Brookwood Baseball Sweeps Valwood, Still Perfect in Region

Brookwood Baseball swept its second consecutive three-game series to start Region play on Thursday night at Valwood. The pair of wins in Thursday’s doubleheader has the Warriors now 6-0 in Region play and 12-4 overall on the season.

The day’s first game started off as a pitcher’s duel with neither side scoring until the Top of the 5th. The visiting Warriors used Camden Harbin reaching on an error and a Parker Lee walk to put pressure on the homesteading Valiants. Zack Counts 2-RBI double scored Harbin and Lee to ignite the Brookwood offense.

In the Top of the 6th, the Warriors extended the lead with two more runs. Jacob Lauderdale came around to score on a passed ball after his leadoff single and Camden Harbin’s RBI single scored Josh McCaskill. The Warriors added two more insurance runs in the Top of the 7th, with Jaevyn Salter scoring on a passed ball and Lauderdale’s sacrifice fly scoring Harper McLendon.

Jacob Lauderdale was tremendous on the mound, pitching 6 innings and allowing no earned runs. He scattered 3 hits and 3 walks throughout while striking out 6 Valwood batters. The 6-1 win secured the series, but the Warriors were focused on the sweep.

It was more of the same in the nightcap with Brookwood winning 6-3. Brookwood jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the Top of the 1st. Harper McLendon scored on a Valiant error.

The Warriors fell behind with Valwood jumping out to a 3-1 lead in the Bottom of the 2nd. Connor Hutto’s bases-clearing double gave the Valiants confidence and momentum. 

Showing true balance like they have most of the season, the Brookwood offense had its pitcher’s back. To leadoff the Top of the 4th, Jacob Lauderdale singled and immediately scored on a Josh McCaskill triple. McCaskill reached home on an error to tie the game at 3-3. Senior pitcher Parker Mirick helped himself with a single and was replaced with courtesy runner Jaevyn Salter. Camden Harbin’s single scored Salter to give Brookwood a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.

Brookwood scratched across an insurance run across in both the 5th and 6th innings. The first on a Harper McLendon RBI double and the other on a Parker Lee RBI single.

Parker Mirick nearly went the distance on the mound, pitching 6 and ⅔ innings. He struck out 10 Valiants for the evening to go with 3 hits allowed and 5 walks.

The Warriors take a break from Region play next week for three games. The first of those three is a strong North Florida Christian team from Tallahassee on Monday at Strickland Field here in Thomasville. First pitch is scheduled for 6:15 p.m.