varsity.roanoke.com

No teeming mobs met him after he rounded first base. The home fans didn't erupt with overwhelming noise.

In fact, some of them might not have even realized what Ted Lyle had just accomplished.

The Cave Spring senior had just collected his first career walk-off hit -- if you want to get technical.

"Might as well," Lyle said with a grin.

Lyle poked an RBI single over the drawn-in infield in the bottom of the fifth inning, triggering the mercy rule in the Knights' 12-2 victory Monday over visiting Pulaski County in the opening round of the River Ridge District baseball tournament.

Lyle batted sparingly this season before smacking two doubles in Friday's regular-season finale against these same Cougars. He started Monday's game in left field and was replaced in the batting order by designated hitter Jeremy Wimmer.

But with the Knights (10-9) comfortably ahead when Wimmer's spot came up in the fifth, Cave Spring coach David Dunstan let Lyle hit for himself with the bases loaded. Lyle served Tyler Frazier's final offering into shallow center field for the win.

"Hey, it's a line drive in the paper," Dunstan said. "That's what seniors are supposed to do. He's been around for a while, so he knows the deal."

The third-seeded Knights advance to face second-seeded Blacksburg in Wednesday's 7 p.m. semifinal at Kiwanis Field. They enter confidently after an 11-hit outburst against the sixth-seeded Cougars (6-12), who went winless in district play.

"We've had a rough year," Pulaski County coach Doug Dunavant said. "We knew coming in with the lack of experience that we had, basically a whole new team out there, we knew it could be rough on us.

"But Cave's got a good team. They swing the bats."

Nobody swung it better Monday than junior shortstop Luke Feldenzer, who went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. His three-run triple in the second helped Cave Spring bolt to a 5-0 lead.

"I always thought I was better at defense than offense, but it's kind of turned around this year," said Feldenzer, who batted .509 during the regular season. "I've hit better than I've been in the field."

He's still good there, though. He made a dazzling play in the hole to retire Frazier in the top of the fifth.

"He's the best shortstop in this district, by far," Lyle said. "I wouldn't doubt it for a second."

While Luke Watson's third-inning homer provided Pulaski's only runs, every Cave Spring starter either notched a hit or scored a run. Aaron Clary went 2-for-2 with two RBIs, and Carter Mull also drove in two with a pair of singles. Nathan Wimmer got the scoring started with a blistering single off the wall in left in the first.

The Knights dropped both games to Blacksburg during the regular season -- by scores of 12-2 and 6-0 -- but are looking forward to Wednesday.

"If we hit like we did today," Feldenzer said, "that'll take care of it."

Pulaski County 002 00 -- 2 6 2

Cave Spring 1 4 1 42 -- 12 11 1

Stone, Frazier (4) and Dalton; Koll, Dionnes (4) and Wimmer. W--Koll. L--Stone. HR--Watson (PC), 3^rd, one on.