Spartans’ run ends in semifinals
BY RYAN LEGER HENDERSON DAILY DISPATCH STAFF
WINDSOR — The third-seeded Kerr-Vance Academy baseball team headed all the way to the coast Monday evening to face second-seeded Lawrence Academy (23-5) in the semifinals of the NCISAA 1A Baseball State Playoffs. The Spartans (19-4) gave it all they had, but suffered a tough 11-3 loss in a contest that was far closer than the score indicates.
Believe it or not, the game was a pitcher’s duel for the majority of the night as Kerr-Vance’s Daniel Wilkerson allowed just two runs over four innings and Lawrence’s Tyler Jones held the Spartans’ explosive offense to a single run through the first four frames.
Kerr-Vance, trailing 2-1, got to Jones in the top of the fifth inning after Lane Humphries and Dustin Smith both reached on errors with two outs. Colby Wilkerson stepped up to the plate, knowing his squad didn’t have many opportunities left, and blooped a clutch single into shallow left field to drive in Zack Biggs, who pinch ran for Humphries. Wil Short followed that up with an infield single, hustling hard all the way down the line to beat out the throw.
Short’s effort allowed Smith to score from third and gave the Spartans their first lead of the game at 3-2, but Kerr-Vance went on to strand three baserunners later that inning as Jones got out of a bases-loaded jam. As it turned out, the Spartans could’ve used a few of those runs.
Spartans’ left-hander Jabe Montgomery came out to start the bottom of the fifth in relief of Wilkerson, retiring the Lawrence Academy batters in order to maintain Kerr-Vance’s 3-2 advantage. When Montgomery came out for the bottom of the sixth inning, however, things started to go downhill in a hurry for the Spartans.
“I was just trying to give them a different look,” Spartans’ head coach Todd Wilkerson said. “Jabe did real good the one inning, but had a tough second inning. It was asking a lot of him after pitching six innings on Saturday.”
Montgomery just couldn’t find the zone, walking the first four Lawrence Academy batters he faced, which tied the contest at three runs apiece. Colby Wilkerson was then brought in to relieve Montgomery with the bases loaded and no outs, and Lawrence Academy’s Bryant Goodwin absolutely ripped a fastball down the third base line for a double, driving in two runs to claim a 5-3 lead.
The Kerr-Vance defense started to make mental mistakes after losing the lead and by the end of the sixth inning found themselves facing an eight run deficit, one they just couldn’t overcome.
“There’s a bunch of seniors on the team and I’m just so proud of them and the rest of the guys,” Todd Wilkerson said. “I wish we could’ve done a little better, but we still had a great season. We had a good enough team to beat them [Lawrence Academy], but sometimes that’s just how the game works.”
On the bright side, the Spartans advanced a round further than they did last season, when they were knocked out in the quarterfinals. Therefore, if they can keep on this pace they should find themselves in the championship game next season.
faced, which tied the contest at three runs apiece. Colby Wilkerson was then brought in to relieve Montgomery with the bases loaded and no outs, and Lawrence Academy’s Bryant Goodwin absolutely ripped a fastball down the third base line for a double, driving in two runs to claim a 5-3 lead.
The Kerr-Vance defense started to make mental mistakes after losing the lead and by the end of the sixth inning found themselves facing an eight run deficit, one they just couldn’t overcome.
“There’s a bunch of seniors on the team and I’m just so proud of them and the rest of the guys,” Todd Wilkerson said. “I wish we could’ve done a little better, but we still had a great season. We had a good enough team to beat them [Lawrence Academy], but sometimes that’s just how the game works.”
On the bright side, the Spartans advanced a round further than they did last season, when they were knocked out in the quarterfinals. Therefore, if they can keep on this pace they should find themselves in the championship game next season.
