Lakewood 10-runs Cedar Park Christian

LAKEWOOD — Playing against a rebuilding Cedar Park Christian team, Lakewood baseball demonstrated the kind of play they’ll need to carry them into the postseason.

“When you get a non-conference game, we want to try to keep some momentum going, get everyone else playing,” said Lakewood coach Larry Delaney after his team won 10-0 in five innings April 22. “We almost accomplished that.”

The shortened game kept a few players from getting in the kind of time Delaney wanted for them, but execution was fine.

Lakewood quickly took a 2-0 lead in the first inning with RBIs by Jordan Stauffer and Michael Leach, the first of three runs batted in by the former. With a third-inning triple, the Cougar shortstop batted in pitcher Trent Melhart, the first of three more runs the Cougar squad would add that inning.

The lead widened again to 7-0 in the bottom of the fourth. With Jesse Etchey and Melhart on base, the pitcher misread the lead runner, nearly getting caught between first and second base. As the Cedar Park Christian defense tried to catch him for the tag, Etchey gained two bases, scoring the sixth run. Incredibly, Melhart made it safely back to first base, from which the field judge awarded him third base.

“He was winded by the time he got to third,” said Delaney, who coached the team from third base. The junior also pitched five shutout innings for Lakewood, the coach added. Melhart allowed one hit and two walks in five innings.

Third baseman Cory Moore scored the 10th run for Lakewood in the fifth inning. He got on base after teammates Leach and Justin Virdell with his third double in as many at bats.

Contact Arlington Times Sports Reporter Danielle Szulczewski at dszulczewski@marysvilleglobe.com or 360-659-1300.

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