- Buchholz Bobcats beat Suwannee 19-2 in four innings with back-to-back nine-run innings on Friday night at Bobcats Park.
- Senior Drew Almond hit two home runs, scored four times, and drove in five runs during Buchholz's win over Suwannee.
- Buchholz's offense was strong with 15 hits and every player reaching base, securing their fourth straight win and third in three nights.
- Buchholz coach Chris Malphurs noted the team is improving offensively and adjusting well with new players and roles this season.
On Thursday night, the Buchholz Bobcats managed only four hits as they rallied for a tight 3-2 win at rival Gainesville.
On Friday night, Buchholz was back in Bobcats Park against Suwannee, and they found their bats and then some.
Senior Drew Almond hit two home runs in the third inning, scored four times, and drove in five runs, and Buchholz had back-to-back nine-run innings in hammering Suwannee, 19-2, in four innings.
Buchholz pounded out 15 hits, and everyone reached base at least once as the Bobcats (6-4) won their fourth straight game and earned their third win in three nights.
Senior Aidan Kastensmidt added a three-run homer in the third, senior Blake Brewer had three hits and two runs scored, senior Roen Kresak had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored, senior Zac Brown added two hits, two RBI and two runs scored as everyone was hitting for Buchholz.
“This was our first game back home in two weeks, and we hit very well in this ballpark,” Buchholz coach Chris Malphurs said. “We are starting to figure it out. We have a lot of new faces and a lot of new roles for guys and we’re starting to figure it out.”
Figure it out they did against Suwannee. Buchholz got a run in the first as Almond stole home on an attempted double steal.
Then the floodgates opened, for the first time, in the second inning. Buchholz sent 15 batters to the plate, scoring nine runs on eight hits. Suwannee (5-7) used four pitchers in that inning, as well as four pitchers in the nine-run third.
In that second inning, senior Antoine Deleyrolle walked with the bases loaded for the first run. Brown followed with an RBI single, Almond an RBI double, Brewer a run-scoring single, Hudson Sapp had an RBI single, and Kresak and Angel Irizarry each hit two-run doubles to cap the inning.
“We are clicking at the right time, pitching continues to be good, defense is playing well,” Malphurs said. “We are figuring it out offensively. That’s where we struggled earlier in the year was our approach on offense.”
The third inning was Almond’s inning, with a solo homer and a three-run shot over the right field wall. Kastensmidt blasted his three-run homer well over the left field fence.
“Drew has come on nicely. He has four homers now.” Malphurs said. “We put him in the two-hole tonight, it turned out to be a really good move for us.”
Buchholz will be back in action next Tuesday at North Marion. The Bobcats dropped a 5-2 decision in eight innings at home against the Colts on Feb. 17.
