Ware County’s junior varsity split a doubleheader with visiting Brantley County, the second time the Gators have split on the young season.
Jeff Davis posted a 7-4 home win Wednesday, February 12 with the Gators (2-2) winning 7-5 a day later at home.
The Herons captured Game 1 of the Monday, February 17 doubleheader 10-4. Ware County notched a 12-0 victory in the nightcap. The opener went five innings with the finale called in the bottom of the fourth via the mercy rule.
The Gators hosted Appling County Monday, February 24 and traveled Tuesday, February6 25 to Baxley.
Game 1 Herons .....................................................10 Ware County ..............................................4
The Herons scored the final eight runs over the last two innings to rally from a two-run deficit for the win.
Brantley County’s Rylee Young (3 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 3 K, 3 BB, 2 WP) and Ellis Westover (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 3 BB) combined for the win.
The Gators used a trio of pitchers with Lucas Howard (3 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 5 K, 2 BB, 1 WP), Tanner Lairsey (0 IP, 0 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 K, 4 BB) and Eli Watkins (2 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP) working from the bump.
Ware County struck first with a run in its first at bat. Isaiah White reached on a two-out, two-base error to extend the inning. Lairsey followed a White theft of third with a walk. Colt Cox (1-for-2) delivered a first-pitch, run-scoring single.
The Herons plated a pair of runs in the top of the second. Cain Roberson and Parker Rentz opened the inning with back-to-back walks. A one-out wild pitch advancing both runners was followed by Westover (1-for-2) reaching on an error scoring Roberson to tie the score. Ethan Sherrord’s ensuing groundout plated Rentz for a 2-1 lead.
The Gators evened the score at 2-all in the bottom of the inning. Chaden Carter drew a one-out walk, advanced to second on a two-out wild pitch, and scored on Howard’s (1-for-2) single.
Ware County recaptured a short-lived lead in the bottom of the third scoring twice for a 4-2 lead. Zeke Gillis (1-for-3) lined a leadoff single, stole second and third, and scored on a wild pitch for a 3-2 advantage.
Keaton Holloway reached on a two-base error, stole second and scored on a throwing error for a two-run lead.
Brantley County chased home six runs in the top of the fourth to grab an 8-4 lead. Walks to Roberson, Rentz and Young started the inning loading the bases. Roberson scored on a wild pitch cutting the deficit in half at 4-3 with Westover drawing a walk to reload the bases.
A passed ball plated Rentz tying the score. A twobase, two-run error on a ball hit by Sherrod gave the Herons a 6-4 lead. Sherrod advanced to third on a passed ball ahead of a walk to Cullen Bass (1-for-2), who stole second to get into scoring position. Sherrod raced home on Tallen Collins’ ground out with Bass, who moved to third, scoring on a passed ball.
The Herons plated two runs in the fifth to round out the scoring. Roberson was hit by the first pitch of the inning and moved to second when a liner by Rentz was misplayed.
After both runners moved up on a wild pitch, a one-out bloop single by Westover scored Roberson with Rentz advancing to second. Following a walk to Sherrod loading the bases, Bass lifted a sacrifice fly to center with Rentz tagging and scoring for a 10-4 lead.
Game 2 Ware County ..........12 Herons ....................0
Ware County’s Cox tossed a two-hit, complete game shutout in the nightcap to get the split.
The Gators scored in each of their four trips to the plate plating all the runs Cox (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 K, 2 BB) would need with a three-run first against Brantley County’s Dennis Raulerson (2 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 4 BB, 1 HBP).
Dalton Bennett (.2 IP, 0 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 K, 5 BB, 3 WP) and Rentz (1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP) also worked for the Herons.
Holloway (1-for-2) reached on a one-out error and moved up on a walk to White (1-for-1). After Holloway stole third, Lairsey executed a sacrifice bunt scoring Holloway for a 1-0 lead.
Following a walk to Cox (2-for-2), White stole third and scored on an error. Cox, who moved to second on the errant throw, stole third and scored on the second errant throw of the inning.
The Gators made the score 4-0 in the second on a two-out single by White. Gillis extended the inning reaching on a two-out, two-base error and scored on White’s hit.
Ware County sent 11 batters to the plate during a six-run third inning. Lairsey opened the home half reaching on a threebase error. Cox followed with a run-scoring single, stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball, and scored one pitch later on a passed ball for a 6-0 lead.
Carter and Trace Crosby drew consecutive one-out walks and moved up on a passed ball. Carter scored on a wild pitch with Crosby advancing to third ahead of a walk to Howard.
After a walk to Gillis loaded the bases, Holloway walked pushing home Crosby for an 8-0 advantage. White’s bloop single scored Gillis and Howard extending the margin to 10-0.
The Gators ended the game in the bottom of the fourth. Cox laced a single and advanced to second when the ball was bobbled. After a walk to Ryder McKinnon, Landon Walker was hit by a pitch loading the bases. Both Cox and McKinnon eventually scored ending the game.
