The Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Thursday, April 5, is Noah Lukas of the North Marion (Citra) baseball team.
Lukas helped lead the North Marion baseball team to a 12-0 win at Eastside (Gainesville) in a Class 6A-District 5 game.
The sophomore had the only multi-hit game. He singled in a run in the third and doubled down the left field line to drive in two in the fourth.
“He has come on strong as of late,” said North Marion coach Dale Hall, whose team improved 10-7 overall and 4-1 in the district. “He has put in a lot of time in the cage and I’m happy to see it paying off for him.”
Lukas scored in the third and fourth innings as North Marion batted around each time. The Colts opened the scoring with a 7-run third inning.
North Marion took advantage of two walks, two hit batsmen, three wild pitches, three errors & three hits to score seven runs in the third inning and break a scoreless tie.
But they also helped themselves on the mound and in the field.
Senior Chase Denton improved to 5-1 by allowing no runs on just one hit with no walks and three strikeouts in four innings of work.
“Denton did a great job and we played really well defensively,” said Hall. “It was a fun game to watch.”
Freshman Wyatt Campbell drove in two runs on a single as part of a 5-run 4th inning to help the Colts run-rule the Rams (4-10, 1-6).
The two teams will face each other again on Friday night in Sparr.
Meanwhile, district leader Lake Weir (5-1) will play at Belleview (4-3), followed by a game at Leesburg. North Marion will close out its district slate with a home-and-home series against Leesburg next week.
“The number one seed is still up for grabs,” said Hall. “We have to win out to have a chance.”
If Lake Weir and North Marion finish tied for first, a coin toss will be used to determine the district champion.
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.
