LONDON — South Laurel baseball coach Trey Smith and his family celebrated a special day as South Laurel High School honored his late father, G.J. Smith, with a field dedication.
The Cardinals marked the occasion with an important 4-0 victory over defending state champion Whitley County, handing the Colonels their first 50th District loss of the season on Monday.
The Cardinals are now 15-8 overall and 3-2 against 50th District competition while the Colonels are 15-8 and 4-1.
Trey Smith expressed pride in his team’s performance, noting that his father would have been proud of the accomplishment.
“There is no question about that,” he said. “He would have been right up on the hill watching this game just like if I was on the mound (pitching). I knew it would be an emotional night. Our guys knew what we were going up against, and Whitley County is a very good team. For us to get a win tonight was great. I can not express how proud I am of our guys. They stayed composed and played their best game.”
The game saw South Laurel take an early lead with a run in the first inning, followed by two more runs in the third inning and another run in the fourth inning.
Pitcher Will Alsip delivered a stellar performance, pitching a complete game, allowing no runs on five hits, and striking out two batters.
Smith was pleased with Alsip’s dominating effort against the Colonels.
“He put us in a position to compete tonight,” he said. “It was a big win, and now we give ourselves a chance tomorrow. With Will pitching the entire game, it gives us a chance tomorrow. We’ve got all kinds of arms to throw.”
Key offensive contributions came from Waylon Hensley and Keaton Creech with run-scoring hits, while Hunter Bundy crossed the plate twice. Jack Vaughn and Tyler Curry also added runs to secure the victory.
The evening was further highlighted by the presence of former players at the field dedication, honoring G.J. Smith’s legacy.
“He put everything he had in every single inning he coached,” Trey Smith said about his father.
