Christian Peterson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
On Thursday, April 17, the Lafayette High School baseball team faced off against the Branford Buccaneers for the 2025 district champion title. What ensued was a tight battle, as each team fought for their shot at regionals and the state title after that. The first inning of the game set the tone for how tight the match would be. The Buccaneers were able to score one run, while the Hornets scored two runs themselves. In the second and third innings, no one crossed home plate. In the fourth inning, the Hornets were able to get another runner across home plate. In the fifth inning, again, no movement was seen on the scoreboard. Then, in the sixth inning, the Hornets scored their final run for the evening. Once more, in the seventh and final inning, no points were scored. The Hornets won the game and claimed the district championship title with a score of 4-1. Patrick Williams was the scorer for the Buccaneers that evening, being the only one to make it across home plate. He was also the only Buccaneer to land a hit on the ball. On top of all that, he was able to steal two bases that evening. On the defensive side of things, Jackson Skinner stood out, completing eight outs. Close behind was Colby Beard, who completed four. Keaton Brown led the team from the mound, striking out five different batters. Right behind him was Kyler Williamson, who struck out two batters himself. Together, the two of them only gave up a total of eight hits. Meanwhile, on the Hornets' side of the game, four different runners made it across home plate. This included Tywan Williamson, Brayden Richardson, Trevor Byrd and Kagan Hewett. Hyatt Richardson led the charge for batting in runners, helping get two runners across home plate. Ethan Tuten was the other offensive player who helped a runner across home plate. Both Byrd and Dawson Cannon stole one base each. Richardson led the team on the defensive end, completing a total of 15 outs. Richardson led from the mound, striking out 13 batters. On top of all this, the victory was a remarkable one for Head Coach Tim Williamson. He has been coaching the team for years, and with this championship win, he celebrated his 200th win as coach. This is the third year in a row that the Hornets have won the District Championship while under the guidance of Coach Williamson. On Monday, April 28, the Hornets hosted Aucilla Christian School for the first of three Regional Championship games.