The timing was right for Boyd-Buchanan and especially Brandon Willingham.
The senior right-hander struck out nine in a complete game as he and the Buccaneers beat Silverdale Baptist 7-2 in District 5-A baseball Tuesday.
Willingham also went 3-for-3 with three doubles and three RBIs as Boyd-Buchanan salvaged a split in its two-game series with the Seahawks, who won 15-7 on Monday.
"He pitched a great game," SBA coach Jonathan Adcock said after Willingham's six-hitter. "It's obvious he's not just a fastball pitcher anymore. He has some good off-speed pitches, which make him even more effective."
Willingham had his best showing of the year at a point in the season when the Bucs most needed it. They finished 5-A play with a 6-2 record, which currently leaves them a game behind Silverdale. However, the Seahawks still have two games to play against Grace Academy in a couple of weeks.
"If we win the rest of our district games, we'll be OK," Adcock said of a possible district championship and the top seed for the first postseason tournament.
"If it stays like it is now, they'll be No. 1 and we'll be No. 2," Boyd-Buchanan coach Taylor Gilley said.
However, the Bucs kept the pressure on with the victory, which was made much easier because of Willingham's performance.
"That's his best showing for sure. He had lost some velocity early (in the season), but he hasn't missed a start," Gilley said. "He hit his spots, stayed low and used his defense. Then he had three great at-bats."
The biggest of Willingham's three doubles came in the fifth inning, when his line shot to left field scored a pair of teammates and pushed the Bucs' advantage to 6-2. Cooper Hodge's sacrifice fly then brought in their final run.
"We'll take his arm right now," Gilley said when asked which he liked best from Willingham. "We'll take both, but we also like his bat a whole lot."
Willingham has matured since last season, seemingly taking much more in stride, but he agreed with Gilley's assessment.
"This was my best performance. The command was there; the velocity was there," he said. "Getting ahead in the count was huge. I'm glad to be back where I need to be."
He was pleased also with his plate showing.
"It's starting to come along consistently," he said. "Remembering you have three strikes, relaxing and waiting on your pitch is the big thing."
E.J. Matthews and Thomas Baker also had RBIs for Boyd-Buchanan. Blake Howard and Noah Rogers accounted for the Seahawks' runs.
Contact Ward Gossett at wgossett@timesfreepress.com or 423-886-4765. Follow him at Twitter.com/wardgossett.