VALDOSTA — Lowndes’ defense of the Class 7A baseball championship resumes today at 4 p.m., with the Vikings hosting Harrison in a doubleheader.
Lowndes raised its season record to 27-5 with a twin blasting of Newton, 14-4 and 14-0 that increased their current win streak to 10 games.
Harrison enters 20-12. The Hoyas swept Carrollton in the first round, but it was closer to an escape. Both games were decided by one run, 4-3 and 1-0.
The former game saw Ben Connelly drive in Craig Kalkbrenner to walk it off. Kalkbrenner was the winning pitcher, giving up no hits in three innings, according to stats input on Gamechanger.
Harrison and Carrollton combined for five hits in the second game. The lone run came in the top of the seventh on a bases loaded walk.
Three pitchers combined for the Hoyas in the shutout and Kalkbrenner came back out for a quick inning of work.
Lowndes exploded for 20 hits to go along with the 28 runs against Newton.
The first game saw the five extra-base hits from the Vikes, including a triple by Coleman Lewis and two doubles by Matthew Kerrigan. Lewis drove in four runs.
Tate Sirmans doubled and tripled in game two while driving in three. Kerrigan went the distance on the mound, giving up two hits while fanning seven.
The Lowndes-Harrison series winner advances to the quarterfinals in Class 7A and would play May 6 against either Dacula or South Forsyth.