Entering this weekend’s West Lauderdale-Southeast Lauderdale baseball showdown, Knights senior Ben Ethridge possessed no shortage of baseball achievements. None, however, more impressive than owning a scholarship to continue his baseball career at the University of Southern Mississippi.

But in his final season at West Lauderdale, there still was one more notch the talented pitcher hoped to add to his list of accomplishments before graduation.

Saturday afternoon, Ethridge did just that.

Ethridge launched a three-run home run to give him his first round-tripper of his prep career and help lift West Lauderdale to an 8-0 victory over Southeast Lauderdale.

“I wanted to hit one out before I left West Lauderdale because I knew that would be my last chance to get to do it because I’m not going to hit in college,” Ethridge said.

With the sixth at-bat of the sixth inning, Ethridge entered the batter’s box with Brett Mason occupying first base and Braden Luke on second. Mason walked in the frame, and Luke plated Austin Davidson with an RBI double.

Ethridge took the first pitch for a strike before holding off of Southeast Lauderdale’s next two offerings for balls. Facing a 2-1 count, Ethridge unloaded on the baseball and sent it sailing over Southeast Lauderdale’s wooden fence in left field.

“I had an idea about it, and when I got halfway down the line, I saw it clear the fence — I was so happy,” Ethridge said. “It gave me chills when I hit it.”

Ethridge finished the afternoon 2-for-3 with one run, one walk and a team-high three RBIs.

With Ethridge playing center field, Knights head coach Jason Smith handed pitching duties off to Mason Willis. The sophomore went the distance, striking out four and allowing nine hits to earn the pitching win.

“Mason’s been doing really well for us all year,” Smith said. “He’s pitched a lot of games, and I think (today) makes him 6-0. He throws strikes and can throw all his pitches at any time in any count.”

Southeast Lauderdale and West Lauderdale were deadlocked through the first three innings behind stellar pitching and defense. Parker Wood started on the mound for the Tigers and was hitless before Davidson ripped a two-RBI single to left field in the top of the fourth to put the Knights ahead 2-0.

West Lauderdale loaded the bases in the frame, prompting a pitching change to Ryan Smith, who entered with two outs. Smith induced West Lauderdale’s final out to close out the frame.

Wills added a two-run, inside-the-park home run in the top of the sixth when Wood, who shifted to center field, crashed into the fence after tracking Willis’ hit. Wood writhed in pain in the outfield while right fielder Braxton Anthony ran over, collected the ball and threw it in.

Southeast Lauderdale’s roster suffered another hit in the top of the fifth when left fielder Wyatt Simmons left with a leg injury after making a play in the outfield. According to Southeast Lauderdale coach Shay Cooper, both players were later diagnosed with “bad bruises.”

Smith and Wood led the Tigers with two hits apiece, with one of Smith’s hits going for a double.

Ethridge, Luke and Davidson each had two hits. Luke tallied two doubles, while Ethridge added another. Davidson finished with two RBIs.

The win improved West Lauderdale to 15-3, while Southeast Lauderdale moved to 9-7.

“We were squaring things up and hitting hard,” Ethridge said. “We kept the bats hot, and later in the game, we stopped them. Mason pitched well. It was good.”