It lived up to the expectations. With the top of the rotations of the top two teams in the Jefferson District doing battle, Tuesday’s game between Goochland and host Louisa County looked every bit as good on the field as it did on paper coming in. And with both pitchers neutralizing the opposing batters, in the end it was a 2-run double from Brandon Perrin, a perfectly executed double play, and a costly throwing error by the Goochland defense that provided the difference as the Lions came from behind to beat the Bulldogs, 3-2 and give Louisa a two game lead on the rest of the district.
“It feels great, but right now we’ve got to close it out and there’s a long way to go,” said Louisa coach Kevin Fisher. “Each game we just want to get closer and closer to shutting that door.”
The Lions’ Gunnar Carroll set the tone of a game dominated by pitching and defense in the top of the first when he struck out three of the four batters he faced in that inning.
With Ben Verlander on the mound, Goochland’s defense made the first two big plays that helped their ace escape unscathed in the bottom of the first after a leadoff triple. Then, in the next inning, Kyle Tormey made a diving catch in left field with two outs and a pair of runner in scoring position.
The Bulldogs put the game’s first run on the board in the top of the third after Mathew Henley reached base on a single and came all the way home from first on a double from Scott Ragland.
The very next inning, Goochland doubled its lead after Colby Carter reached base on an error and managed his way around the bases before taking home on a pickoff play where the Louisa defense snagged an out with a runner caught between first and second.
With just two hits in the first three innings, the bottom of the order brought life to the Lion’s offense. Jeff Buckler started the inning with a leadoff single, and after Jarrett Talley took first base on balls, Perrin smashed a pitch deep to left to drive in both runner and tie up the game.
“It was a 3-1 count so I knew (Verlander) wasn’t going to throw it in the dirt,” Perrin said. “So I sat in there and drove it.”
Perrin would strike again in the top of the sixth when, with a runner on first and no outs, he scooped up a what looked to be a sure hit from Alec Moore, flipped the ball up to shortstop Peter Culver who then turned a double play.
“These double plays – that’s what you need,” Carroll said. “These guys in the middle, you’ve got to be able to know you can trust your middle infield and get a double from a ground ball up the middle. You need to make the hitters get themselves out when you don’t have your best stuff.”
Louisa broke the tie in the bottom of the second when Johnnie Lowery pinch ran for Josh Scharf on first after a fielder’s choice. In one play, Lowery immediately stole second on a wild pitch, watched the ball get overthrown, took third, then saw another ball thrown away and took home.
“When I got to second I rounded because I heard Coach (Fisher) telling me to take a turn,” Lowery said. “So I acted like I was going to third and the catcher was kind of scrambling around, he turned and threw it away so I kept going.”
In the top of the seventh, Carroll got another big play from his defense. JT Poff started the inning with a double, but was gunned down on a fielder’s choice at third in the next at bat. Two ground balls later, the game was over.
“It was just one of those games,” said Bulldogs coach Wes Farkas. “We got a couple hits here and there but (Louisa) played solid defense. And it’s kind of a killer in a game like that when you have a mistake like (we did in the sixth).”
Verlander picked up his first loss of the year, but struck out eight batters, and surrendered just four hits. He also was 2 for 3 at the plate.
Carroll, who has yet to fall in district play, fanned seven batters and gave up six hits and one lone walk.
Goochland (8-3, 4-2) heads to William Monroe on Friday at 5 p.m.
Louisa (8-4, 6-0) hosts Monticello on Friday at 7 p.m.
