SAND HILL-The Pisgah Dragons edged the Lawrence County Cougars 5-3 in high school baseball action Monday night at Pisgah’s Boatner Athletic Complex. Pisgah banged out 10 hits in the first three innings to grab a 5-1 lead, then held off numerous Lawrence County threats.

With the win, 2A Pisgah improved to 12-5 on the season. Lawrence County fell to 13-10. Monday’s game was a late addition to both teams’ schedules. With both clubs headed into the playoffs later this week, they each needed a game. LCHS coach Josh Garrett and Pisgah coach Jonathan Sigrest found one another, setting up the first-ever meeting between the two schools.

“We needed a game,” said Garrett. “We had to travel a little bit farther than usual, but it was a great trip to a fine place. Obviously, I wish we’d won the game, but I thought our guys played pretty well.”

Garrett started sophomore righty Prentiss Anderson. Anderson threw well, but Pisgah found hits. The Dragons scored two runs on two hits in the first, two runs on three hits in the second, and, incredibly, just one run on five hits in the third.

Brennan Lang relieved Anderson with none out in the second. He limited Pisgah to one run over three innings. Josh Stephens pitched the fifth and sixth frames.

“We defended pretty well,” said long-time LCHS assistant Craig Davis. “If we hadn’t, we’d have gotten the stuffing beat out of us. They had five runs on eight hits before they ever swung and missed.”

For the game, Pisgah totaled 14 hits, all singles. Catcher Quinton Rabon went three-for-three. Don Ragsdale, Aidan Bradford, Triston Derrick, and Will Herrington each had 2 hits.

“We threw one out stealing, picked one off, threw one out at the plate on a single, and made a great diving catch in the outfield to end an inning,” said Davis. “Take away a couple of those, and they’d have put up a pretty big run total. This was one of our better defensive games, and it gave us a chance.”

While the LCHS defense was keeping the Cougars in the game, Lawrence County was suffering through offensive frustrations of its own. The Cougars got a runner to second base with none out in each of the first five innings, yet scored only two runs over that period. Gabriel Lewis led off the game with a booming double to left-center, moved to third on a Josh Stephens bunt, and score on a Kody Smith grounder.

In the fifth, a Logan Greenlee single plated the Cougars’ second run. A Kasey Durr single plated the final run of the game, in the sixth.

LCHS left a total of 14 runners on base. The Cougars left the bases loaded three times. The potential tying runs were on second and third when a fly ball ended the game. Twice, with the bases loaded and 2 outs, Pisgah center fielder Will Herrington tracked down balls in deep center field, hit by Noah McLaurin and Josh Stephens.

“Our guys were incredibly unlucky at the plate,” said assistant Davis. “We scalded two balls over the center fielder’s head with the bases loaded. That’s six runs one kid took away. His great catches were the difference in the game.”

Kody Smith led Lawrence County with 3 hits. Marcus Atterberry and T-Tez Cole each had two. Gabriel Lewis, Kasey Durr, and Logan Greenlee also hit safely.

Lawrence County will take on Magee in a best-of-three playoff series, beginning on Thursday. Game one is at Magee, starting at 6:30. Game two is Friday night, at LCHS. Game three, if necessary, will be back at Magee on Saturday.