Staff report
LITTLE RIVER-ACADEMY – Sophomore right-hander Alex Hoffman pitched a no-hitter and drove in a team-high three runs as Academy dominated Rockdale for an 11-0, five-inning win in the Bumblebees' District 19-3A baseball opener Friday afternoon.
Hoffman (1-1) struck out four batters and walked none for Academy (5-10, 1-0), throwing 35 of his 49 pitches for strikes and working around three errors by the Bees' defense. He faced 17 batters, three above the minimum. Hoffman also had a big day at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double and three runs batted in.
Sophomore third baseman Lane Ward and freshman catcher Tyler Burnett both went 3-for-3 as part of a 12-hit attack for the Bees, including two doubles and two RBI by Burnett from the No. 9 spot in the order. Ward had a double and scored three runs.
Academy junior center fielder John Tomasek was 2-for-3 with two runs, freshman left fielder Lukas Boone drove in two runs, senior designated hitter Wyatt Gardner contributed a hit and a run and sophomore right fielder Alex Lawton drove in one run.
The game was scoreless after 1½ innings, but the Bees broke through for three runs in the second, exploded for six in the third and added two in the fourth before the game ended after the top of the fifth on the 10-run rule.
Senior right-hander Drayton Castaneda allowed 10 hits and nine runs in three innings and absorbed the loss for Rockdale (6-11, 1-1), which beat Florence 4-2 on Tuesday in the Tigers' 19-3A opener.
Academy, whose junior varsity team beat Rockdale 10-0 in four innings, will continue district play at rival Rogers at 7 p.m. next Tuesday.