Ware County’s baseball Gators sandwiched two victories around their first loss of the season during a three-game slate of action.
The seventh-ranked Gators (8-1) completed the season sweep of Class A DI Thomasville (3-6) beating the Bulldogs 9-2 on the road Tuesday, February 25. Ware County posted a 10-0 no-hitter at home February 20.
Colquitt County (3-6) ended Ware County’s early season seven-game run notching an 8-2 victory Wednesday, February 26. The win gave the two programs a split in the season series with Ware County posting a 10-4 decision in the February 10 season opener in Moultrie.
The Gators bounced back Friday, February 28 rallying grom a 3-0 deficit to double up visiting Appling County 6-3. The Class AA pre-season topranked Pirates are 4-6.
Ware County finishes out it’s pre-Region 1AAAA schedule this week with three games. The Gators traveled Monday, March 3 to Vidalia with the Indians making the return trip Thursday, March 6 for a 6 p.m. start. Ware County wraps up the season series with Appling County traveling Friday, March 7 to Baxley for a 6 p.m. first pitch.
New Hampstead visits Tuesday, March 11 in the 5 p.m. region opener for both programs. Ware County travels Friday, March 14 to New Hampstead for doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m.
No. 7 Gators.............9 Thomasville .............2
THOMASVILLE — Walker Hudson blasted his first homer of the season among his three extra base hits driving home three runs and Seth Suess backed his pitching performance with two doubles and drove in three runs to lead the Gators.
Hudson (3-for-3) hit a run-scoring double in the third, led off the fifth with his roundtripper and stroked a run-scoring double in the sixth. Suess (2-for-3) delivered a runscoring double in the first and a two-run gapper in the sixth.
Suess worked six-plus innings allowing four hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Both runs were unearned.
The Gators struck for two runs in the first and third innings to build a 40 advantage. Cole Cox (2for-3) was hit by a one-out pitch and scored from first on the first extra base hit by Suess, who was replaced by courtesy runner Zeke Gillis.
After a walk to Slade Sweat, Ware County executed a double steal. An errant throw to third allowed Gillis to trot home for a 2-0 lead.
Thomasville’s scoring threat in the second inning was denied with two singles and a sacrifice bunt putting runners at second and third with two outs.
The Gators two-run third started with a leadoff single and stolen base by Cox. Following Sweat getting hit with one out, Hudson ripped a run-scoring double plating Cox for a 30 lead. A two-out error on a ball hit by Bryce Dixon scored Sweat.
Hudson’s first-pitch leadoff homer to start the fifth extended Ware County’s lead to 5-0.
The Gators chased home four runs in the top of the sixth to open up a 90 lead. Evan Joiner (1-for-5) started the uprising with a one-out single. Cox’s sacrifice bunt was misplayed into a two-base error putting runners at second and third.
A double by Suess drove home both runners for a 7-0 advantage. Gillis, running for Suess, scored on Hudson’s two-out double. Courtesy runner Landon Taylor scored the final run on Evan Pearson’s pinchhit single.
Thomasville scored twice in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff walk and a one-out, two-base error were followed by a tworun single pulling the Bulldogs to within 9-2.
Logan Hatcher was the seventh for Ware County allowing a hit. He recorded two strikeouts and walked two escaping unscathed with a gameending flyout with the bases loaded.
Colquitt County .......8 No. 7 Gators .............2
The visiting Packers scored the first five runs en route to handing Ware County its first loss of the season.
Colquitt County put together three two-run innings and scored single runs in two others.
The Packers scored twice in the first and twice in the second against Cox (2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP). The first inning runs came on a two-out, bases loaded single for a 2-0 lead.
Colquitt County scored on a one-out single and a two-out single in the second inning growing the lead to 4-0.
Ware County threatened in the bottom of the inning getting a leadoff double from Sweat (1-for-4). He was left stranded at third.
The Packers plated a run in the third against Sweat (3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 K, 2 BB). They loaded the bases on two singles and a walk and scored on an infield hit extending their margin to 50.
The Gators finally dented the plate with a run in the bottom of the fourth. Sweat reached on a one-out error with courtesy runner Luke Hooks racing home on Hudson’s (2-for-3) double to rightcenter two pitches later.
Colquitt County’s margin swell to 7-1 with a tworun sixth. A leadoff single was followed by a runscoring triple and a runscoring groundout.
Ware County got one run back in the bottom of the inning. Suess (3-for-4) singled to right, moved up on a groundout and scored on Hudson’s single for a 7-2 deficit.
A leadoff error in the seventh inning came around to score for the Packers on a one-out error against Pearson (2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 0 BB).
The Gators would come away empty in the bottom of the seventh. Hatcher drew a one-out walk with Cox and Suess reaching on two-out singles before the last out was recorded.
No. 7 Gators.............6 No. 1 Appling Co.......3
Ware County spotted the Pirates a 3-0 lead before rallying to take the lead in the fifth to get the win.
Trailing 3-2, the Gators grabbed their first lead four batters into the bottom of the fifth. Suess was hit by the second pitch of the inning with Sweat (2for-3) lining a double two pitches later.
Hudson (3-for-3) lifted a sacrifice fly to right scoring Suess to even the score at 3-all. Dixon (1-for-2) followed with a run-scoring single to center giving Ware County a 4-3 lead.
Dixon stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch ahead of a walk Landon Smallwood, who was removed for pinchrunner Isaiah White. Dixon swiped home on a delayed double steal for the third run of the inning for a 5-3 advantage.
The Gators added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Cox (1-for-2) drew a leadoff walk, moved into scoring postion on a groundout and swiped third. Sweat drove him home with a sacrifice fly to center.
Dixon overpowered the Appling County lineup in his two innings of work. After surrendering a leadoff single in the sixth, the right-hander struck out the next six batters — all swinging — on 27 pitches.
The Pirates jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning on a two-out, tworun home by Ethan Baltazar (3-for-3) to leftcenter off Joiner (5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 5 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP).
Appling County took advantage of a leadoff error in the third to plate its final run. The Pirates followed the miscue with a one-out single and hit batter loading the bases. Baltazar lined a 3-2 pitch to left for the RBI and a 3-0 advantage.
Ware County dented the plate in the fourth scoring twice. Hudson doubled and was removed for Taylor. A walk to Dixon followed with the runners moving up on a passed ball.
Evan Pearson followed Taylor being retired at the plate on a contact play off the bat of Smallwood with a walk loading the bases. Dixon scored on a passed ball prior to Hooks reaching when his sacrifice bunt was misplayed. Smallwood also scored on a passed ball cutting the deficit to 3-2.
