ACROBATIC CATCH … Delta shortstop Brady Morr flies thru the air to catch a throw to second base in Friday’s nonleague tilt with Swanton.
(PHOTOS BY RACHEL NAGEL / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
DEFENSIVE PLAY … Carson Bond of Swanton tries to tag a Delta base runner after being pulled off the bag to catch the throw.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
DELTA (April 18, 2025) – Carsen Lemons gave Swanton exactly what they needed to get back in the win column with six innings of shutout ball and a hand in two of the Bulldogs scoring innings in a 4-0 whitewash of Delta.
The Panthers threatened in the first two innings against Lemons, loading the bases in both frames.
A pair of two-out walks around Lane Lopez’s single put the sacks full in the first but Lemons got out of trouble with a strikeout of Emric Friess.
The same happened in the second as hit from Gary Valentine and Jacob Walter along with another walk juiced the bags again with two down.
This time the Bulldogs got some help from the wind when Carlos DeSantos’ rocket into the teeth of the 35 mph wind gusts coming from right was knocked down enough for Drew Koder to catch up to it for the third out.
After that, Lemons gave up just one hit the rest of the way on his way to the victory. “He had 54 pitches through two innings,” Swanton coach Josh Siewert expressed of Lemons rough beginning and recovery.
“Then he found the zone and started going, the last three or four innings he was just spot on.”
Meanwhile Valentine was just as efficient the first three innings, not giving up a hit.
Lemons changed all that leading off the fourth with a booming double to dead center and came home on Drake Harris’ single up the middle to give the Bulldogs the only run they would need.
Swanton added a second run in the sixth on four Delta errors in the field, then added a pair in the seventh.
A hit batter, sacrifice and a passed ball put a man on third with one down, and again it was Lemons with a big-league type at bat with a sharp grounder to the hole where the only play was to first to bring home the third Swanton run of the game.
“He is a non-selfish kid,” Siewert explained of Lemons run scoring swing. “We talk that a lot to just put the ball on the right side and score the man from third and he is professional about it.”
After Swanton loaded the bases with two down, a wild pitch brought home the second tally of the inning.
Valentine took the loss, giving up just three hits and one earned run. He walked just one in six innings and struck out three. Lemons walked three and struck out 11 Panthers on the day.
SHS 000 101 2 – 4 6 3
DHS 000 000 0 – 0 3 3
Records: SHS 9-1, DHS 2-6
WINNING PITCHER: Lemons (6 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts) Other: Lemon
LOSING PITCHER: Valentine (6 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, 2 walks, 3 strikeouts) Other: Boulton, Walter
LEADING HITTERS: (Swanton) Lemons – 2 doubles, RBI; (Delta) – 2 singles