Hornets get top seed in Region 3-1A, will host Wakulla Christian
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Lafayette celebrates with the District 6-1A championship trophy after defeating Union County 9-8 on Thursday night. (JACK HOWDESHELL/Special to the Reporter)
BRANFORD — During its current exceptional season, top-ranked Lafayette had not given up a half-dozen runs through 22 games.
It happened in Thursday's District 6-1A championship, in the top of the first inning when No. 2 seed Union County put LHS in a 6-0 hole at Branford High. But the Hornets managed to shake off their worst defensive inning of the season, climbing all the way back for a 9-8 victory to capture the district title and earn the right to host their first Class 1A regional game next week.
“We got punched in the mouth, that's for sure," Lafayette head coach Tim Hanson said. "I know six runs (in the first inning) seems insurmountable sometimes, but I just know the way we hit."
The Hornets (19-4) finished with 10 hits to the Tigers’ six with all of the scores coming in the first three innings.
After the hitters did their damage — including home runs by leadoff hitter Lane Brock and a two-run shot by Matthew Jenkins — righthander Hyatt Richardson shut down the Tigers (17-8), officially recording six scoreless innings to earn the victory in relief of Jenkins, who started the game but only went one-plus inning before resuming his role at right field.
The start wasn't so promising for the Hornets as the Tigers sent nine batters to the plate for the six runs. Six of Union County's first seven batters reached base, including a leadoff walk, three errors and three run-producing hits.
Union County capped off its scoring with a Blake Agner two-run double to deep center field. Agner came home on the same play on Lafayette's third error of the inning.
The Hornets wasted no time responding. Mock hit an 0-2 pitch over the 365-foot sign in centerfield to put LHS on the board. The Hornets went on to cut the lead to 6-3 to complete the first. Jenkins, who was hit by a pitch from starter Trevon Lee, scored on a groundout. Richardson followed with an RBI single to score Lane Brock, who singled, to keep Lafayette within striking distance.
"A big key for us was getting the runs back early," Hanson said. "I thought that if we could put up a few runs, I felt we could make it interesting, to say the least."
The offense didn't stop as the starting pitchers combined to work just three innings.
Union County loaded the bases with no outs in the first. That's when Hanson decided to bring in Richardson. Two of the three runners Richardson inherited scored, giving Union County an 8-3 lead.
The Tigers didn't score after that as Richardson got credited with six scoreless innings, giving up just two hits, a walk and recording four strikeouts.
The Hornets came back in the second to score two off Richardson's home run to center. J.T. Cook, who singled and stole second, also scored on the round-tripper that made it 8-5.
After Richardson recorded the first of three 1-2-3 innings in the top of the third, the Hornets took the lead in their half of the third, scoring four runs on two hits and two errors. Coen Severance and Cook each contributed RBI singles in the rally.
Cook scored the go-ahead run when a double-play ball from shortstop to second was dropped by the second baseman.
Hanson said what he'll remember the most about the comeback is the way Richardson shut down Union County to keep the one-run advantage, especially after coming in with no outs and the bases-loaded in the second.
"Just coming back. The line score read 6, 2 (in the first two innings), and then the rest were zeros, that's what impressed me," Hanson said. "We made some key plays defensively when we needed them. J.T. (Cook) made a couple of nice catches (at deep centerfield). All of them kind of got settled into the game.
"And Richardson is one of those kids who doesn't get rattled, and he's just a sophomore."
The win helped Lafayette grab the No. 1 seed in the Region 3-1A playoffs, which begin Wednesday. The FHSAA released the regional brackets on Friday and the Hornets finished with a 12.705 rating — best in Class 1A — to draw No. 4 seed Wakulla Christian (17-7, 4.019), which won the District 5 title.
Union County (17-8, 11.671) is the No. 2 seed and will host 3-seed Madison County (15-8, 6.665) in the other semifinal.