Lehman Lobo senior Justin Edwards isn’t a stranger to working on the pitcher’s mound in relief situations.
When teammate Albert Martinez left Saturday’s game against the Vista Ridge Rangers with an injury, Edwards didn’t let a prime opportunity go to waste.
Instead, Edwards took the reins and played a key role in Lehman’s 11-9 win over the Rangers. The victory helped the Lobos even up its district opening series with Vista Ridge, with the rubber match having been played Tuesday night.
“It’s a big confidence boost,” Edwards said about the win. “Hopefully, we can keep doing it.”
Lehman quickly fell behind 2-0 in the first inning. A major factor was losing Martinez, who was inadvertently hit in the head with the baseball on a throw across the diamond to first base.
The Lobos recovered in the bottom half of the frame and took a 5-2 lead, aided by a two-run RBI double from Edwards. A run in the bottom of the second inning gave Lehman a 6-2 advantage.
Toby Robinson, Lobo head baseball coach, said changing the lineup and batting order after Sanchez’s injury might have thrown the team off slightly.
“But we continued to hit the ball and had good at-bats,” Robinson said. “That’s what we worked on in practice. Hopefully, we can take that with us and tighten up the rest.”
After the Rangers tallied two runs in the top of the third frame, Edwards helped his own cause by muscling a solo home run to right field to give the Lobos a 7-4 lead.
“I didn’t think it was going over the fence until I looked at the umpire and he said it was a home run,” Edwards said.
But the Rangers didn’t back down and returned with a trio of runs in the top of the fifth, which cut the Lobo lead to 7-6.
A game-tying run, however, was thwarted when the Lobo defense secured a critical out at the plate.
While Robinson said the Lobos’ defense had some struggles, he lauded their ability to keep Vista Ridge from drawing even at that moment.
“We did some good things and bad things, obviously, but to shrug off a run at the plate right there, and then to come back and answer with the sticks, we’re proud of them,” Robinson said.
Lehman’s offense continued to pound the ball and outscored Vista Ridge 4-3 down the stretch.
For Edwards, the chance to continue building team chemistry is important as the district schedule moves forward.
“We’re building a good bond and we’re going to keep getting stronger and better,” Edwards said.
