Diamond Packers fall to Lowndes

Published 10:39 pm Tuesday, April 11, 2006

MOULTRIE — Colquitt County lost its third straight Region 1-AAAAA baseball game on Tuesday, but with Tift County also losing, the Packers keep alive a shot at the postseason.

Lowndes scored one run in the first inning and nine more in the second and went on to a 10-0, five-inning mercy-rule victory over the Packers at Noel George Field in Valdosta.

The loss drops the Packers to 5-12-1 and 1-3 in the region.

The streaking Vikings are atop the region standings with a 4-0 record.

The Packers opened region play with a 15-14 victory over Tift County, but have dropped games to Valdosta, Houston County and Lowndes since.

The losses to Houston and Lowndes have been via the mercy rule.

The Packers managed just two hits — both in the first inning — off Lowndes starter Chris Mederos.

Andrew Wallace led off the game with a single and Matt Weaver had another later in the inning. But a first-inning double play killed the rally and the Packers never recovered.

The Vikings scored an unearned run in the bottom of the first off Weaver, the junior left-hander.

“Things just kind of fell apart in the second inning,” Packers coach Jerry Croft said.

The Vikings got a double, a bunt the Packers could get an out on, another double, a walk, two more hits and a home run.

Weaver did not record an out before being relieved by Chance Pitts, who was charged with two of the runs.

Pitts did not give up a run in the third. Freshman John Michael Harrison pitched the fourth and gave up a hit and walked a batter, but did not surrender a run.

The Packers will return to Ike Aultman Field for two games this week.

On Thursday, the Packers will meet Deerfield Beach (Fla.) at 6:30 p.m. It will mark the second year in a row the Bucks have visited Moultrie during their spring break trip.

On Friday, the Packers will play host to Coffee High at 7 p.m.