The Gatewood Gators jumped out to their first hot streak of the season with two straight wins, beating Robert Toombs Christian Academy and Vidalia Heritage Academy last week to boost their season record to 3-3.
Gatewood was looking to capture its second victory of the season Monday when they traveled to Lyons to take on the Robert Toombs Crusaders. The Gators entered the matchup with a 1-3 record while the Crusaders were about to play their first game of the season.
The Gators quickly jumped out to a lead in the first inning on an Ames Johnson RBI single, scoring Hunter Johnson and then extended that lead with a single from Walker Roberts that put Ames Johnson in position to score on a wild pitch. Finally, to end the top of the first inning, Walker Roberts scored on an error by the Crusaders catcher before a strikeout ended the inning with a 3-0 Gators lead.
The Gators wouldn’t score again until the third inning when Ben Brannen singled to right field, scoring Ames Johnson and Wilson Moore. In the fourth inning, Hunter Johnson stole second to put himself in scoring position. John Wallace Thompson eventually scored from third on a passed ball while Hunter Johnson moved to third base before scoring on an error by the catcher.
Gatewood would score their final run of the game in the sixth inning when Hunter Johnson scored his third run of the game on a passed ball to give the Gators an 8-0 lead.
Thompson had another great day on the mound, allowing just three hits, and zero runs, striking out three batters, and earning his second win of the season in five innings on the mound. Walker Brannen and Holden Turner came on in relief for the final two innings striking out a combined three batters and allowing zero hits.
On Tuesday night, Gatewood hosted Vidalia Heritage, who entered the matchup with a 2-1 record. Once more, though, Gatewood jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning off of an Ames Johnson RBI single that scored Hunter Johnson from third base.
It wasn’t until the third inning, however, that Gatewood extended its lead on another Ames Johnson RBI single that scored Caleb Riser, who doubled in his at-bat before Johnson.
In the fifth inning, Gators pitcher Lawson Wooten gave up one of the few homers hit off of the Gators pitching staff thus far into the season to make it a 2-2 game. But Walker Roberts would help the Gators reclaim the lead in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI single to left field that scored Jackson Thompson and advanced Caleb Riser to third base. Riser would go on to steal home plate, making it a 4-2 Gators lead while Roberts made it to second on a defensive interference call.
Lawson Wooten finished with six innings of work on the bump, striking out a season-high nine batters and earning his first win of the season. Roberts came on in relief, striking out two batters in the final inning to secure the Gators’ third victory of the season with a 4-2 final.