Blue Lions Tanner Lemaster and John Wall celebrate after Wall scored during the first inning of their game against Miami Trace on Friday, April 28, 2023. The Blue Lions would defeat the Panthers by a score of 1-0.
Photos by Mary Kay West
Miami Trace center fielder Gaige Stuckey tracks a fly ball during the bottom of the third inning of their game against Washington on Friday, April 28, 2023. The Blue Lions would defeat the Panthers by a score of 1-0.
Photo by Tyler Flora
Miami Trace starting pitcher Brady Armstrong delivers a pitch during the second inning of their game against Washington on Friday, April 28, 2023. The Blue Lions would defeat the Panthers by a score of 1-0.
Photos by Mary Kay West
Blue Lion Jonah Waters crushes an RBI double during the first inning of their game against Miami Trace on Friday, April 28, 2023. The Blue Lions would defeat the Panthers by a score of 1-0.
Photos by Mary Kay West
The battle of the black and blue took place on Friday, April 28, as the Washington Blue Lions (15-1, 9-0 in the FAC) hosted the Miami Trace Panthers (11-5, 5-3 in the FAC) in a Frontier Athletic Conference baseball contest. Washington, who had already clinched an outright FAC title on Wednesday by defeating Jackson, was looking to complete a perfect record in league play.
Tanner Lemaster started on the mound for the Blue Lions, while Brady Armstrong started for the Panthers. It was a true pitchers duel that saw Washington edge Miami Trace with a 1-0 victory.
The Blue Lions would score the winning run in the bottom of the first inning. John Wall led off the inning with a line drive double to center field. Later in the inning with two outs, Jonah Waters doubled to center field to score Wall. These two hits would be the only hits of the evening for the Blue Lions, but it ended up being all that they needed.
Miami Trace loaded the bases in the top of the fourth inning with just one out thanks to singles from Dillon Hyer and Cooper Enochs and Evan Colegrove being hit by a pitch, but they grounded into a double play to end the inning.
They would load the bases again in the top of the sixth inning with only one out due to singles from Gaige Stuckey, Hyer, and Enochs, but again were unable to bring a run home.
Washington brought in A.J. Dallmayer in the top of the seventh inning and he would retire the Panthers in order to secure the victory.
Lemaster worked six innings for the Blue Lions, earning the win and allowing no runs on eight hits, with no walks and five strikeouts.
Dallmayer pitched the final inning, allowing no hits or runs while striking out two.
Armstrong pitched five innings, suffering the loss with one run on two hits, with one walk and seven strikeouts.
Cam Morton pitched the final inning in relief, striking out the side.
Defensively, the Panthers committed four errors and the Blue Lions committed none.
Offensively for Washington, Waters led the team going 1 for 2 with an RBI double and a walk.
Wall was 1 for 3 with a double and a run scored.
Collin Southworth and Dallmayer each stole bases for Washington.
Offensively for Miami Trace, Hyer led the team going 3 for 3.
Enochs was 2 for 3.
Stuckey was 1 for 3.
Colegrove was 1 for 3 and also stole a base for the Panthers.
Justin Robinson was 1 for 3.
Washington (16-1, 10-0 in the FAC) plays again on Tuesday, May 2 at home against Westfall at 5 p.m.
Since falling to Unioto 9-6 on March 28 to start the season 1-1, the Blue Lions have rallied for 15 straight wins. In those 15 games, they have outscored their opponents 110-14 and recorded eight shutouts.
Miami Trace (11-6, 5-4 in the FAC) plays next on Wednesday, May 3 at home against Clinton Massie at 5 p.m.
