L-D Holds Off Henrico

by Stephen M. Lewis
DigitalSports Richmond

Henrico's Warriors and Lee-Davis' Confederates are on coach Ken Schrad and Kenny Lewis' fundamental nerve, respectively.

Neither was pleased with their team's mental errors Tuesday night, but Lewis was a little happier since his L-D squad gained a pivotal Capital District victory 3-2.

"In the end, we'll take the win," Confederates coach Kenny Lewis said. "No doubt at this time of year you can't play that kind of baseball. These are kids, but you still strive to be as mistake-free as possible."

The win moves Lee-Davis (7-2, 11-5), ranked ninth in the latest DigitalSports Top 10, into a tie with No. 8 Henrico in the loss column, but the Confederates own the tiebraker with two wins over the Warriors.

Henrico (5-2, 11-4) visits Hanover Thursday at 7 p.m. in what could throw the Capital into a three-way tie. Hanover has only one district loss.

But the Warriors will throw ace Seth Culter-Voltz (4-2, 1.27 ERA).

"He better throw the game of his life," L-D pitching coach Tripp Metzger said.

Last night's hurlers didn't throw the game of their lives, but stood out.

Jordan Boze continued a stellar freshman season for L-D, giving up two runs in five innings. Henrico catcher Michael Mansfield knocked in Landon Prentiss in the top of the fourth to start the scoring.

Lee-Davis responded with two in the bottom, helped along by two Henrico errors. Will Connerley had an RBI single to tie it at 1.

Patrick Hughes (2 for 2) ripped a double to right-center field in the top of the fifth before going out with an injury for the Warriors.

Todd Sparrow moved pinch-runner Corvell Durham to third, and then Eric Thornton's groundout to second scored Durham without a throw.

Thornton, who was on the mound for Henrico, finished up a great pitching effort in the fifth to keep it knotted at two.

Lee-Davis' B.J. Mortimer reached third with no one out. But Lee-Davis couldn't get him across as Thornton got a strikeout to erase the threat.

Nothing was doing for the Warriors in the sixth, but something was for the Confederates.

Connerley walked and Josh Perks delivered a single to right off reliever Prentiss.

Sophomore Kyle Logan, Hughes' replacement, misplayed the ball, allowing a racing Connerley to score from first.

"Eric Thornton pitched a great ballgame," Schrad said. "We've lost four games. We've lost three of them by one run. We didn't do the little things to win the ballgame. Until they realize that they will never reach their potential."

Henrico threatened in the seventh, getting second and third, but closer Andrew Hacker struck out Prentiss to get the save. Brandon Powers earned the victory for his sixth inning.

"We didn't play well last night [at Patrick Henry], and we seemed at it again with some mental mistakes. In a one-run game, the little things become huge."

Henrico    000 110 0 - 2 8 3
Lee-Davis 000 201 x - 3 5 1
Thornton, Prentiss (6) and Mansfield; Boze, Powers (6), Hacker (7) and Musser. W: Powers. L: Prentiss. S: Hacker.
Records: Henrico (5-2 Capital, 11-4); Lee-Davis (7-2, 11-5)