Andalusia ends season with win, one-hitter over Enterprise

Published 5:00 pm Tuesday, April 18, 2023

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Andalusia ended its season on a high note with a home win over Enterprise, 4-2, in varsity baseball action Monday, led by a one-hit pitching effort from Cody Walsh.

The Bulldogs finished their first year under head coach Kevin Madden with a 17-8 record, while the Wildcats dropped to 16-10 on the year.

Tysen Cole and Drew Shiver walked with one out in the opening inning. Both runners moved into scoring position when Owen Newsome walked and loaded the bases. Cole then scored as EHS took an early 1-0 lead before Walsh recorded a pop-up and ended the threat. The score did not stay that way for long when AHS mounted a rally in the bottom half. Conner Brooks and Walsh walked before Parker Adams was hit by a pitch. Jack Lathrop tied the game at 1-1 with an RBI single and brought home Brooks. Riley Cravey came in to courtesy run for Walsh and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.

Walsh struck out two and retired the side in order in the visiting second. Garrett Blackston led off the home half of the frame with a single. After Tycamren Jackson was hit by a pitch, Conner Brooks had an RBI groundout that plated Blackston for a 3-1 lead after two innings. Cole took another free pass in the third and stole second. Following a passed ball, Cole scored on a sacrifice fly and sliced the deficit to 3-2. Lathrop singled and swiped second in the bottom of the third but was stranded in scoring position.

The game settled down into a pitcher’s duel as neither team scored in the fourth. Cole drew his third walk in the top of the fifth before Walsh retired Shiver on a groundout. The Bulldogs added a crucial run in their half when Walsh reached on an error. Cravey came back in to run and moved to second on a single from Adams. Lathrop followed with a single, and Cravey scored on a miscue for a 4-2 lead. Reliever Dylan Yoo fought back with two strikeouts and flyout to send the game to the sixth.

Pitching continued to be the star with neither offense breaking through the rest of the game. Lathrop paced Andalusia with a 3-for-3 day and one RBI. Adams was 1-for-2, while Blackston and Jackson were each 1-for-3. Walsh gave up two earned runs on one hit and struck out seven for the win. Easton Walsh earned the save with one inning of relief and struck out two. Michael Vanderheyden finished 1-for-3 with the only hit of the game for Enterprise. Gavin Mayo was saddled with the loss and allowed three earned runs on two hits in 1 1/3 innings.