunder in the distance was not an encouraging sign for the # 2 seeded Lions.
According to Coach Fisher, “Leaving that many runners on base is not a good thing and I’m not even sure they got nine runners on base like we did but Monticello got the hits when they needed to with five runs on four hits.”
Already in the hole at a 2-0 deficit, the #3 seed Mustangs struck again in the fourth as Patterson again lead-off the inning with a bloop single followed by Alex McNair being hit by Lion pitcher Josh Seay to put runners on first and second respectively. A sacrifice bunt by Decker moved both runners forward making it possible for Devin Dickerson to plate the pair with a double laced down the third base line, accounting for a 4-0 Monticello advantage. The Mustangs tacked on another run in the fifth to complete the scoring as Josh Malm was driven in by Jacobson.
For the evening, seniors Conley and Jarrett Talley each went 1 for 3 while Alex Fletcher also had a hit for Louisa. Senior hurler Josh Seay scattered four hits while picking up a pair of strikeouts for the Lions.
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