The Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Friday, April 20, is Brooks Walton of the Buchholz (Gainesville) baseball team.
Walton pitched a complete game five-hitter, striking out 10 with only one walk and the Bobcats scored two runs in the top of the 7th to slip past rival Gainesville, 3-1, at Tiny Talbot Field to sweep the season series between the two city rivals.
The senior allowed the Hurricanes only run in the first inning, as Luke Matthews doubled with one out and later came home on Chase DeMichele’s RBI single to give Gainesville an early 1-0 lead.
Walton then retired 10 in a row through the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings before working out of a first and third, one out jam in the fifth inning.
The Santa Fe College commit hit a batter and walked one in the bottom of the 7th, but Walton rared back and struck out the side, including Luke Matthews with two on to end the game.
DeMichele was nearly as good on the mound for Gainesville, allowing only four hits and one earned run in 6.1 innings, but he did have six walks to go with eight strikeouts.
Buchholz tied the game at 1-1 in the 4th inning on an infield single by second baseman Austin Akey with the bases loaded.
The Bobcats finally broke the tie in the top of the 7th without a hit.
Gainesville’s only error of the game, on a throw by second baseman Jeremiah Garcia, brought Akey around from second base for what turned out to be the winning run. Dario Astudillo added an insurance run with a RBI ground out to bring in Mike Rosario.
The win is the 7th in a row for Buchholz, which improves to 18-5. The Bobcats beat the Hurricanes 12-2 in six innings at Bobcat Field on Thursday night.
Buchholz returns to action on Wednesday afternoon against North Marion (Citra) at the College of Central Florida in Ocala.
Gainesville drops to 11-11 and has lost seven of their last 10 games. The Hurricanes will also be in action at COCF, taking on Forest (Ocala) on Tuesday afternoon at 4 p.m. You can hear the game with live audio at ThePrepZone.com and on radio on The Goat FM 92.1/AM 1230 in Gainesville and FM 100.1 and AM 900 in Ocala beginning with the pregame show at 3:30 p.m.
Every game The Prep Zone will recognize a Player-of-the-Game. The recipient receives a $10 gift certificate courtesy of Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville & Ocala.
