Suffolk News-Herald

Heading onto the Nansemond River field for the first game of the NR Invitational Tournament on Saturday morning, the Lakeland baseball team might have been a bit tired. Less than 15 hours after defeating Deep Creek, the Cavaliers had to square off with Portsmouth’s Wilson.

That was OK. Lakeland didn’t have to do much running to open the tourney with a big win. A total of 16 Cavalier batters drew walks in the contest, scoring 10 runs off free passes alone. Wilson managed to stay in the game for the first three innings, but Lakeland pushed across 13 runs in the fourth to send everyone home early.

Daniel Cross led off the game by reaching on an error, and Robert Hedrick, Chase Nelson, Ricky Lainhart, Bucky Buchanan, Lee Abernathy and Bryan Bess walked, forcing in four runs.

Cross struck out two in the bottom of the inning, and Nelson led off the second with a single to right. He stole second, and scored on a pair of wild pitches. Lainhart singled, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ashburn.

The Presidents snared two runs, but Steve Morean walked to open the third, and Cross singled him to third. Cross drew a throw on an attempted steal, allowing Morean to score. Hedrick doubled, went to third on a wild pitch, and scored when Nelson grounded out.

Again, Wilson took two runs. Then, however, Lakeland’s offense took over for good.

Buchanan opened the fourth with a single, and Abernathy walked. Buchanan eventually scored on a wild pitch, and Bess and Morean walked to load the bases. A wild pitch brought Abernathy in, and Cross poked a triple into left field to score Bess and Morean, upping the lead to 12-4.

Hedrick walloped a two-run homer over the left field fence, and Nelson drew a walk. Lainhart took a pitch in the back, and a double steal put both runners into scoring position. Nelson scored on a wild pitch, and Buchanan walked and stole second.

He and Lainhart scored when Abernathy reached on an error, and Bess and Morean walked, again loading the bases. A walk by Cross forced in a run, and Hedrick singled to drive home Bess. Nelson walked to bring home Morean, and a fielder’s choice by Lainhart scored Cross. Jonathan Pinchbeck held Wilson to a single hit in the final two innings. The Cavaliers will play Kempsville on Monday.

Nansemond River’s game against Booker T. Washington was not completed at presstime. The Warriors will play Green Run on Monday.