Lovelady Defeats Groveton for Bi-District Championship
Lions Win Series, 2-1
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
HUDSON – The Lovelady Lions are moving on after they defeated the Groveton Indians in a best-of-three series for the Bi-District Championship over the past weekend.
The Lions had won the first game of the series on Wednesday, May 1 by a final score of 10-3. The final two games of th
e matchup were held at Hudson High School on Saturday, May 4. While the first game of the doubleheader went to the Indians by a final score of 8-5, the final game of the series went to the Lions by a score of 10-6.
The first game of the doubleheader saw the Indians take a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Anthony Chavez singled in Trent Torregrossa.
The game remained that way until the bottom of the third when the Lions came roaring back. Jay Thomas Robinson was hit by a pitch and advanced to second when Logan Lowery dropped a perfect bunt in front of the plate.
Chad Fulgham walked to load the bases and then Carter Murray hit a sacrifice fly to center that allowed Robinson to tag up, score and tie the game at one. Timothy Johnson followed with an infield hit to reload the bases and two pitches later Lowery scored on a 
botched pickoff attempt.
On the play, Fulgham took third and Johnson moved to second. Jaxson Reeves was up next and grounded into a 6-3 force which gave Fulgham time to trot home. Johnson remained on second but when Esai Morales lined a pitch into center, Johnson scampered around the bases to make the score 4-1.
Following a quiet fourth inning, Groveton struck back with four runs of their own to seize a 5-4 lead. Lovelady fought back to tie the game in the seventh when Murray singled in Fulgham to tie the game at five.
The Lions had a chance to put the game away in the bottom of the seventh but left the bases loaded. The Indians took advantage of the situation to score three in the top of the eighth as Groveton held on to win by a final score of 8-5.
Game Two saw a back and forth affair through the first three innings. The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and then the Lions scored two in the top of the second.
Groveton recaptured the lead in the bottom of the third as they plated a pair of runs to go up by a score of 3-2.
That was when the wheels fell off for the Indians as the Lions erupted for seven runs in the top of the fourth to take a 9-3 lead.
Johnson led off the inning with a single past second and moved to third after back-to-back walks to Reeves and Sandoval. Seth Murray grounded into a fielder’s choice that caught Johnson at home. Slade Murray followed with a sacrifice and reached safely on an error while Reeves crossed the dish to tie the game at three.
Robinson was up next and he also reached on an error as Sandoval scored to give the Lions a 4-3 lead. Lowery followed with a single which plated Se. Murray and Sl. Murray to open up a three run lead.
Fulgham was up next and hit a single into left that was booted for a two-run error as the Lions opened up a five-run lead. After C. Murray popped up, Johnson singled to drive in Fulgham and give Lovelady a 9-3 lead.
The Lions would tack on another run in the seventh to make the score 10-3 and while the Indians would score three times in the bottom of the seventh, the deficit proved too much to overcome as the Lions won the game by a score of 10-6 and took the series 2-1.
The Lions will face the Woden Eagles in the Area Round of the playoffs beginning on Thursday, May 9 at 5 pm at Hudson High School.
Will Johnson may be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
