Tittle, Rams prevail in pitchers’ duel
Two base hits was all Lakeside needed in Tuesday’s conference matchup against visiting Camden Fairview. Timely baserunning coupled with a dynamic outing from starting pitcher Race Tittle made the Rams a 9-1 winner.
“We did a good job taking our walks when we had them, and we did a really good job running bases,” Lakeside coach Leighton Hardin said. “It’s something that we had to emphasize after the last few games; we hadn’t been doing a good job of it. Doing the little things right opened the game up for us today.”
Lakeside scored its first run in the first inning. Leadoff batter Justin Scott walked, stole a base and later scored on an RBI groundout from Zac Melugin.
Given an early insurance run, Tittle took over. The senior struck out seven of the first 11 batters he faced as the game turned into a pitchers’ duel in the middle innings with Fairview’s Jameson Milner settling in after the first inning.
The Cardinals had runners in scoring position in the second and fourth innings, but came away empty handed as Tittle worked his way out of jams.
“His breaking ball was working well for him; he was getting it over for a strike, and then he’d throw the fastball in to keep them off balance,” said Hardin. “Once they saw the fastball it was tough for them to adjust back to the breaking ball. He did a really good job keeping them off balance with that and keeping us in the game while we couldn’t score a run.”
Milner was tossing a no-hitter with six strikeouts through four innings before running into trouble in the fifth. Scott and Spencer Vicentic each scored on wild pitches and Carter West brought in another run on a bases-loaded walk, giving the Rams a 5-0 lead.
“His pitch count was really high there in the fifth and it allowed us to get to him and score some runs,” Hardin said. “I don’t think we got a hit, but we did a really good job battling (Milner) and making him work. He’s really good.”
After Niles Smith and Milner were walked, Tim Crumpler got the Cardinals on the board with a sacrifice fly to center field, but Lakeside freshman Jake Turner enduced a groundout to minimize the damage.
Clinging to a 5-1 lead, the Rams broke the game open in the sixth inning. Vicentic plated two runs with a double to center field for Lakeside’s first hit of the game, and Scott followed with an RBI single as the Rams stretched their lead to 9-1.
Vicentic pitched a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two to secure the win. Tittle picked up the win, scattering three hits over five innings with seven strikeouts and one walk.
Despite not surrendering a hit, Milner suffered the loss with three runs allowed on five walks with seven strikeouts.
Now 6-3 overall and 3-0 in conference, Lakeside travels to Magnolia Thursday night.
Camden Fairview;000 001 0 — 1
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Lakeside;100 044 — 9 2 1 Tittle, Turner (6), Vicentic (7) and Melugin, Minjarez (6). Milner, Dawson (5) and Smith. W-Tittle. L-Milner. 2B-Lakeside, Vicentic. Camden Fairview, Milner. S-Lakeside, Cockrell. Camden Fairview, Johnson. SF-Camden Fairview, Crumpler. SB-Lakeside, Cockrell, Scott.