Early offense paced the Piedmont Kingsmen Baseball team on Friday Night at York Comprehensive High School, as they defeated the Charlotte Crushers, 8-2. The Pride move to 3-0 on the young season, set up with a matchup with SCBL pre-season favorite, The Carolina Vipers.
The Red and Blue got a dominant start from red-shirt sophomore Austin Blakely. The Citadel attendee commanded the strike zone all night. His 6.0 innings pitched is the deepest any Pride pitcher has gone so far this year. Blakely sat down five crushers via the strikeout, and only allowed four hits on the night.
Scottie Lee picked up the Red and Blues first home run of the season, sending a gram slam over the left field wall in the bottom of the 8th. “Ive been making good contact with the ball so far this season, I knew it was only a matter of time before one went out” said the Mars Hill University attendee.
JT Wolke earned his first save of the year, pitching himself out of a jam in the 7th inning with the bases loaded. Wolke, a red-shirt sophomore from Slippery Rock University allowed only one hit in 3.0 innings of work.
Two Pride batter earned multi-hit games. Jason White collected his second multi-hit game of the season, while Brooks O’Brien paced the offense with 2-for-4 night including his first RBI of the season.
The Pride jumped on the Crushers early on Friday night. Andrew Judkins was hit by a pitch, and moved over to third by a Scottie Lee single. The Pride executed the Hudak double steal special to perfection to put the first run on the board. A Ben Sneider ground ball was booted into the outfield by the Crushers third baseman, scoring Lee, and giving the Pride an early 2-0 lead.
The Red and Blue would wait until the home half of the third inning to increase their lead. Reagan Lawlor and Brooks O’Brien both picked up their first RBI’s of the season, both with singles to left field to increase the Prides lead, 4-0.
The Crushers would answer back in the top of the seventh inning, scoring two runs on three hits.
With the ball game closer than Coach Hudak would of liked, Scottie Lee sent the first home run of the 2019 season over the left field wall, increasing the Red and Blues lead, 8-2.
The Pride will head to Charlotte Latin High School tomorrow night, as they head to take on the Carolina Vipers. The Vipers (2-0) had their game tonight rained out against the Stateville Owls.
