FLEMING ISLAND – Ridgeview High got sterling pitching from Evan Wickeri and Richie Long to stifle the Fleming Island High bats to produce a 4-0 non-district win for the Panthers in the home opener “under the lights” for the Golden Eagles.

On Mon., March 12, Ridgeview came back from a 5-2 fourth inning gap to Middleburg to win 13-5. The Panthers took a 6-5 lead in the fifth on a triple from Maury Gonzalez and an RBI single from Brandon Dumas. Dumas came in to pitch in relief of Richie Long and got the win for the Panthers. Ridgeview improved to 5-3 overall.

With a sparse crowd attending the newly-installed field lights at Fleming Island High School, Wickeri and Fleming Island pitcher Aiden Mastantuno controlled the offense to the tune of a walk and two flyouts for Mastantuno in the first inning followed by two strikeouts and a flyout to centerfield from Wickeri as both teams failed to generate any offense until an error in the second inning on a fly ball from Brandon Dumas scored Maury Gonzalez for the Panthers. Gonzalez singled to get on base.

In the bottom of the third, Ridgeview executed a nifty double play from Gonzalez at second to Dumas on second base to first baseman Austin Kittle on a Chase Summers grounder.

In the fifth inning, Ridgeview added to their score with singles from Dumas and Carlos Gonzalez to set up a double from Anthony Roman into left field as the Panthers went up 3-0. Kittle, who had walked before Roman’s double, scored off a sacrifice bunt from Wickeri for the fourth run.

Wickeri smashed the Fleming Island batting lineup in the ensuing at-bat with three strikeouts; all with third strike swings.

Wickeri got to the seventh inning before Richie Long finished the game with a strikeout and flyout to end the game.