ONA -- Even though high school baseball is a seven-inning game, sometimes it only takes one inning to decide the outcome.
Such was the case on Monday night when Hurricane's bats got hot and the Redskins capitalized off a pair of errors to erase a deficit and set the wheels in motion on a 9-3 victory over Lincoln County.
"We were a little lacksadaisical. I was concerned," Hurricane coach Billy Joe Hicks said. "They played loose and we were tight the first couple of innings, but we settled in."
After one time through the lineup, Hurricane's bats got going in a big way. Five of the Redskins' 10 hits went for extra bases, including back-to-back doubles by Thor Meeks and Justin Henry that broke open the flood gates in a five-run fourth inning.
Henry's double scored Meeks to tie the contest at 3 before Parker Lang singled Henry home to give Hurricane the lead for good. Before the inning was over, Hurricane had parlayed five hits and two Lincoln County errors into four runs and a 5-3 lead. Lang finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
"They found a way to win and I want to give them credit. They've always been able to do that," Lincoln County coach David Kiser said. "Billy Joe is a fantastic baseball coach -- all their coaches are. They just find a way to get it done and we kind of tighten up a little bit."
The momentum from the big fourth inning carried through the rest of the game. Hurricane starter Billy Smith mowed through the next frame in 14 pitches and Henry laced a triple to the fence to start a two-out rally in the fifth inning that tacked on a pair of runs to increase the lead.
Lincoln County (7-22) had its chances to get back into the game, but could not come up with the big hit when they needed it. Trailing 7-3 in the fifth, the Panthers loaded the bases, but Smith was able to strike out Ian Handy to keep the lead in tact.
In the sixth, a pair of singles chased Smith but reliever Brett Barber came in with damage control. He got Chad Sizemore to ground out to first base and with two runners in scoring position, Barber struck out Schuyler Pritchard. Lincoln County left six runners in scoring position.
Lincoln County jumped out to a 3-0 lead after scoring all of its runs in the second inning. The Panthers came out aggressive and it paid off.
After a perfectly-executed double steal, Austin Lucas' sacrifice fly plated Cody McCormick with the game's first run. Chad Sizemore followed with a double to the fence to score a pair.
It was the second time this season that Lincoln County jumped out on the Redskins. The first was in the Panthers' 10-3 win.
Hurricane (19-10) will take on Cabell Midland today at 6 p.m. at Cabell Midland High School. Lincoln County will await the loser on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Hurricane High School.
HURRICANE 001 420 2 -- 9 9 2
LINCOLN COUNTY 030 000 0 -- 3 5 3
Smith, Barber (6) and Meeks. Lucas, Handy (4) and Pritchard. Hitting: (H) Henry 2-4, 2B, 3B, RBI; Lang 2-3, 3 RBI; Meeks 2B; Workman 2B; McMillion 3B. (LC) Sizemore 2B, 2 RBI; Lucas RBI.
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