War Eagles’ season ends with playoff loss to Arnold
By KEITH ANDERSON
Baseball Coach
The Wakulla War Eagles entered the start of the playoffs this past week with a 20-5-1 record and receiving the No. 4 seed in the region hosting No. 5 seed Suwannee on Wednesday May 8th.
The War Eagles won the dramatic victory 6-5. Gavin Estep started on the mound throwing well going 4.1 innings scattering 5 hits striking out two.
Will Chipman earned the win, coming in when the War Eagles were trailing, throwing 2.1 innings, giving up 1 hit and striking out 3.
The War Eagles battled all game but found themselves trailing 5-4 in the bottom of the 7th inning with the season on the line.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Jed Hoffman had a clutch 2-strike single to put the tying run aboard. After another flyout, the War Eagles were down to their last out. With Hoffman on first, Senior shortstop Haden Klees stepped to the plate. After swinging through the first pitch, the Suwannee hurler threw a breaking ball over plate and Haden Klees drove the ball deep over the left center wall for a walkoff, season-saving 2-run homer.
Parker Lawhon had a huge game offensively with 2 hits, Sam Bruce and Garrett Veltkamp also had a hit a piece in the game.
The War Eagles then traveled to No. 1 seeded Arnold High School in Panama City for the region semi final game. The War Eagles saw their season end with a 5-0 loss to a very good Arnold team.
The two University of Florida commits that pitched for Arnold kept the War Eagles on their heels all night scattering 4 hits.
Sam Bruce had two hits, Parker Lawhon and Garrett Veltkamp each had singles.
Starter Leaston Spears threw 4 innings. Jesse Nazworth and Will Chipman also threw in relief.
The War Eagles ended a great season with a 21-6-1 record.
Lady War Eagles blank Menendez, 10-0
No. 1 seed Wakulla faces No. 4 West Florida in Regional Semifinal on Tuesday, May 14
