🍀 Divisional Game -- High Point Hushpuppies @ Reidsville Luckies 🍀
Wild game results in 14-9 victory for Lucky City over deep fried cornmeal
REIDSVILLE, NC — The Reidsville Luckies took down the High Point Hushpuppies, 14-9, in a highly entertaining home game at Jaycee Park in which every Lucky scored.
Jacob Jones would be the first on the bump for the Luckies. Through three innings pitched, he allowed four runs, and, heading into the bottom of the third, the Luckies were down, 4-1.
Reidsville refused to stay down for long. They scored a massive seven runs in the third, going all the way through their lineup, with three of the Luckies getting to bat twice in the third inning.
Nicholas Morgan relieved Jones in the fourth inning, and a crazy, off-balance, leaping catch by Gavin Fleming saved a run from coming in during the fourth. In the fifth, the Hushpuppies couldn’t get anything going, either, and after five, there was an 8-4 lead for the Luckies.
In the sixth inning, Cody Donnell of High Point was able to make it home. With Logan Delph on third base, eager to race home with two outs, JR Lingerfelt sent it through a hole. However, Blake Freeman was able to make the grab and fire it to birthday boy Luke Roberts at first base end the half-inning!
The sixth inning was another explosive one for Reidsville’s offense. An RBI double by Kristian Amaro kicked off the inning, and Amaro would soon be driven in by Home Run Derby finalist TJ Highsmith with a slam into the pickleball court, as the excited Luckies players ran out of the dugout to celebrate! Jacob Trivette and Sam Melton then got on base, and would make it home off of an inside the park home run by Freeman! 14-5 lead for the Luckies!
Sam Melton, who was one for two with a single, two walks, and two runs, decided to show what he could do on the mound when he prepared to close the game. In the seventh inning, he would allow one run, before taking out all three batters in the eighth.
With a 14-6 lead in the top of the ninth, Melton returned to the bump with one thing on his mind: leaving with a win. After a quick strikeout, however, he realized that things wouldn’t be that easy, as a pair of doubles kept the game alive. Patrick Usher got out, and with two down, Melton was just one away. Davis Gore, Donnell, and Delph all made it to the bag, and it was now just a 14-9 game. With two runners in scoring position, Melton put down Alex Adams for the second Luckies win in a row.
Lucky of the Game: TJ Highsmith — Highsmith’s performance was spectacular. He went two for three, with a three-run homer, a double, and a walk. He also had five RBIs, and got home twice! If you remove the runs he contributed on, the five-run win would’ve been a two-run loss.
Moment of the Game: Blake Freeman’s speed allows for a three-run, inside-the-park homer that extends the lead — The fact that there were four candidates for this one is a testament to how amazing this game was. In fact, Freeman’s fielding was another candidate for the Moment of the Game award. He played extremely well this game, and is one of many reasons why the Luckies were able to defeat their division rivals.
Notes — The Luckies are now just half-a-game out of third place in the division, but five games out of playoff position. There’s still a little bit of time, but it’s going to be difficult for them to make a run at the postseason.
On-Deck — Tomorrow, the Luckies play the Hendersonville Honeycrisps, who were the number one team in the ONSL until their two-game losing streak. The Brunswick Surfin’ Turfs will be rooting for the Luckies as they take on the Honeycrisps at JC Park tomorrow evening.