Sports

Seizing control

• Deerfield gains a firm grip on No. 1 in Region 3-AAA after beating city rival and conference foe Sherwood on Tuesday.

Paul Dehner Jr.

ALBANY —Traditionally, the Deerfield-Windsor Knights have dominated their series with the Sherwood Eagles.

Justin Lott only needed one at-bat to assure the tradition continued Tuesday.

The DWS senior lofted a three-run homer over the fence in left-center field during the first inning on Tuesday to set the tone for a five-inning, 14-4 mercy-rule victory by the Knights.

Lott's blast was preceded by a Grant Massey double on the first pitch of the game and provided an immediate statement for the latest installment of this crosstown rivalry.

"We got some runs pretty quick," said DWS coach Rod Murray, whose team moved to 10-1 overall and 2-0 in GISA Region 3-AAA. "Justin and Grant carry a lot of confidence for when they are in the box. After them we hit the ball from top to bottom."

That included doubles from Culin Brown, Matt Woodall and Lott.

There wasn't much Lott didn't do Tuesday, finishing 3-for-4 with five RBI.

Deerfield exploded to a 10-0 lead after four innings.

In all, the Knights collected 10 hits on the way to its 14 runs. Paired with a 15-2 win against Westfield on Thursday, Deerfield has racked up 29 runs and 26 hits in its last two games.

Kevin McCrary started and picked up the win for the Knights. Working behind top starters Lott and Massey this season, McCrary continued to provide depth in the rotation.

"He's been solid for us all year long," McCrary said. "We got a bunch of guys who can throw strikes and we can win behind them."

Evan Boyd closed out the game for the Knights.

For Sherwood (7-5), Andrew Lanier took the loss but contributed at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. Aaron Wilson added two RBI.

Deerfield's next game will be on Friday at Southland at 4:30 p.m. while Sherwood attempts to recover at Brookwood on Monday at 6:30 p.m.

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