Caleb Riordan | Ameritime Sports Writer
The South Iron Panthers dominated Lesterville on Friday in a 12-0 shutout.
The Panthers got to work right away Friday and pushed three runs across the board in the first inning. Cody Hughes broke the ice with an RBI-single that scored Brock Wakefield. Harley Lewis hit a sacrifice fly to left field that scored Drenin Dinkins before Hunter Kelley grounded out and scored Hughes. The Panthers left the first inning up 3-0.
“It is very important for us to jump out to an early lead,” Wakefield said. “We feel like if we can do that then we put a lot of pressure on the other team.”
South Iron continued to pile it on in the second. Brodie Miller scored on an error prior to Wakefield driving in Brandon Young. Kelley smacked a two-RBI single that scored Joel Poston and Dinkins making it 7-0 Panthers.
The last five of the Panthers runs came in the third. It started again with an RBI-single from Wakefield, followed up by a Hughes walk to make it 9-0. Poston then smashed a double that scored two runs and Kelley hit a sacrifice fly to score Hughes.
The shutout was a team effort on the mound. Lewis started the game, threw 22 pitches, allowed three hits and struck out three batters in two and a third innings. Dinkins came in after and struck out five on 38 pitches. Karl Slusher and Wakefield held it down after that to seal the game. Slusher had one strikeout.
Miller, Wakefield, Dinkins and Poston all had two hits. Kelley led the way with four RBIs followed by Wakefield, Hughes and Poston all with two. Lewis drew two walks and Miller stole two bases.
The win was the team’s seventh in a row and raised their record to 7-1. The Panthers will take on Cooter Monday, Sep. 14.
