Raiders’ season comes to an end with loss to Deerfield-Windsor
Published 2:17 pm Thursday, May 2, 2024
- Southland Academy catcher Will Godwin is distraught after the Raiders’ season was ended by a 2-0 loss to Deerfield-Windsor in the rubber match of the three game playoff series. Photo by Ken Gustafson
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AMERICUS – After splitting the first two games of the playoff series with the Deerfield-Windsor Knights, the Southland Academy Raiders came into Tuesday’s winner take all game with hopes of a win. However, the Raiders had difficulty trying to solve DWS pitcher Lane Sceals, who had the Southland batters off balanced throughout the game. As a result, the Raiders’ season ended with a 2-0 loss to the Knights on Tuesday at the Southland Academy baseball complex.
“We had one inning where we made a few errors and we weren’t able to ever really stream together any hits off of Lane Sceals,” Southland head coach Blaze Hargrove said. “He did a great job of keeping us guessing today and keeping us off the base paths. We just didn’t have many fall today. It’s a really tough one to end the season on, but I’m super proud of them. I thought we improved throughout. I just can’t say enough about how proud I am of them.”
Southland Academy right fielder Trey Sellers tries to execute a bunt.
Photo by Ken Gustafson
Hargrove also added that he was extremely proud of the way Mac McMichael and Travis Pennington performed on the mound for the Raiders. While Sceals was dominant for the Knights with no runs on three hits, a walk and six strikeouts, McMichael and Pennington combined to give up just two runs on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts.
Unfortunately for the Raiders, errors in the top of the fourth inning led to the Knights’ only two runs of the game. Lan Wiggins led off the inning with a single for DWS, Sceals was then hit by a pitch and Gage Tomlinson followed with another single to load the bases. Then Grier Morey reached on an error that allowed Wiggins to score.
Shortly thereafter, Collins Clark reached on another error that allowed Sceals to score and that would be all the run production the Knights would need.
In total, DWS scored two runs on four hits and committed no errors, while the Raiders went scoreless with just three hits and committed three errors.
Southland Academy centerfielder Luke Tarrer was one of three Raiders to earn a hit against DWS starting pitcher Lane Sceals.
Photo by Ken Gustafson
Perry Usher, Luke Tarrer and Travis Pennington collected the three hits for the Raiders.
Southland ends its season with a record of 12-10, while DWS (7-15-1) will advance to the second round of the GIAA Class AAA state playoffs to take on Terrell Academy (18-3) in Dawson on Friday.
