For The Tribune
BROWNSTOWN
The Brownstown Central baseball team found different ways to knock off a pair of Hoosier Hills Conference teams Saturday afternoon.
The Braves pounded out 10 hits and defeated Jennings County 12-2 in five innings, then received an excellent pitching performance form Tyler Lawson for a 4-2 win against Madison.
“It’s always good to beat bigger schools,” Brownstown coach John Lawson said following the victories. “It’s good to get back like we’re capable of playing. We had a lot of offense against Jennings, and (Ty) Maxie pitched really well against Jennings.”
The Braves opened up a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first against the Panthers with the big hit being a two-run single by Austin Green.
Green drove in runs with infield outs in the third and fourth and he added an RBI with another single in the fifth giving him five RBIs for the game.
Sy Zickler had a two-run single in the fourth.
Maxie had two singles and a double and scored three runs, McCory had three hits and reached first base safely on an error and scored four runs, and Cole Brock and Zech Wesley both had two RBIs.
Maxie went the distance on the mound and allowed five hits, one earned run, he did not have any strike outs and he walked two.
The Braves got on the board in the first inning of the second game as Carson Lambring beat out a slow roller toward the second baseman and Maxie followed with a clean single to left.
Brock grounded back to the pitcher, Lambring was running on contact and the Cubs pitcher fielded the ball and ran toward him.
Lambring got in a rundown and a Madison player, in an attempt to make a play on Lambring going back to third base, threw the ball down the left field line and the BC runner scored.
Maxie scored when Wesley grounded out to the shortstop. With two outs in the fifth, Maxie singled and he scored on McCory’s double off the fence in left-center.
The only hit Tyler Lawson had allowed through the first five innings was in the third inning when Gunner Jones hit a slow roller between the pitcher’s mound and first base.
Both Tyler Lawson and Brock tried to field the ball, and by the time Brock got to the base Jones was safe with an infield hit.
The next two batters hit doubles off the fence in left center to make the score 3-2.
Green walked in the bottom of the sixth inning, and he moved to third on a double by Zickler. Cody Williams hit back to the pitcher, who tried to make a play on Green at the plate but his throw was wide and Green scored.
Maxie had two hits and scored two runs, while McCory had a double and RBI to lead the BC offense in this game.
John Lawson said, “We didn’t have quite as much offense against Madison. We had timely hitting when we needed it.
“Tyler threw really well. He was ahead of the hitters, kept them off balance. They hit about three balls hard off him. The rest they were rolling over on. He didn’t walk anybody and that was important. That’s him. He’s going to be around the plate. He’s not the hardest thrower, but he’s a smart pitcher. He knows how to mix it up and use that movement and change of speeds to his advantage.”
Tyler Lawson gave up four hits and struck out seven.
“I’m a lot happier today than I have been the last couple of nights,” John Lawson said.
The Braves improved to 18-5 and will finish the regular season today at Springs Valley before facing Salem in the North Harrison Sectional on Wednesday.