Fifth Inning Surge Gives Lions 5-3 Win

By Will Johnson

Messenger Reporter

JEWETT – Following a non-district game against the Diboll Lumberjacks, the Lovelady Lions returned to District 21-2A action as they traveled to Jewett to take on the Leon Cougars.

The game was a back-and-forth affair as Lovelady took an early lead before Leon came back in the third to go ahead, 3-1. Two innings later, the Lions made a comeback of their own as they scored four in the fifth to take the lead for good as they held on for a 5-3 win.

The Lions scored in the first when the Cougars walked the bases full before giving up a sacrifice fly to Matthew Wheeler which plated EJ Sandoval to make the score 1-0.

The score remained that way until the bottom of the third when the Cougars erupted for three runs. An infield error was followed by back-to-back singles from Leon. After a ground ball out, the Cougars slapped two more singles to take a 3-1 lead.

Following a quiet fourth inning, the Lions came roaring back with four runs of their own. Slade Murray led off the fifth with a single and after Sandoval popped up to second, Jaxon Reeves lined a pitch into centerfield that was misplayed. Murray was able to motor around the bases on the error to make the score 3-2.

Following a strikeout, the Lions scored on another error when Wheeler blooped a pitch by the second baseman. Reeves had stolen second on the previous pitch and the error allowed him to scamper home with the tying run.

With the score knotted at three, Caleb Gilchrist ripped a single through the middle of the infield which moved Wheeler to third. Brenton Crawford walked to load the bases which brought Troy Shupak to the plate.

Facing a full- count, Shupak rocketed the next pitch through the middle of the infield to plate Wheeler and Gilchrist, giving Lovelady a 5-3 lead.

Carter Murray, who got the start, found his groove for the Lions as he pitched three scoreless innings to pick up the 5-3 win. Murray went the distance for Lovelady as he pitched a complete game, yielding three runs on six hits. He also struck out 11 and walked one.

Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].