Lake Oconee’s Wild Things showcased an action-packed weekend at home with victories over the Brookhaven Bucks on June 27-28. The series sweep propelled the Sunbelt League team to a four-game winning streak following two road victories earlier in the week.
Both games resulted in tight competition, with Lake Oconee winning 9-6 in the first game and 5-3 the following afternoon. Entering this week, the Wild Things are 7-11 overall after the Choccolocca Monsters snapped their winning streak on June 30.
The regular season is near its end, and head coach Tony Matos is pleased with his team’s improvement over the last month.
“We kind of challenged them last Saturday about coming out here and having a better week on the road, and they came out and went 2-0, and then I was a little bit worried about the weekend,” Matos said. “You got a better team coming in here, very well coached, but they came out and played their game, and things didn’t change for us, which was a good sign.”
Matos believes that many of the athletes on the roster have shown significant improvement since the start of the season and delivered standout performances over the weekend.
“Pitching in general [has improved], and the bullpen’s been great,” Matos said. The starters have been really giving us a chance, and I could name off half the team because everyone’s clicking at the same time."
The Wild Things started slowly in game one against the Bucks, trailing in the first inning. The game remained scoreless on both sides until the sixth inning, when Lake Oconee bounced back with four runs, and Brookhaven scored one.
Lake Oconee scored its remaining three runs in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings.
The Friday game featured several players contributing in different ways, resulting in a 9-6 win.
Pitcher Hayden Murphy pitched for six innings, leading the team with seven strikeouts. Sophomore designated hitter TL Saxon was productive, hitting two home runs, with five RBI and three hits.
“We got down 4-0, and it was kind of a gut check to see what type of team we are,” Matos said. “But we fought back, and then kind of just rode it from there, got the lead, and didn’t give it back.”
The second game of the series was an intense defensive battle, and the Wild Things took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Lake Oconee tied the game 2-2 in the bottom of the third, eventually taking the lead in the fifth until the game concluded.
Pitcher Skylar McCoy helped lead the team to victory with six strikeouts. McCoy pitched five innings and was dominant on the mound.
“The boys came out, we did well on both sides of the ball, so it really just felt good as a team,” McCoy said. “Things are hot, and we’re playing good ball.”
McCoy credits the team’s motivation and performance during the weekend as a key to the 5-3 victory.
“Energy was up more than usual, and so it felt good out here,” McCoy said. “And after [trailing the Bucks], we came right back and put it on them."
Overall, Matos believes that the players have grown in various ways throughout the season and has been “impressed with their mental toughness.” He has also enjoyed watching them improve daily and finds himself improving as a coach along the way.
“It’s just being, seeing the growth with them, the way that they handle things,” Matos said. “And I like seeing the way I’m changing and how I have to handle and react to things differently because it’s a different game than what I’m used to coaching and dealing with.”
The Lake Oconee Wild Things will return to LOA July 18-19 for their regular season finale against the Alpharetta Aviators. Game one will take place at 7:05 p.m., with the second matchup at 4:05 p.m. the following afternoon.