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By Jon Kaufman
Contributor

The schedule makers for the Seminole District did the E.C. Glass Hilltoppers no favors during the first week of their 2016 conference schedule. On Monday, Glass took on Liberty Christian Academy, the fifth ranked high school baseball team in PBR VA/DC’s Power 25. On Friday, Jefferson Forest, the seventeenth rank team in that same poll, visited Lynchburg.

Concord University signee, pitcher Indiana Hall, was tabbed for the road start for Jefferson Forest and junior Hunter Hall (no relation) hit the mound for the Hilltoppers.  Both pitchers breezed through a quick, uneventful first inning. Indiana Hall ripped a double down the left field line to open the second, first baseman Cody Whitten drew a walk, and the Cavs pulled off a double steal, and Hall scored on a wild pitch. Morgan Marshall’s sacrifice scored Whitten providing a two run lead for Jefferson Forest.

The Hilltoppers were hitless until the bottom of the fourth until Ben Ailsworth blasted a two out solo home run to left center field to put Glass on the board. The Cavs came roaring back in the top of the fifth inning with a walk to Chris Crouch and a booming home run from the bat of Cavs catcher Camdyn Smith.

Not to be upstaged, Glass manufactured a run in the bottom of the fifth. DJ Johnson worked a base on balls, a perfect sacrifice bunt by Charles Sommardahl set Johnson in scoring position, and an RBI single by junior Jacob Selden closed the scoring gap to 4-2.

DH Zach Peek (Winthrop University), drilled a one out single to start the sixth inning, reached second when the ball skipped past the left fielder. Marshall picked up his second RBI of the night plating Peek and posting a 5-2 lead.

Peek relieved Hall for the Cavs in the home side of the sixth and recorded two strikeouts, sitting down the Hilltoppers in order. However, the bottom of the seventh was not as easy.

Glass’s Oliver Gilbert knocked a one out single and there was hope for the Hilltoppers.  After Peek’s second strikeout of the inning, the Cavs ace proceeded to walk the next three batters, inching Glass one run closer.  Hunter Hall, who went all seven innings on the mound, could not extend the game and went down on strikes.

The 5-3 battle featured the two Cavs college bound pitchers and one promising junior hurler for Glass, who yielded just five hits to a strong Jefferson Forrest lineup.  E.C. Glass travels to Heritage HS on Wednesday, April 20^th and Jefferson Forest is at home Liberty also on April 20^th.