BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Lake Butler Middle School’s baseball team won seven of eight games before an 11-0 loss to Suwannee on March 18.
The Tigers (7-3) entered the Suwannee loss off a 10-0 win over Palatka on March 14, with Spencer Legg and Bryar Staier combining to pitch a no-hitter and Westyn Miller hitting two three-run homers.
Miller finished 3 for 4 with six RBI.
The Tigers started a four-game win streak on Feb. 13, defeating Lake City 13-9. Miller went 3 for 3 with two doubles and two RBI.
Gabe McNeal also had two RBI, while Emery Muse, Brycen Nichols, Dalen Paige, Aden Ranard and Brody Stephenson each drove in one run.
On Feb. 17, the Tigers had five players drive in at least two runs each, while Miller, Hayden Snyder and Eastyn Miller combined to pitch a no-hitter in a 21-2 win over Williston.
Braxton Griffis went 2 for 5 with three RBI, while Snyder and Westyn Miller each went 2 for 2 with two RBI.
McNeal and Stephenson each had two RBI, while Lake Butler got one RBI each from Muse, Nichols, Triston Fox, Shane Huebner, Eastyn Miller and Logan Miller.
Starting pitcher Westyn Miller, who threw two innings, struck out five, while Eastyn Miller struck out three in one inning of work.
The Tigers played Williston again on Feb. 20, getting three RBI each from Griffis and Eastyn Miller in a 19-5 win.
Griffis batted 3 for 3 with a double, while Huebner went 2 for 3 with two RBI.
Snyder and Evan Rogers each drove in two runs as well.
In 2.1 innings of relief, Griffis gave up one run and no hits, while striking out three.
Staier allowed no runs and one hit in the final inning.
Lake Butler built a 6-1 lead over Keystone Heights in an eventual 7-5 win on Feb. 27.
Keystone scored four runs after the fourth inning.
A three-run fourth proved to be the difference. Fox hit an RBI single, while McNeal and Stephenson both scored on a wild pitch.
A 3-2 loss to Trinity Christian on Feb. 28 ended the winning streak, but Lake Butler bounced back with a 5-3 win over Palatka on March 3.
The Tigers earned that win with a four-run fifth in which Stephenson hit a two-run single. The inning also had Muse scoring on a passed ball and Stephenson scoring on a wild pitch.
Ranard pitched three innings, giving up two runs and two hits, while striking out two.
Griffis threw three innings, allowing one run and two hits.
On March 11, the Tigers got four RBI from Stephenson in an 8-7 win over Lake City.
Lake Butler led 8-2 before Lake City scored five runs in the final two innings.
Stephenson, who went 2 for 4, hit a two-run double in a three-run first and a two-run single in a two-run fourth.
Fox hit a two-run double as part of a three-run fifth, which proved to be the difference.
The Tigers travel to play Keystone on Monday, March 31, at 6 p.m. and return home to play Bradford on Tuesday, April 1, at 6 p.m.
