Baseball: Eder leads Falcons to win over Lanier

FLOWERY BRANCH -- Derek Eder did not waste the moment of his first-ever varsity start.

The senior right-hander went five innings, scattering four hits and four walks and allowed just two runs to help Flowery Branch end a two-game losing streak with an 8-3 victory over Lanier Wednesday at the Hog Mountain Sports Complex.

The effort earned Eder (1-0) his first-ever varsity win and kept the Falcons (8-3, 3-2 Region 8-AAAAA) in the middle of the playoff race. Six teams were within one game of third place in the region standings entering play Wednesday.

"It felt good to help the team and get the win," Eder said. "I could've thrown more strikes and I need to cut down on the walks. But I thought I threw the ball okay."

Flowery Branch coach Scott Myers liked what he saw.

"He did okay for his first start. He battled out there and got out of a couple of tough spots. He may have earned another start. We'll see," Myers said.

More than Eder's effort, Myers was pleased to see his team put a tough couple of losses to Loganville behind them.

"It was good to see them bounce back after that," Myers said. "We had a good practice (on Tuesday) and we needed a win to kind of get back headed in the right direction."

The two teams will meet again on Friday in Sugar Hill to wrap up their two-game series.

Lanier (3-9, 0-5) broke out on top in the top of the first playing small ball. Anthony Valvo walked to lead off, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by C.J. Wismer, and then came around to score on a RBI single by Chandler Burrow. The Longhorns put two more runners in scoring position but Eder was able to get out of the jam getting Marcus Milhouse to fly out to right field.

"That was the only inning that really bothered me because we walked the leadoff guy and he comes around to score," Myers said.

Eder allowed the leadoff batter to reach in three of his five innings but was able to work around them relying on his defense and some timely strikeouts.

"We played a solid game defensively which has been a problem for us at times," Myers said. "When we play good defense we're a pretty good team."

The Falcons answered right back with two runs in the bottom of the first. Andrew Nolt reached on an error to start and came around to tie the game one out later on a Trey Groves ground out and Jonathan Hughes, who singled, scored on a double by Eder, who was picked off after tripping rounding second.

Eder settled down for the Falcons after the first inning. He retired nine of 11 batters into the fourth inning and allowed just one hit after the first inning into the fifth. The Longhorns had chances but stranded six baserunners through the first four innings.

The Falcons added on in the third. Nolt singled to lead off and went to third on a pair of stolen bases. He scored on a one-out single by Groves to push the lead to 3-1. They had a chance to blow it open but Hughes was gunned down at third for the third out with two runners on base.

Flowery Branch had a chance to blow the game open in the fourth loading the bases on a double by Marq Kilcoyne, a single by Duece Davidson, and Bailey Godfrey reaching on an error. But Lanier's Will Johnston got out of the jam with a pop up to short, a strikeout, and a fielder's choice grounder to third to keep the score at 3-1.

The Longhorns chipped into the lead in the fifth on a pair of hits, including a RBI single by pinch-hitter A.J. Santiago, to cut the lead to 3-2. But they had a runner picked off of second with one out and then Eder struck out Milhouse on the next pitch to end the inning without further damage.

Johnston was relieved by Schyler Pugh to start the fifth. Johnston allowed just one earned run on six hits and walked just one in four innings of work.

The Falcons put the game away against Pugh and two more relievers. Pugh gave up two runs in one-third of an inning and Riley Terry allowed three runs in 1 1/3 innings. Tyler Fuhrman got the final out for the Longhorns in the sixth without allowing a run.

The Falcons extended their lead to 5-2 in the fifth. Hughes singled and came around to score on a one-out single by Kilcoyne and Eder walked and scored on a RBI single by Godfrey.

For the game the Falcons pounded out 14 hits. But it was the late-inning success that had Myers feeling better about things.

"It was a close game and the guys put together some good at-bats in the last two innings to give us a cushion. That's what I like to see from our offense," he said.

Eder was replaced by Trevor Roof to start the sixth. Roof gave up one run on two hits in the seventh to close out the win for the Falcons.

Kilcoyne and Hughes finished with three hits and one RBI each and Hughes scored three runs. Eder also had two hits and one RBI and Davidson had two hits and one RBI for Flowery Branch.

Nolt, Skeggs, Groves, Roof, and Godfrey each had one hit for the Falcons.