Deerfield-Windsor baseball tops Tiftarea to move to 6-0

ALBANY — It was a pitcher’s duel between Tiftarea’s Bo Vickers and Deerfield-Windsor’s Landon Brettel. Both teams had chances to score early.

However, with the game tied at a run apiece in the bottom of the sixth inning, the Deerfield-Windsor scored five runs to take control of the game en route to a 6-3 victory Friday night.

“Their guy (Bo Vickers) did such a good job tonight … he had some good velocity,” DWS coach Jonathan Davis said. “We couldn’t handle it at first, but we kept trying to grind out at bats and grind them out, and grind them out. Eventually, we broke through.”

Brettel earned the win for the Knights, going five innings, striking out eight and giving up only one hit.

“It was pretty good,” Brettel said. “I just try to throw a lot of strikes. My defense backed me up. The defense made some good plays for me.”

The Knights threatened in the bottom of the first. With one out, Steven Williams walked, then reached second on a passed ball. John Samuel Shenker walked and then both runners advanced on a wild pitch. However, Vickers gathered himself and struck out a pair of batters to end the threat.

The Panthers threatened in their next at bat when, with two outs, Beau Kennedy reached on a bunt single. Then Drew Cook reached on a fielder’s choice when second baseman Chandler Matthews bobbled a ground ball and threw to shortstop Corey Toole, who dropped the ball.

But with runners on first and second, Brettel hit Grant Hall to load the bases. However, Brettel was able to get Hayden Weeks to hit into a fielder’s choice and get out of the inning.

The Knights threatened again with two outs in the bottom third when Williams walked and advanced to third on a fielder’s choice by Shenker, who reached first safely. However, Howell Logan flew out to right field to end the threat.

Tiftarea started off the top of the fourth with Vickers reaching first on an error. Brettel was then called for a balk, advancing Vickers to second. Devin Paulk reached on a walk, putting two men on for the Panthers. However, Beau Kennedy hit into a double play and Brettel was able to strike out Grant Hall to end Tiftarea’s threat.

Tiftarea scored in the top of the fifth when J.T. Tanner hit a ground ball to the third baseman Shenker but Shenker’s throw to first was off line, allowing Hayden Weeks to score from second base.

Vickers had a no-hitter going through four and a half innings before back-to-back singles by Matthews and Crosby in the bottom of the fifth. Then Williams doubled, driving in Matthews to tie the game at 1-1.

Crosby came in to pitch in the top of the sixth.

In the bottom of the sixth, Brettel reached on a walk, then Ryan Toole executed a hit-and-run, moving Brettel to third.

Brettel then scored the go-ahead run on a suicide squeeze bunt by Antonio Watts, giving the Knights a 2-1 lead. Then the Knights blew the game open by scoring four more runs on RBI singles by Crosby, Williams and Shenker.

Steven Williams moved over to the pitcher’s mound to close out the game. Tiftarea’s Grant Hall led off with a single. However, after Williams struck out Hayden Weeks, Cade Marlowe jacked a two-run home run to cut the Knights’ lead to 6-3.

However, Williams was able to get the last two outs to secure the win.

The Knights stayed undefeated, improving to 6-0 on the season.