Justin Cook gave First Colonial just what it needed coming off its first loss of the season last week.
The senior standout played the Patriots’ starter role from the mound and from the plate against Ocean Lakes at home Thursday.
Cook retired the side in the top of the first in 10 pitches. Then, in the bottom of the inning, he set the tone offensively by blasting a two-run home run to left center to give the Patriots an early 3-0 lead they wouldn’t relinquish en route to a 6-3 win.
“I think it relaxed him without a doubt,” First Colonial head coach Scott Stubbe said of Cook’s early cushion against a tough lineup. “It also helped us, after we took one in the chin last week with our first loss. Bouncing back and finding a way to get out quickly was a big help.
Cook retired 14 of the first 16 batters he faced before a couple of hiccups in the sixth and seventh inning resulted in three Dolphins runs.
The righty mostly quieted a hard-hitting lineup, allowing three runs off five hits and two walks. He struck out four in 6 1/3 innings.
“Since he’s been here, he’s done everything for us,” Stubbe said. “He’s our leader. He always gives us some good opportunities.”
Ocean Lakes didn’t go quietly in the seventh inning.
Junior Tommy Green relieved Cook in the top of the seventh and closed the curtain on a late Dolphins rally that had runners on second and third and the tying run at the plate on two occasions.
First Colonial (14-1) came out firing in the first inning against Ocean Lakes starter Nate Clements.
Junior center fielder Alec Giles singled up the middle and later scored on an error before Cook’s homer. Junior shortstop Chin Moss singled and scored on a sacrifice fly from left fielder Evan Sawyer to give the Patriots a 4-0 lead after the first.
The Patriots added a run in the bottom of the fifth off a Sawyer RBI single that scored Moss again.
Ocean Lakes’ (11-5) bats awoke in the top of the sixth inning. Garrett Strenn singled, Casey Fonville doubled to center, and shortstop Chase Counts lined a two-run triple. Counts scored on a sacrifice fly from Corey Hinds.
In the bottom of the sixth, First Colonial’s Graham Firoved scored on a wild pitch from Hinds to make it 6-3.
Giles left his mark all over the field. He made two highlight-reel diving catches that saved potential extra base hits, hit 2-for-3 from the lead off spot and stole two bases.
“He’s kind of our spark plug,” Stubbe said. “He just does a lot of things the right way and I can’t say enough about him.”
Clements, Counts and Hinds combined to give up just six hits in six innings against one of the Beach’s deepest lineups. The Dolphins’ five fielding errors proved costly.
“Just made too many mistakes,” Dolphins coach Pete Zell said. “You just can’t do that against a solid team like that.”
The Patriots left eight runners on base, three of them in scoring position. The Dolphins left four on, stranding two in scoring position.
Weather permitting, the two Coastal heavyweights will play the second game of their regular season series at 5 p.m. Friday at Ocean Lakes.
“It’s kind of cool like a true baseball season going back to back,” Stubbe said.
Ocean Lakes hopes its late rally in the sixth and seventh innings carries into the rematch.
“We’re always confident,” Zell added. “We’ll be ready.”
