By John Goolsby, For the Tribune
LEEDS – The Greenwave improved to 7-8 on the season with an 11-1 win over Shades Valley (6-4). The senior-laden Leeds team has won four of their last five games.
Leeds gave the Mounties trouble at the plate all afternoon—a trio of Greenwave pitchers gave up one hit, one run, and had seven strikeouts. “I was proud of the way they competed on the mound,” said Leeds head coach Jake Wingo. “It was good to see.” Andrew Howard got the start for Leeds. The lefty gave up no hits and had four strikeouts in a little over two innings of work. Wingo said that was by design. “We had planned before the game to keep Andrew on a certain pitch count.” Will Ford and Seth Pardue came on in relief of Howard. “We wanted to get those guys some reps and see how they’d do in a game situation,” Wingo said.
The Greenwave got on the board first in the second inning on an RBI by Graham Gulock that scored Dax Phillips.
The Mounties knotted the score at 1-1 in the third inning on an RBI by Avery Prichard that scored J’Caius Moore.
The Greenwave took a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the third inning on a steal at home plate by Peyton Moore and runs by Alex Bradford and Conner Nelson.
Leeds extended their lead to 7-1 on a double by Moore that scored Gulock, a double by Ty Bedell scored Moore, and Bedell finished out the scoring on a Mountie error.
A home run by Will Landers scored Caden Vance and pushed the Leeds lead to 9-1. Jarod Latta scored on a passed ball that put the Greenwave up 10-1. Bradford then singled to score Gulock to end the game at 11-1.
Stephen Manley got the start for Shades Valley. Manley gave up 11 runs on six hits with three strikeouts. Keenan Ray came on in relief of Manley.
Avery Prichard went 1-for-2 at the plate to lead Valley.
Shades Valley coach Darryl Dunbar was disappointed with the loss. “To win you have to want it,” he said. “You have to have heart in this game.”
Leeds scored eleven runs on six hits. Gulock and Vance went 2-for-3 from the plate and Landers led Leeds with two RBIs.
Leeds hosts Southside Thursday and Shades Valley travels to Pinson Friday.