Lamar School starter Adie Goodman tosses a pitch during the first inning of the Raiders’ game against Presbyterian Christian School Tuesday evening at the school.

Strong pitching has been the formula Lamar School has consistently dialed up this season to rattle off 15 wins entering Tuesday’s home game against Presbyterian Christian School. 

The formula again produced winning results for the Raiders, as starting pitcher Adie Goodman and relief pitcher Davis Harrison combined to lead Lamar School to its 16th win of the season with a 4-3 win against the Bobcats.

“Adie Goodman gave us a great performance in going plus-six, and Davis coming in to close,” Lamar School (16-7) coach Luke Walker said. “We really feel like we’re deep on the mound, and really feel as long as we throw strikes and take care of the ball, we’ll be able to get it with the bats.”

Goodman’s fastball baffled PCS’ hitters for six innings, as the junior hurler logged just 60 pitches through the first six innings and didn’t yield any runs. He finished with a win after 6 1/3 innings pitched.

“I was just throwing my fastball — putting it in and spotting up locations, mixing up speeds with my curveball and changeup,” Goodman said. “I was focused in on each pitch, and making sure our players were where they should be and making the right plays. And they did it for me.”

Goodman took the mound at the top of the seventh with the Raiders holding a 4-0 lead. He induced an out via a groundout to second baseman Parker Neal in the Bobcats’ first at-bat, but allowed singles to Boone Roberson, Austin Braswell and Nick Gagliano in the following three at-bats.

Braxton Henley singled as the Bobcats’ fifth batter, which plated Roberson, and Braswell crossed home plate in the sequence to make the score 4-2 in Lamar School’s favor. 

Harrison entered in relief following the play and forced Luke Hudson to fly out to centerfield, which put the Raiders one out away from the win. 

Then the madness began. 

With Henley on first and Gagliano on second, Will McGillis drew a walk to shift Gagliano to third and move Henley to second. Holden Dykes scratched out a hit in the following at-bat, and Raiders’ first baseman Joseph Hutchinson struggled to collect the ball after it took an awkward bounce toward him. Dykes hurdled Hutchinson as he barreled to first base, prompting the first base umpire to call him out shortly after he reached base. Gagliano and Henley raced home, and the home plate umpire called both runners safe.

After coach-umpire conferences from both teams, the tying run was removed and put on third, Dykes was called safe at first and the score stood 4-3.

“When there’s a false out called, especially a third out, it kills the play right there,” Walker said of the umpire’s final decision. “When that happened, the second guy who scored had to go back to third base. With the call at hand, he got it right, as far as the ball (being) out. But he did hurdle him, and that’s also against the rules.”

Harrison recored the final out in the next at-bat to preserve the win.

“I was focused,” Harrison said. “I knew it was big, and I had to finish it off for Adie. Adie threw a great game. I knew I needed to close it out. I was really focused in.”

Hayes Hinson doubled in the bottom of the fifth to score pinch runner Chet Williams, who ran for DJ McGrew after he reached first base on a PCS fielding error, which gave Lamar School a 1-0 lead. Goodman sent Hinson home with an RBI single, and Harrison, who walked earlier in the frame, also scored in the bottom half of the fifth on a PCS throwing error to move the Raiders’ lead to 3-0.

Hinson doubled again in the bottom of the sixth to score Williams, who pinch ran for McGrew after he swatted a double to center field. Williams’ run rounded out Lamar School’s scoring for the night.

Harrison commented on the team’s strength at pitcher, “None of us throw extremely hard, but we all throw strikes. The defense is going to make plays, and all we have to do is put it behind them.”

Hinson led Raiders’ hitters with two hits and two RBIs.