David Dinger

Staff Photo by John Rawlston-- Cameron Kapperman of CSAS tries in vain to avoid being caught in a rundown by Lance Rorex of Lookout Valley during their District 6-A championship game on Wednesday. Lookout Valley won the game by a score of 11-3.

In his second at-bat of the first inning Wednesday, Lance Rorex ended what drama there was at Boydston Field.

Rorex drilled a two-out grand slam off Ron Walters to cap an eight-run first and Lookout Valley cruised to an 11-3 win over Arts & Sciences in the District 6-A baseball tournament championship game at Lookout Valley High School.

“It was a 2-0 count so I knew he was going to have to come fastball because the bases were loaded anyway, so I sat dead-red on a fastball and he gave it to me,” said Rorex, who went 1-for-3 with two runs scored and four RBIs. “I didn’t think it was going to go out — I thought it was too high — and then it kept going.”

Rorex led off the bottom of the first with a walk, advanced to third on a throwing error following a Tyler Crowley single and two batters later Cody Brooks put Lookout Valley (31-5) up 2-0 with a single to center field that cleared Walters’ glove by no more than an inch.

Ian McDade put the Yellow Jackets up 4-0 with a two-run single and three batters later Rorex doubled the margin to 8-0 with one swing that sent the ball soaring over the scoreboard in left field.

“Getting off to a start like that makes it so much easier because we can ... loosen up a little bit and play our game,” Rorex said. “It really helps a lot.”

Lookout Valley starter Brandon O’Dell (8-1) pitched five innings and struggled with his control. He didn’t allow a hit through the first four, however he walked two in the second, third and fourth innings, which gave Arts & Sciences (17-16) plenty of chances to get back in the game — chances the Patriots couldn’t turn into enough runs.

Lance Snyder reached on an error in the top of the second and later scored on a passed ball to make it 8-1. The Patriots added another run in the third when Zach Phillips walked and later scored on a wild pitch.

Phillips hit a solo home run to center field in the fifth to make it 8-3, but the Patriots could never mount a serious rally despite being the recipient of seven walks by O’Dell, who allowed two hits, two earned runs and struck out three.

Casey Marr and McDade, who went 2-for-3 with three RBIs, each drove in runs in the bottom of the fifth off Patriots reliever James Dickson and Brooks hit a solo shot in the sixth to push the lead to 11-3.

“Most games are won in one inning,” Lookout Valley coach David Dinger said, “and we had the one big inning.”

Both teams advance to the region tournament, which begins Monday.