LLOYD — Marty Mills didn’t see the two Raceland players coming up behind him with a cooler full of ice water until it was too late.

That mirrored what the Rams did to Lewis County in the 63rd District Tournament final on Tuesday night at Greenup County. Raceland hung a three-spot on the unsuspecting Lions in the top of the first inning and kept on coming in an 8-1 victory.

“You jump on somebody early in a championship game, they’re working from behind all the time,” said Mills, who’d just been doused in the postgame celebration. “We talked about maybe having to get on (Lions starter Sam O’Keefe) early. We felt that was one of the keys.”

That first-inning offense was more than Raceland sophomore starter Jake Heighton needed, although it wasn’t all the Rams produced. They generated 13 base hits and led 7-0 before Lewis County so much as got a runner to third base.

“They came out and jumped on us,” Lions coach Sammy Holder said. “That’s a really good ballclub, and when a good team does that, they smell blood in the water, they’re gonna come at you. … Our guys gotta learn that you’re playing for a championship, and that’s seven innings of a roller-coaster game if you make it a roller-coaster, but I didn’t think we did a good job of applying pressure back to them.”

Raceland picked up its first district championship since 2002.

The Rams’ Hunter Lacks opened the scoring in the top of the first inning by motoring home from first base on a Lewis County throwing error on a bunt, and Braydon Shore added a two-run single.

Raceland took note of the Lions’ difficulty defending that bunt and weaponized it in the fourth frame. The Rams got four bunts down in that inning, and Lewis County recorded an out on only one of them.

After Lacks adeptly singled through a hole in the Lions’ shift for an RBI, a Brayden Kelly bunt resulted in a run-scoring fielder’s choice and Heighton guided another bunt between Lewis County’s pitcher and first baseman to tally another run.

Seth Mills’ sacrifice bunt scored Raceland’s seventh run in the top of the sixth.

“Coach Mills always says that bunting’s a big part of baseball, and a lot of people don’t do it anymore,” Heighton said. “That’s just small ball. It helps teams put pressure on other teams.”

The Lions didn’t handle that pressure well.

“We had no communication whatsoever, which cannot happen, and (Raceland) executed,” Holder said.

Shore went 3 for 4 and Lacks was 3 for 5 and drove in two runs apiece for the Rams, who extended their single-season program record with their 30th victory in 37 games.

Heighton and Caleb West were each 2 for 3 as Raceland avenged two regular-season losses to Lewis County.

“It was a great team win because we were all working together,” Heighton said. “We’ve been wanting this (district championship) since I’ve been playing in eighth grade. I wanted to get it for these seniors because I know they wanted it just as bad as I did.”

Heighton pitched a complete game. He allowed one run on three hits, fanned 12 Lions and walked one.

He was one out away from completing his route-going performance when Rams pitching coach Rob Pence made a mound visit.

“He was like, ‘Well, y’all got any good jokes? I haven’t been out here in a few days,’” a grinning Heighton recounted. “He was just trying to calm us down, get us in the right mindset.”

It worked: Heighton ended the game with a punchout for an even dozen.

Wyatt Yates was a bright spot for Lewis County (15-16), which sought its first district title since 2012. The junior catcher returned to game action earlier than expected after missing two weeks with a sprained knee and had two of the Lions’ three hits in his first outing back, including beating out an infield single in the sixth inning. Yates also made two putouts on plays at the plate and caught Lacks trying to steal second to end the top of the seventh.

“He battled and looked himself,” Holder said. “That just speaks volumes of him.”

Mark Sparks’ sixth-inning RBI single gave the Lions their lone run. O’Keefe took the decision, lasting 3 1-3 innings.

Both teams advance to the 16th Region Tournament, which begins Saturday at Raceland. The tournament draw is this afternoon.

RAMS 8, LIONS 1

RACELAND—300-301-1—8-13-2

LEWIS CO.—000-001-0—1-3-2

Lewis County’s Wyatt Yates makes the tag on Raceland’s Michael Meade trying to score at the plate, Tuesday, during the 63rd District Championship. The Rams won, 8-1. (Falecia Collier, For The Daily Independent)
https://maysville-online.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/web1_Wyatt-Yates-makes-the-tag-on-Michael-Meade-trying-to-score-at-the-plate.jpgLewis County’s Wyatt Yates makes the tag on Raceland’s Michael Meade trying to score at the plate, Tuesday, during the 63rd District Championship. The Rams won, 8-1. (Falecia Collier, For The Daily Independent)

By ZACK KLEMME

The Daily Independent