Evans ends Lakeside's streak

Lakeside High School's torrid midseason stretch ended Tuesday with a loss to Evans.

//

The game decided the No. 2 seed in Region 3-AAAA, and it included its share of fireworks.

Knights starter Teddy Leverett took Panthers counterpart Harrison Brawley deep for a third-inning grand slam that lifted Evans to a 16-6 win and the region's No. 2 seed. The Knights will open the region playoffs at home on Friday.

Evans defeated a fired-up Lakeside team, which had just come off its first win against first-place Greenbrier since 2005.

"For us to get a home game, we knew we had to play well," Evans coach Ricky Beale said.

The Knights had lost three of their last four going into Tuesday. The Panthers had won their last four, including wins against Greenbrier and previously undefeated Aquinas.

But it was Evans that brought the hot bats Tues-day.

Leverett's slam was part of a third-inning rally of nine runs. Evans added four more runs the next inning and closed out Lakeside with Leverett's RBI single in the fifth.

Evans was prepared to face Brawley, who had pitched Lakeside to victory against the Wolfpack and had gone the distance to beat Statesboro.

"We knew they were going to pitch Brawley," Leverett said. "We knew we were going to have to wait on his off-speed stuff."

Lions knock the rust off

Spring break meant a nine-day layoff for Augusta Christian, and coach Craig Johnson wanted to knock the rust off early.

The Lions played host to South Aiken their first day back from Masters Week and lost 12-1.

The result wasn't as important to Johnson as was preparing for the four region games to follow.

"We were rusty," Johnson said. "We anticipated that. The purpose was to knock the rust off before our region games."

South Aiken starter Matt Smith allowed just one hit, a fourth-inning single. He struck out the side in the eighth.

"(Smith) had us off balance," Johnson said. "He kept the ball away."

Lions starter Tyler Bourdo hit three batters and walked three in three innings to pick up the loss.

The Lions bounced back Tuesday, beating Cardinal Newman 9-3.

Augusta Christian piled on 15 hits during the region win. Bourdo finished 3-for-4 with a double and triple.