TALLADEGA, Ala. – The Lindsey Wilson baseball team won the penultimate game of its season-opening road trip on Friday afternoon, defeating the homestanding Tornadoes 5-2.
A crooked four-run sixth inning by the visitors was the difference in the end, as the Blue Raider defense held Talladega (Ala.) scoreless across the final six innings after the hosts had taken a 2-1 lead.
Sam Gage provided two of Lindsey Wilson's seven hits, including one to center field to lead off the top of the first frame. The senior quickly made his way around the diamond off a sacrifice bunt and a single by
Koby Wall to give the Blue Raiders their first lead of the series.
Talladega knotted the game with a run of its own in the bottom leg of the inning, then jumped in front in the third, but that is all the Tornado offense mustered up before going cold the rest of the way.
In the top of the sixth,
Chance Stayton drew the Blue Raiders level on a 3-2 pitch to lead things off, sending his first homerun of the season over the fence in left-center field.
The four-bagger sent a spark through the Lindsey Wilson line-up. A subsequent walk to Wall followed by a fielding error set up the visitors with a pair of runners aboard. Three-batters later, with the bases now loaded,
Gabe Board flied a sacrifice hit to deep center to plate Wall, then
Caden Davis delivered a two-run RBI-single into the grass to extend the Blue Raiders' lead to 5-2.
Glenn Simes entered the game on the bump in the next half-inning and proceeded to shut down Talladega with five strikeouts and zero runs on four hits. His efforts earned him his first save of the season and preserved a win for
Mason Malone, who went five complete innings, retired three on strikes and surrendered two earned runs on six hits to improve to 2-1.
Lindsey Wilson concludes its road trip at 3 p.m. CST on Tuesday, February 20 at (RV) Bryan (Tenn.).
