FDA’s JV baseball team played their second game of a rain-soaked Saturday at about 1:30 in the afternoon against the Lowndes Academy Rebels in the Crenshaw Christian Academy tournament last week.

The Rebels drew first blood in the top of the first, scoring on two walks and a single.

The Eagles loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half, but couldn’t push across a run.

Lowndes exploded in the second inning with a three-run homer and never looked back.

FDA scored once in the second on David Miller’s walk and Brandon Matthews’ solid double.

The Rebels came across the plate two more times in the third and the Eagles responded with Connally Walters’ single, Cody Tesmer’s double and Charlie Scofield’s sacrifice fly.

The final tally was Lowndes Academy six, Fort Dale two.

Coach Jason Taylor said that “mistakes and mental errors cost us the game.”

It did appear that their heads were not entirely in the game, as evidenced by mental errors such as throwing to the wrong base, not running on two-out fly balls and getting picked off the bases.

But as Taylor said, “Lowndes came to play today and played a solid game.”

The Rebels’ play was highlighted by Toby King’s masterful pitching and seventh-grader Garrett Headley’s opposite field home run.

Fort Dale was led by Connally Walters’ two singles and a run scored, Brandon Matthews’ run-scoring double and David Miller’s walk and run.

Cody Tesmer also contributed a double and Charlie Scofield’s sac fly produced a run.

Brandon Matthews capped a successful three-game tournament by being named to the All-Tournament Team.

The team then beat the Escambia Academy Cougars 10–5 on Thursday evening.

The Eagles jumped on Escambia’s pitcher early, sending 14 men to the plate and scoring all ten of their runs in the top of the first inning.

This slugfest was highlighted by Skylar McKeown’s pair of two-run homers.

The over-matched Cougars came back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning.

Fort Dale failed to produce a run in the second, and Escambia pulled closer with two more runs in their half of the inning.

The shadows were becoming long as the Fort Dale nine came to bat in the third.

This inning yielded no runs but was highlighted by having three brothers bat in the same inning.

Seventh grader Luke Ham drew a walk to open the inning and was followed by brother Joshua Ham, James Burkett and third brother Hunter Ham.

Charlie Scofield shut the Cougars down in the third, coming on to relieve the starter Mckeown.

This proved to be the last inning, as darkness overcame the lightless ball field.

McKeown led the offense with his two home runs, followed by Ryan Taylor’s two singles. Brandon Matthews, Chip Taylor, Connally Walters and Chase Whiddon all contributed singles.

The Eagles improved their record to 3–2 and will host a doubleheader at Beeland Park against Macon East on Tuesday, March 10 beginning at 4 p.m.