Yellow Jackets sting error-prone Lions

Tyler Bourdo sat in the dugout in street clothes before the game, his left eye red and puffy from a sinus infection.

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Travis Cerasuolo was out of the lineup with a high ankle sprain.

Augusta Christian coach Craig Johnson was thus without two of his top hitters in the rematch with North Augusta, but he was more concerned with the errors that dotted his team's 16-2 loss Thursday.

"We're not making routine plays," Johnson said. "We're not going to beat anybody making five or six errors a ball game."

The good thing, Johnson said, is that the Lions' region record is still intact.

Yellow Jackets left-hander Chris Phillips mowed the Lions down. He struck out 10 in six innings and allowed three hits.

Augusta Christian pitcher Kyle Starkey couldn't handle the top of the Yellow Jackets order.

"After one hit a home run, I was sure all of them were ready to pull one," said Starkey, who allowed a home run in each of the first two innings.

The junior was nearly out of the first when Yellow Jackets cleanup hitter Robbie Scaggs sent a shot over the center field fence. Scaggs' teammate, Evan Darr, bounced one off the roof of the school the next inning.

It was the second time this season the Yellow Jackets teed off on Augusta Christian, the three-time defending SCISA state champions.

"We're struggling a lot with just routine plays," Starkey said. "We just got to focus on what we're doing."

The game served as prep for what was a long week for Johnson's team. The Lions scheduled seven games before spring break, a stretch that started Monday. A few were make-up games.