Druid Hills starting pitcher Sean Crawford goes to the plate during a hard luck 3-0 loss to St. Pius on Monday. Crawford struck out seven and allowed just three hits and three unearned runs. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Druid Hills starting pitcher Sean Crawford goes to the plate during a hard luck 3-0 loss to St. Pius on Monday. Crawford struck out seven and allowed just three hits and three unearned runs. (Photo by Mark Brock)

The Druid Hills Red Devils failed to muster any offense against St. Pius X Golden Lions’ pitcher McKale Stevenson in a tough 3-0, no-hit loss in Region 5-4A high school baseball action at Druid Hills on Monday.

It was a hard luck loss for Druid Hills starter Sean Crawford who went six innings allowing just three hits, striking out seven and allowing three unearned runs. Two of the three hits for the Lions followed errors by the Red Devils’ defense.

St. Pius got on the board in the first inning as Nolan Newsham doubled to the right-field gap and scored with two outs on an error by the Druid Hills’ infield. Crawford closed out the inning without further damage on a fly ball to left field.

Sebastian Zban reached on a walk by Stevenson but was erased on a double play. Stevenson went on to set down the next 12 Red Devils to face the minimum over five innings.

The Lions (27-2, 13-1) picked up two more unearned runs in the second inning to extend the lead to 3-0. A sacrifice fly to center by Michael Dee and an RBI single by Newsham plated the two runs. Newsham was cut down trying to stretch his hit to second as catcher Jake Brown three to Ryder Sibley to end the inning.

Crawford set down six consecutive Lion batters, four by strikeout, until the top of the fifth when another error led to a bases-loaded, and one our situation. He managed to get the next two batters to pop-up on the infield to get out of the jam.

Druid Hills catcher Jake Brown throws down to first on a strikeout in the dirt to lead off the fourth inning. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Druid Hills catcher Jake Brown throws down to first on a strikeout in the dirt to lead off the fourth inning. (Photo by Mark Brock)

Brown helped Crawford out in the top of the sixth by throwing out St. Pius baserunner Logan Lucas on a steal attempt. It would be Crawford’s final inning.

Sibley drew a walk to lead off the sixth for the Red Devils, but Stevenson buckled down with three consecutive strikeouts to end any threat Druid Hills (17-9, 10-4) had in the inning.

Zdan entered in the top of the seventh inning in relief Crawford and despite a pair of walks got out of the inning with a strikeout to keep the game within 3-0.

Druid Hills got a runner on base with no outs as Zdan reached on an error to start the inning. Stevenson answered with his tenth strikeout of the game and then his defense turned its second double play of the game to finish things off.

Nolan Newsham was the only batter in the game to get two hits as he went 2-3 at the plate with an RBI, a double and a run scored. Wesley Inghram was 1-3 to account for the only other hit of the game.

The Red Devils head into a two-game, Region 5-4A series with the Southwest DeKalb Panthers (12-13, 8-6) as both teams vie for a spot in the state playoffs next week. The Red Devils are currently in third place, one game ahead of Northview (11-14, 9-5) and two games ahead of the Panthers.