OAKWOOD -- It was a game both the Johnson and Lanier baseball teams desperately needed in the crucial battle for second place in Region 8B-AAA.
Unfortunately for the Knights, they picked a bad time to have a bad inning.
Lanier used a 16-batter, 12-run sixth inning to rally for an 18-10 win and sweep the season series from Johnson on Wednesday at Knights Field.
"The bullpen just didn't get the job done tonight," Johnson coach Tony Wilson said. "We're just going to forget this one and get ready for North Hall (on Friday)."
The Johnson offense was clicking on all cylinders early and played long ball to run out to a 10-6 lead. Trae Wilson, A.J. Benefield, and Jordan Green each cranked home runs.
But the Longhorns used small-ball in the sixth to take control. They took advantage of five walks, three errors, and pounded out six hits, highlighted by a three-run triple from TJ Richardson -- who also scored on the play following an error. Kameron Doster also added a two-run triple and Michael Diaz supplied two RBI hits in the inning.
Johnson would manage two hits over the final 2 1/3 innings but could not mount a rally of its own. Shohn Tanner got the win for Lanier, yielding just five hits and two runs over the final three innings.
Adam White took the loss for Johnson giving up five runs without recording an out. Knights' starter A.J. Benefield pitched well the first five innings but reached 100 pitches and left with an 8-6 lead.
The Longhorns (8-7, 6-5 Region 8B-AAA) now trail Johnson (10-7, 7-5) and Oconee County (10-6, 7-5) by just one-half game in the standings. For Johnson coach Tony Wilson, it was a hard ending to watch.
"That was a tough inning and we helped them keep it going with some mistakes," Wilson said."We knew coming in it was an important game because we are all so close. Now they have the tiebreaker edge over us so we really have to step it up."
Lanier jumped out to a quick 2-0 led in the first inning. The Longhorns loaded the bases with one on a hit by Richardson sandwiched between two walks. Austin Wood then gave them a 2-0 lead on a two-run seeing-eye single to left. Benefield was able to get out of the jam getting a line-out double play to short on the next batter.
The Knights answered back just as fast when Chris White singled to lead off the bottom of the first and Trae Wilson followed with a towering two-run home run to left to tie the game. The Knights had a chance to add on in the second getting runners to second and third with one out but could not cash in.
Lanier threatened again in the third but hit into a second double play when Stephen Rusch lined to center and Diaz was caught off second.
The Knights then took the lead in the bottom of the third. Benefield and Brandon Adams opened the inning with back-to-back singles and Benefield would score on an error. Adams later scored on an RBI single by Cory Collins for a 4-2 lead.
The Longhorns cut the lead to 4-3 in the fourth when Taylor Grant doubled, moved to third on a fly out by Anthony Mauricio, and then scored on a passed ball.
Johnson looked to have broken it open in the bottom of the fourth. Chris White singled to start and scored on a hit by Win Griffith. Green then belted a three-run home run for an 8-3 lead.
The Longhorns would not go quietly, however. They loaded the bases on two walks and a hit batter after two were out and then Wood struck again with a three-run double to cut the lead to 8-6 in the fifth.
Benefield finished with two hits and two RBI for Johnson. Collins had three hits and one RBI and Trae Wilson had three hits, two RBI and scored three runs. Win Griffith had two hits and one RBI.
For Lanier, Wood finished with five RBI. Doster had one, three RBI, walked three times and scored four runs for the Longhorns.
Tuesday
February 4th, 2025
11:35AM
