Baker baseball team stays hot

BAKER – It was a near perfect ending to a perfect week for the Baker baseball team Friday as the Gators beat Pensacola Christian Academy 18-1 in District 1-2A play.

The Gators (6-4, 3-0) were all business in winning their third game of the week and taking their fourth-consecutive win.

Pitcher Bucky Locke went the distance in the game that was shortened to five innings because of the 10-run rule. Locke struck out 11 Warrior batters and allowed just two hits.

Locke didn’t just do it on the mound he did at the plate as well going 2-for-3.

Locke was one of four Gators with two hits.

Christian Mainor was 2-of-3 with a pair of runs scored. Dylan Kersey had two hits and scored three runs. And Colton Henry had two hits, one of which was a triple, scored three runs and drove in four runs.

The Warriors took the early lead in the top of the first as Locke struggled early.

But Baker was able to battle back and tie the game in the home half of the first inning in a less than traditional way.

Gator leadoff hitter Joshua Lawson struck out. But, when the third strike eluded the PCA catcher, Lawson was able to reach second base on the passed ball.

Lawson moved to third on a Kersey sacrifice bunt and scored as Henry grounded out to first base.

Locke got untracked on the mound in the top of the second inning and the Gators got untracked at the plate in the bottom of the inning as they sent 12 batters to plate and scored eight runs.

Baker only needed four hits in the big inning as the outburst was helped along by three Warrior errors, two walks and a hit batter. 

Lawson was the only Gator that didn’t score in the second, which was the only inning he didn’t reach base and score as Baker poured it on PCA.

Baker scored three more times in the third on one hit and finished off the big game scoring eight runs in the fourth.

Henry’s two-run triple was the big blow of the fourth. Locke and Lawson also had RBI hits in the inning.

The Gators ended the night with 10 hits and were helped by seven PCA errors, four walks and two hit batters.

“Bucky wasn’t quite on his game tonight, but he threw well enough to win the game,” Baker coach Gary Taylor said. “They helped us out with walks and hit batsmen. We had hits when we needed them.

“It was a sloppy game, and I would have liked for it to have been a little neater game for us. But, I’ll take a win any time.”