Purcell lifts Lafayette to win against Madison County
Published 9:00 am Friday, March 23, 2018
- Chi Chi Purcell got the win against Madison County after pitching six strong innings. He also hit two doubles and scored a run.
MAYO, Fla. — The last time Lafayette and Madison County met on the baseball diamond was 10 months ago when the Cowboys ended the Hornets’ season in a regional final that was decided by one run.
LHS hosted Madison County on Thursday with revenge on its mind. The Hornets got some redemption, edging the Cowboys 3-2 behind a solid pitching performance from Chi Chi Purcell.
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| R | H | E | ||||||||
| Madison County | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
| Lafayette | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 7 | 1 |
Richardson — 1-3, 1 run
Mock — 1-2, BB
Land — 2-3, double, RBI, 1 run
Purcell — 2-3, two doubles, run
Severance — 1-3, 2 RBIs
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Pitching
Purcell — 6 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs, 6 k’s
Mock — 1 IP, 0 hits, 1 k
Purcell got the win, giving up two runs in six innings while striking out six. He also led Lafayette on offense, extending his hitting streak to five games with two doubles while scoring one run.
“Since last year, that loss killed us,” Purcell said of the regional final. “We were all hungry for this game.
“I know all those guys from travel ball. I faced that whole lineup two years ago in JV. We wanted it so bad.”
A clutch two-out hit from Austin Severance gave Lafayette the lead, and momentum, in the bottom of the second inning. Severance drove in Purcell and Caleb Land (2-3, double, RBI) with a blooper that found grass in right-center field to put the Hornets ahead 2-1.
Purcell took over from there, keeping a potent Madison County (3-7) offense at bay. His biggest moment on the mound came in the fifth inning. With LHS clinging to a 3-2 lead, Madison County had a runner on third with one out. Purcell struck out Dustin Bass, walked Dilan Lawson and then struck out Logan Lepper to get out of the jam.
After throwing 94 pitches in six innings, Purcell gave way to Dylan Mock, who came in to pitch the final inning. Mock retired three straight hitters to get the save.
For LHS (4-4) coach Tim Hanson, it was a good way to start district play.
“This was a good win for us,” Hanson said. “To me, that’s (Madison County) the team to beat. Hamilton is always right there, but Madison is pretty doggone good.”
UP NEXT: Lafayette plays five straight home games, starting tonight with a matchup against Dixie County at 7 p.m.
