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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor

The Vincent Yellow Jackets were able to bounce back from their area-opening series loss to Fayetteville a week earlier by completing a sweep of Westminster at Oak Mountain March 22-23.

Needing the two wins to put themselves in a good position to make the playoffs, the Jackets stepped up and answered with back-to-back wins of 10-0 and 17-1 to improve to 2-2 in the area.

The Yellow Jackets also won the final game of the series, which doesn’t count toward the area standings, by a final score of 11-1 to complete an impressive three games.

In the opening game of the series on Wednesday night, Vincent outhit Westminster 10-3 en route to the 10-0 shutout victory.

Aiden Poe was a big reason for keeping the Knights in check, as he put together a complete-game effort, striking out nine and giving up just three hits and one walk with no runs in the shutout effort.

The offense also gave him some early run support with an RBI single from Easton Fields in the top of the first for a quick 1-0 lead.

That was all of the action through the first two innings, and while it ultimately would have been enough, Vincent’s offense started rolling in the third.

The Yellow Jackets scored five runs in the third inning to extend the lead to 6-0, and then, after a scoreless fourth, they came back to the plate and tacked on four more in the top of the fifth to take a 10-0 lead, which led to the run-rule win shortly after.

Grayson Gulde led the team with three hits in three plate appearances, while Zac Carlisle and Fields both finished with two hits and one RBI. Ray Albright and Zack Wright both finished with one hit and two RBIs, while Mattson Davis totaled two RBIs. Casen Fields added one hit for Vincent, while Poe finished with an RBI on three walks.

In the second game, the pitching was just as dominant, as Carlisle took to the mound and put together a complete-game effort of his own, but the offense took it a step further.

After the 10-run performance a day earlier, the Yellow Jackets put together 18 hits and 17 runs this time around for the 17-1 victory.

This time around, it was Camden Cobb who led the team at the plate with three hits and five RBIs, while Aiden Gaseway finished 3-for-3 with one RBI. Carlisle and Albright each finished with two hits and an RBI in the win, while Poe finished with a 2-for-3 game at the plate.

Nolan Kratz added two RBIs on one hit, while Gulde and Easton Fields both finished with a hit and one RBI.

On the mound, Carlisle gave up two hits and one unearned run with a walk, while he struck out three in the complete-game win.

After the win, Vincent had improved to 12-3 overall on the season and 2-2 in area play.