The Putnam County baseball team cruised past Alcovy last week, sweeping the series with two commanding victories.
The War Eagles rolled to 14-0 and 14-3 wins over the Class 5A Tigers, improving their overall record to 5-6.
Head coach Stephen Phillips praised his team’s performance, particularly on the mound.
“Our pitchers did a good job of throwing strikes and making Alcovy earn anything they got,” Phillips said.
Edwin Collins set the tone in game one. The senior pitcher allowed just one hit and zero runs in the 14-0 victory on March 2, striking out nine while walking four.
“Edwin pitched great in game one, giving up only one hit,” Phillips said.
Putnam County jumped to a 5-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after Alcovy’s pitcher walked the first five batters. RBI hits from Wade Johnston and Waylon Chandler helped stake an early advantage.
Gates Lanzarone led the offensive charge, going 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Branan Griffin and Jackson Dodd also contributed with multi-RBI games in the lopsided, run-rule victory.
The second game was a bit closer early on. Putnam led 6-3 after two innings as Alcovy scored off pitcher Trace Watkins, but he settled in to keep the War Eagles in control. Griffin hit a two-run homer in the third, extending the lead to 8-3, and Lanzarone delivered the game’s biggest highlight in the fourth with a grand slam that pushed Putnam ahead 14-3.
Phillips was pleased that his team responded well to early adversity.
“We let some guys get on base early, but our pitchers settled in and got outs,” he said. “Offensively, several kids contributed. Gates hit a grand slam in game two to continue his hot start. Our pitchers did a great job limiting free passes, and the defense played really well.”
The War Eagles have the week off before beginning region play next week against Social Circle.
Phillips hopes his team can continue to throw strikes and hit the ball consistently. “I really think we’re in a good spot. This region is tough — you’ve got three solid programs you’ll have to play your A-game to beat,” he said. “Starting off with Social is going to be a challenge. Coach Chris Davis over there does a phenomenal job. They play the game well. We just have to throw strikes, limit mistakes, and hopefully put some runs on the board.”