Knights snap six-game losing streak with 9-7 slugfest win over Lexington
By Dave Mast
May 18, 2011
298
If it is slugfests you like, then the May 18 game between the Knights and Lexington at West Holmes was right up your alley.
On the heels of six straight losses, including one in Sectional play which bounced the Knights from the Div. II baseball tournament, West Holmes squared off against Lexington in a real donnybrook, and it took a ton of hits to out-duel Lexington 9-7.
Both teams cranked out 14 hits, and it was the Minutemen who immediately put a ton of pressure on West Holmes.
Lexington scored one in the first, then put up a four-spot in the second off of West Holmes ace Gabe Snyder to create a 5-0 hole for the Knights to dig out of.
They did so quickly, going to work at the plate to the tune of a five-run second inning, knotting the score at 5 heading to the third. Lexington again took the lead, only to watch West Holmes tie it in the fourth. As Snyder settled in, allowing just one run over the final four frames, West Holmes played some small ball, and scored one in the fifth and two in the sixth to surge to victory.
Snyder ended up throwing a complete game, allowing 14 hits and six earned runs, walking one and striking out five. The Knights beat up two Minutemen pitchers, with lead-off man Mason James leading the way with three singles. Vadon Wood singled and doubled, Stevie Thomas and Keaton Leppla each produced a pair of singles, and Snyder Cody Dial and Joey Gonzalez all doubled in the hitting free-for-all.
The win snapped the Knights six-game losing streak, improving their overall mark to 13-10, and 7-5 in Ohio Cardinal Conference play.
The three hit effort pumped James season batting average up to .441, while Gonzalez leads the team with a .466 mark. Gonzalez also leads the Knights with five home runs, 35 RBI and eight stolen bases, while Garrett Mackey is hitting .400, Leppla tops the team in runs scored with 27 and Thomas leads the team with 10 doubles. On the mound, freshman Dillon Baird has accumulated a team-high four victories to tie Snyder, who, while he has dropped six decisions, still sports a very solid 2.96 ERA.
