As opening-day baseball filled the air with joy at Janice Boydston Field, a community gathered to honor the late T.J. Gravitt.
The return of America's National Pastime began on a powerful note for the Lookout Valley baseball team with a 6-2 victory over Boyd Buchanan on Monday night.
This season the Yellow Jackets are dedicating their games to Gravitt, who was part of 101 victories and helped start a streak of three straight trips to the Class A state tournament and five consecutive seasons of 30 or more wins.
"The stands were packed," Lookout Valley coach Lance Rorex exclaimed. "That was because of what T.J. meant to the Valley. He was an absolute stud of a human being. Our guys felt that energy.
"He has always been a part of this baseball program. On his arm he had a Lookout Valley baseball tattoo. For T.J.'s dad (Troy) and son (Easton) to go out and throw the first pitch today was special."
T.J. would have been smiling about his alma mater's performance, which featured strong execution of small ball along with command from the mound.
The Yellow Jackets laid down six bunts, which accounted for four of their runs. Despite just three hits as a team, several batters placed the bunts where it put extreme pressure on Buccaneers fielders to hurry throws.
Senior Zane Howard provided energy throughout and began the season by lacing a double down the left-field line. The smooth-fielding shortstop took away several hits whether deep in the hole on backhands and laser throws, or by charging slow rollers. He reached base in all three plate appearances and scored each time. He stole three bases.
"Every day after practice for 30 minutes Zane is inside on the wall working glove drills," Rorex said. "You don't want to say you expect those amazing plays out of him, but you just tip your cap and say, 'Be you, buddy.' He is a leader for sure."
After a 26-9 finish last season in which Lookout Valley won the District 4-A and Region 2-A championships each by a single run over Arts & Sciences, a talented group also was thrilled by junior Cole Janeway's opening-day start.
Also laying down a perfect suicide squeeze to build a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth for insurance, Janeway was locked in on the mound.
With command of his curve and placing his fastball, Janeway logged the win as he went 5 2/3 innings in which he allowed only two hits and two walks and struck out eight. He placed two sacrifice bunts and also picked a pair of runners off second base.
"I wanted this win for the community and my teammates on opening day," Janeway said. "T.J.'s dad is my next-door neighbor, and I love their family to death. I definitely played for him tonight and will all season. To honor him really pumps us all up."
The Buccaneers received a strong start from freshman Jakob Pickett, who fanned eight batters in four innings while allowing one earned run.
Boyd Buchanan finished with three hits and had doubles by Pickett and Corey Clift. Caleb Kelley drove in the Bucs' first run in the top of the fifth, and Jacob Oliver's infield single plated the last.
With the tying run at the plate, Lookout Valley closer Jarrett Adams got a sharp line drive to Howard, who flipped to second to close out the first of what could be many wins in honor of T.J. Gravitt this season.
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.