VALDOSTA — Valdosta High used a six-run third inning to defeat archrival Lowndes 6-1 Tuesday night at Noel George Field.

The Wildcats took advantage of three key Lowndes miscues in their big third inning, and got strong pitching from Kyle Rowe to win the game.

“Pitching and defense was the difference in the game, without a doubt,” Valdosta head coach Bart Shuman said.

Rowe (5-0) allowed one run, seven hits and only walked one. He hit three batters, but struck out five. He also defeated Lowndes last year on the same field.

“Give Kyle Rowe credit,” Shuman said. “He was around the strike zone, and our defense played well behind him.”

The win improved Valdosta’s record to 11-1, and 4-0 in Region 1-AAAAA. The Wildcats moved up to No. 3 in the Class AAAAA poll this week.

Tuesday’s game was scoreless for the first two innings. Valdosta put runners in scoring position in each of the first two innings, but Lowndes starter Matt McCall made a big pitch to get out of the inning each time.

Then in the third inning, Lowndes’ gloves betrayed them.

McCall retired two of the first three batters, and seemed on the verge of getting out of the inning when Valdosta’s Jamie Turner hit a ground ball to third base. But LHS third baseman Brent Strickland booted the ball, and Turner reached base safely. Earl Daniels followed with a single, loading the bases.

Then Chad Prain hit a ground ball into the hole. Trying to make a difficult play, Lowndes shortstop Parker Pridgen charged the ball, but the ball went under his glove and rolled away. Wesley Welch and Turner raced across home plate to score the first two runs of the game.

Valdosta’s Stuart Brooks lined a single up the middle, scoring Daniels. Then Harrison West hit a chopper that handcuffed second baseman Kevin McDowell. When McDowell could not field the ball cleanly, Prain scored. Brooks kept running, and crossed the plate, too, to make it 5-0 Wildcats.

Taylor Prain followed with a routine fly ball to right field. But right fielder Brandon Gilbert missed the ball, and it rolled to the fence, allowing West to score. When the dust settled, Valdosta had a 6-0 lead.

“We scored all six runs with two outs,” Shuman said. “They gave us a couple of extra outs, and we took advantage of them. That was the difference in the game.”

Those six unearned runs would be Valdosta’s only runs Tuesday. But thanks to Rowe’s pitching and flawless defense by the Wildcats, they would be more than enough.

“They outplayed us,” Lowndes head coach Danny Redshaw said. “They made the plays. We didn’t. That (killed us).”