The Times-Journal

Lowndes Academy banged out 16 hits in a 19-8, five-inning win over Meadowview Christian School Thursday afternoon.

The Rebels (24-11) extended a two-run lead by scoring 12 runs in the top of the fourth inning to go ahead 18-4. The first 10 batters of the inning reached base, and all of them scored. A total of 16 Lowndes batters went to the plate in the inning.

Jon Kreder tied the game at 4 with a ground rule double that drove in two runs.

T.J. Mills followed with an RBI double, and Robin Hagood knocked a run-scoring single for a 9-6 lead.

Wesley Granthum walked with the bases loaded, and Hunter Bell and Trent Pate had back-to-back two-RBI hits.

The Rebels didn’t make their first out in the fourth until they held a 16-4 advantage.

The Trojans (7-7) brought four runs across the plate in the bottom of the fourth but didn’t score again.

Back-to-back doubles to lead off the inning, including one from J.R. Lowe that brought in Blake Smith, cut the Rebels’ lead to 18-5.

Richard Long, who went 3-for-3 with three RBIs, hit a two-RBI single. Justin Freine immediately followed with an RBI single.

Lowe took the loss, working three full innings, allowing eight runs, six hits, walking two and striking out three.

Mills got the win after three innings in which he allowed eight runs on 10 hits and struck out four.

Lowndes struck first blood in the game when Mills drove in a run on a ground out to shortstop in the first.

Meadowview took the lead back with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Daniel Blackmon came home from third on a throwing error by catcher Bradley Adams, and Long hit an RBI single.

The Rebels tied the game up at 2 the very next inning on an RBI ground out by Bell.

Lowndes had a small meltdown in the bottom of the second, committing three errors and allowing two Trojan runs to score.

Brett Collins and Blackmon reached base on consecutive errors by second baseman Drew Harrell and later scored on an error at first base by Granthum.

Long walked to load the bases, but the inning ended without any more damage when Freine struck out looking.

The Rebels responded with four runs in the third to take a 6-4 lead.

Hagood hit an RBI single, and two batters later Eric St. Cin hit a stand-up triple that drove in a run.

Kreder was 2-for-4 with three RBIs for Lowndes, Bell was 1-for-3 with three RBIs, Pate was 2-for-3 with two RBIs, Hagood was 2-for-3 with two RBIs and Mills was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

For Meadowview, Freine was 2-for-4 with an RBI, Lowe was 1-for-4 with an RBI and Collins was 2-for-3.