Pierce County captured two of its three games splitting on the road and finishing the week with a home shutout.
The seventh-ranked Bears (6-3) knocked off Class 4A Wayne County 6-2 in Jesup Tuesday, February 25 for a split in the season series. The Yellow Jackets (8-2) prevailed 4-2 in eight innings in the February 10 season opener in Bearville.
Toombs County (4-5) tripped up errorprone PCHS 8-5 Wednesday, February 26 in Lyons handing the Bears a second loss in three games following a four-game winning streak.
Pierce County closed out the threegame slate Friday, February 28 blanking visiting Southeast Bulloch 11-0 in five innings. The loss was the third in four games for the Yellow Jackets (3-4).
The Bears traveled Tuesday, March 4 to Vidalia to wrap up the season series against the Indians. Toombs County visits Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m.
PCHS begins Region 3 action Tuesday, March 11 hosting Tattnall County. The three-game series shifts Thursday, March 13 to Reidsville with the finale set for Friday, March 14 in Bearville. All three games being at 6 p.m.
No. 7 Bears..................................6 Wayne County.............................2
JESUP — Pierce County broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning putting together back-to-back three-run uprisings to beat the Yellow Jackets.
PCHS’s Jaxton Harris (5 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 K, 1 BB, 2 HBP) and Wayne County’s Tate Altman (4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 5 K, 1 BB) locked up in a pitching duel for four innings. Harris allowed three base runners with Altman having two reach.
Mark Sweet (1-for-2) drew a leadoff walk to start the Bears’ fifth. After Dylan Figueroa (2-for-2) laced a one-out double putting runners at second and third, Beck Hodges’ sacrifice bunt was booted allowing both Sweet and Figueroa to score for a 2-0 lead. Jones Herrin followed the second out with a double scoring Beck.
Wayne County scored in the bottom of the fifth on a one-out, solo homer by Isaiah Lee (1-for-2) cutting the margin to 3-1.
PCHS extended the lead to 6-1 with a three-run sixth against Teb Craven (1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 K, 0 BB, 1 WP).
Emmitt Hall (1-for-3) lined a leadoff single. Courtesy runner Braxton McCook moved to second on a groundout and advanced to third on a wild pitch.
McCook scored on Sweet’s infield hit. Figueroa blasted a two-out, two-run homer two batters later sending a 1-0 pitch over the fence in left for a five-run advantage.
Wayne County chased home a run in the sixth against Hall (2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 K, 0 BB). Dekan Yeomans (1-for-3) laced a one-out double, advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Rowan Blanton’s (2-for-3) infield hit.
Hall fanned two of the three Yellow Jacket batters he faced in the seventh.
Toombs County...........................8 No. 7 Bears..................................5
LYONS — Toombs County took advantage of six errors by the Bears in the first two innings to score eight runs in garnering the win.
The Bulldogs’ first two batters reached on consecutive errors off consecutive pitches. The third batter was hit by a Herrin (2 IP, 3 H, 8 R, 1 ER, 2 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP) loading the bases.
A one-out, run-scoring single was followed by a two-base throwing error scoring two and another run-scoring single for a 40 lead. A flyout to Sweet and throw out at the plate to catcher Jonathan Stone for a doubleplay ended the inning.
Toombs County scored four times in the second to open up an 8-0 lead. Back-to-back walks and a fielder’s choice sacrifice bunt loaded the bases.
The Bulldogs scored on a groundout, an error and two runs on a two-out error. PCHS committed one more fielding error before the inning ended.
The Bears pushed home three runs in the third inning. Stone (1-for-4) hit a leadoff double and continued around the bases to score on an error for the first run.
Hall (1-for-3) walked and Dylan Johnson (1-for-3) singled ahead of Sweet’s sacrifice bunt. Both runners scored when Jack McClellan’s ensuing grounder was thrown away cutting the deficit to 8-3.
PCHS plated two runs in the seventh. Hodges led off with a walk, stole second and raced to third on a wild pitch. After a walk to Chance Williams, Herrin (1-for-4) reached on a push bunt loading the bases.
Hall delivered a tworun single pulling the Bears to within 8-5 bringing the tying run to the plate. Toombs County was able to survive with consecutive strikeouts to end the game.
No. 7 Bears .............11 Southeast Bulloch....0
BEARVILLE — PCHS used a six-run second inning to break the game open in beating the Yellow Jackets.
Hall (4 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 8 K, 1 BB) was the beneficiary of the Bears’ offensive explosion. He stranded a runner in the first inning, two in the second, and escaped a oneout, bases loaded situation in the third inning with a pair of strikeouts.
Pierce County drew first blood with a run in its opening at bat. Williams (2-for-3) drew a leadoff walk and moved up when Herrin (3-for-4) lined a first-pitch single.
Afer both moved up on a passed ball, Hall (1-for-3) walked loading the bases with one out. Williams scored one offering later on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead. Two strikeouts ended the inning.
An error and a single left two runners on in Southeast Bulloch’s second turn at bat.
PCHS sent 11 batters to the plate in the second inning with six scoring for a 7-0 lead. Eight straight batters reached following an out to start the frame.
Harris walked and Hodges was hit by a pitch. Williams singled home Harris with Hodges scoring when the ball was misplayed on the throw to third for a 3-0 lead.
Herrin’s infield pop was dropped allowing Williams to advance to third putting runners on the corners. A passed ball followed scoring Williams with Herrin moving to second. Herrin raced home when Stone’s (1-for-3) grounder was booted increasing the margin to 5-0.
A single by Hall and a four-pitch walk to Johnson loaded the bases. Sweet’s (1-for-3) ensuing single scored Figueroa and McCook, who were courtesy running for Stone and Hall respectively, for a 7-0 lead.
SEB loaded the bases in the third inning on an error and back-to-back, one-out singles. Hall got a swinging strikeout and called third strike to get out of the jam.
The Bears put the game away in the bottom of the fourth scoring four times to build an 11-0 lead.
Johnson drew a leadoff walk, moved up on a groundout and raced home on McClellan’s (1for-3) single which was followed by a walk to Figueroa.
Following a wild pitch advancing the runners, a Hodges groundout scored McClellan for a 9-0 advantage. Williams delivered a run-scoring single with Herrin lacing a run-scoring double two pitches later to finish up the scoring.
Brantley Willis worked the fifth in relief of Hall fanning one and walking one.
First baseman Dylan Figueroa prepares to field a short-hop throw in the Bears’ victory against visiting Southeast Bulloch. Photo By RICK HEAD
