Lookout Valley got some early runs and had two pitchers combine on a three-hitter Monday, and the Yellow Jackets defeated Arts & Sciences 4-1 in a District 4-A high school baseball game at CSAS.
The victory leaves Lookout Valley 9-2 and 3-0 in the district. The teams are scheduled to play again today at Lookout Valley at 5:30.
The Patriots are 0-7-1, but all of their losses before Monday's district opener were against larger schools.
"We don't want to treat any game like it's bigger than another one, but district games are obviously the key ones," Lookout Valley coach Lance Rorex said. "This is a tough place to play. To come out here and take care of business was good to see."
The Yellow Jackets took the lead with a two-run second inning, both runs scoring on errors. Starting pitcher Riley Phillips hit a triple to left field leading off the third, and courtesy runner Nathan Hart scored on Gavin Slaven's sacrifice fly to left.
After Phillips threw three innings, allowing one baserunner on an infield hit while striking out four, Rorex brought in Cole Janeway, who went the rest of the way and got the pitching win. He gave up two hits, walked two, hit one and struck out five.
The Jackets made three errors, but while they scored two unearned runs, they did not allow one.
"Good teams are the teams that can throw strikes and make the routine plays," Rorex said. "When you don't give the other team free opportunities, you usually have a better shot of winning. If you make an error you have to not let that bother you and compound it by making two or three. And you have to be able to take advantage of their miscues. Good teams can do something like that."
One of CSAS's five errors factored into Lookout Valley's run in the sixth. Joshua Ibach's leadoff single was misplayed in the outfield, allowing him to reach third. He scored on a wild pitch.
Losing pitcher Nic Ringhofer gave up six hits, three walks and two earned runs in six innings. He had four strikeouts.
"He's a gutsy pitcher," CSAS coach Mark Bracher said of his sophomore left-hander. "That's the kind of game he always pitches for us."
Jevon Anderson singled to center starting the Patriots' fourth. He stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Juan Mercedes' groundout.
They also had scoring opportunities in the fifth and sixth innings. But Janeway executed a pickoff at first in the fifth and another at second in the sixth, and catcher Slaven caught another runner stealing in the fifth.
"When you play at our level, Class A baseball, especially against a team like Lookout Valley, you pretty much have to play that way," Bracher said. "You have to be aggressive on the bases, and you have to be aggressive hitting the ball. A couple of times we had some kids take that one step the wrong way and they get him. Take a little bit of a misstep and that's what happens."
Ibach ended up 2-for-3 and Avery Hamrick had a triple, and they scored Lookout Valley's runs in the second.
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him on Twitter @KelleySmiddie.