Columbia clinched head coach Kyle Lindsey’s first playoff berth as the leader of the program Monday night as the Wildcats swept Jeff Davis County in a home doubleheader.
The Wildcats (8-11-1, 4-3) have spent most of the season playing up and down to their competition, and Monday was no different, but they found a way to pull it together and punch their postseason ticket.
“I thought we started out slow, but we had a couple guys step up and challenge the guys around them,” Lindsey said. “We came out and swung the bats well in the second game, while Tucker Lucas did a good job on the mound, putting up zeroes for five innings.”
Columbia scrapped its ways to victory in Game 1, beating the Jaguars 4-2 while facing a pitcher with a knee-buckling curveball. In the bottom of the first inning, Dylan Wallace was hit by a pitch, Hayden Adkins walked and Conner Cox gave Columbia an early 1-0 lead with an infield single.
Wallace, who got the win on the mound while allowing two runs and striking out five in three innings, helped his own cause in the second inning with a two-run single to left field to score Austin Arnold (walk) and Jackson Carney (double). After Jeff Davis countered with two runs in the third inning, Eli Lowery added an insurance run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly.
Nik Carney, who has had an up-and-down freshman campaign — dominating in one game then struggling to find his command the next, all the while looking like a future ace with plus stuff for his age — showcased his immense potential in relief. He limited the Jaguars to just one hit and fanned nine in just four innings of work, complementing his low 80s fastball, which features some late run and bite to it, with a sharp slider that he can subtract velocity from while adding downward movement.
“Nik has certainly stepped up as a freshman, and he certainly doesn’t act like (a freshman) on the mound. He was really solid for us for his first four or five outings, then his last couple have been hit-or-miss. There’s one thing I never doubt about him — the fact that he’s going to go out there and compete,” Lindsey said. “He really silenced their bats the last four innings of the game. He’s up to 82 (miles per hour) with his fastball, and he has some sink on it. Then he can manipulate his breaking ball to have two different breaks. The biggest thing is when he grabs the ball, he’s picking it up with the mindset of he’s going to get somebody out. I’d much rather that than velocity any day.”
Lucas dominated Game 2, tossing five shutout innings and allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out six to lead the Wildcats to a 10-0 victory. Lindsey said he challenged Lucas before the game that the Wildcats needed a deep start from him, and Lucas answered the challenge, pounding the zone and keeping Jeff Davis’ bats off balance.
“He’s really able to throw his fastball to the top to the bottom of the zone. That puts him in a situation where he can get some swing-and-misses and some popouts,” Lindsey said. “He worked his changeup good at times and was able to use his breaking ball when he needed to. Against a team that’s athletic like that and can run, you have to be able to throw strikes and keep them off the bases.”
Carter Smith used his all-out mentality and athleticism to lead Columbia at the dish. He doubled three times with an RBI, and Lindsey said two of the doubles weren’t extra-bases off the bat but that Smith hustled out the box and forced the Jaguars to have to be perfect defensively to prevent him turning would-be singles into two-baggers. It’s that mentality, Lindsey said, that the Wildcats need to play with to make a deep run in the postseason.
Eli Lowery drove in three runs with a double and a single, Jackson Carney single twice and drove in a run and Hayden Adkins and Keion Jackson both stroked run-scoring hits.
The Wildcats will play at Seminary Thursday with the No. 2 seed from Region 8-3A on the line. Columbia is currently 4-3 in district play, while the Bulldogs are 4-2. However, because Columbia beat Seminary in their first matchup and currently hold the tiebreaker, it’s more like they are effectively tied going into it. Lindsey said the Wildcats will play a quality opponent in the first round regardless if they finish second or third in district, but he admitted there will be a little added comfort to having home-field advantage as the second seed.
As of press deadline Tuesday, Columbia’s most-likely first-round opponent would be Southeast Lauderdale (11-4) or Morton (7-12).
“Whichever one we draw, we’ll rock and roll,” Lindsey said.
Columbia will finish its regular season Friday when Sumrall, the No. 1-ranked team in Class 4A, comes to town.
UPDATE: Columbia beat Seminary Thursday to earn the No. 2 seed.
