Baseball: Scott shines as Rams edge Wolves

Lakeside’s Justin Scott was a one-man wrecking crew in Wednesday’s doubleheader against visiting Lake Hamilton.

Batting from the leadoff spot, the sophomore had two singles and two RBI in a 5-2 win and followed with three RBI and the tying run in the second game, an 8-8 tie.

“Justin was a leader for us tonight and I expect him to be one of my go-to guys the rest of this summer,” Lakeside coach Jonathan Barmore said. “Leadoff is one of the most important positions in a batting lineup and he’s the perfect guy for that spot.”

The Wolves gained a quick 2-0 lead in the first game as Brayden Clark, Tanner King and Cole Plyler each singled, Plyler plating a run and Clark stealing home.

The Rams responded with three runs in the bottom half before Chance Spriggs settled in. The right-hander scattered three hits in four shutout innings, finishing with three strikeouts and one walk in five innings pitched.

“Pitching is something where you have to be mentally tough and trust your defense, and that’s exactly what he did,” said Barmore. “He looked like he wanted to be here and he looked like a real ballplayer tonight.”

Lakeside extended its lead in the second as Scott’s two-run single plated Tanner Poole and Tyler Weatherford. Plyler and King tossed two scoreless innings, the Wolves stranding three runners in the third and fourth.

Despite the loss, Lake Hamilton coach Mac Hurley was pleased with the performance of his pitchers. Clark, Plyler and King combined to allow five runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts in four innings.

“I thought they did great; they competed well and hit their spots,” Hurley said. “Coming into next season, we’re not going to have that one big arm up there, but we’re going to have a bunch of people that can pitch. They’ll pitch to contact and that’s what we’re looking for.”

Lakeside’s Ryan Robinson had one single, one RBI and one run in three at-bats. Jace Robbins doubled and singled in two plate appearances for the Wolves.

* Both teams flashed a flair for the dramatic in the second game. Lake Hamilton took an 8-7 lead in the fifth as Connor Cheek raced home on a wild pitch.

Lakeside responded in the bottom half.

Scott drew a walk, stole a base and came home on a throwing error to set the final margin.

“This is going to be the majority of the varsity group next season, and they’re learning to play as a team,” said Barmore. “For Justin to read the ball as well as he did and make a break for the plate, that was big for us.”

The Rams took a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first despite not recording a base hit. Remy Bilodeau, Drew Yarbrough and Poole each had one RBI by drawing a bases-loaded walk.

Trailing 7-4 after Scott’s bases-clearing double in the third, the Wolves found their stroke offensively in the fourth.

Alex Spencer and Plyler each had one RBI as Lake Hamilton tied the game, setting the stage for the dramatic final inning.

“They’re a scrappy bunch, and that’s really going to be our calling card next season,” said Hurley. “We put the ball in play a lot today and I’m really proud of them.”

Yarbrough reached base in each of his three plate appearances, finishing with two singles and two RBI. Plyler doubled and walked twice for the Wolves.

“Cole struggled a little bit during the season, but he really stepped up today,” said Hurley. “He roped a couple of key hits today and he’s playing with a lot of confidence.”

Both teams will compete in tournaments starting today, Lake Hamilton at Nashville and Lakeside at Henderson State University.