Draft comes alive

Stuarts Draft picked the perfect game for its hitters to come alive.

After struggling at the plate since the start of the season, the Cougars scattered five hits, helped by three Waynesboro errors, to pick up a 4-2 Southern Valley District win against their biggest rival.

“I told them a while back, that hitting is about confidence,” said Stuarts Draft coach Josh Podgorski. “Everyone goes through a rut, but we hit ours together. Our biggest thing is putting the ball in play with runners in position. In a span of three games we left 27 runners in scoring position. That kills you.”

Ricky Dimitt brought in three of the Cougar runs and was a triple shy of going for the cycle.

“I haven’t been hitting the ball very well and tonight I just saw my pitch,” he said.

Waynesboro starting pitcher Joseph Lucas had a strong night on the mound and struck out 16 batters, going the full seven innings, while giving up two earned runs. Coach Webber Payne said that the Little Giants’ costly errors caused them to fall behind.

“Sixteen strikeouts, that was five-and-one-third innings, all we needed was an inning and two-thirds,” Payne said. “The three errors should

have been outs.”

“I tell you, [Lucas], he’s like Tom Glavine, he can locate everything,” Podgorski said.

Cougars starting pitcher Jeremy Fitzgerald, struck out 10 and went the distance to pick up the win. He struggled early, allowing Waynesboro only two hits early in the first inning.

“I got a little frustrated, we had good leadership tonight and we came through,” he said.

As the game progressed, Fitzgerald only got stronger, keeping the Little Giants off the bases.

“After about the first inning, I got in a groove and put zeros on the board,” Fitzgerald said.

On the first play of the game, Waynesboro committed the first of its three errors, allowing Draft leadoff man David Gauldin to reach first. A Fitzgerald single advanced Gauldin to third and Dimitt sent him home with a single.

“In the first inning, the first ball was an error,” Payne said. “I mean, as a pitcher, do you have to strike out 21 kids?”

Waynesboro answered in the bottom of the inning. The Little Giants’ Terrell Thompson led things off with a single, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a passed ball to knot the game at one.

“Terrell Thompson puts the fear of God in every coach in this area, he really does,” Podgorski said. “In the last inning, I told them not to let him come up. On a double, he will score. He put the fear of God in everybody. He changes everything. I think he’s the best pure baseball player in the area.”

Jimmy Eavers, after being walked, scored on a Stuarts Draft error to give the Little Giants the lead.

Fitzgerald scored the eventual game-winning run in the third. He reached first on an error and scored on a Dimitt double. Dimitt added the insurance run in the inning, reaching home on a Lucas wild pitch.

“The ball got hit to inexperienced guys, they were nervous playing in a rivalry game,” Payne said. “They are young, like we just told them, ‘this day is over with.’ ”

Draft scored one more run in the game, when Dimitt blasted a solo-homer over the left-centerfield fence.

Stuarts Draft (3-6, 1-2) will return to action on Tuesday, traveling to Spotswood. The Little Giants (3-4, 1-1) will hit the road on Saturday to take on Charlottesville.