Ware County’s junior varsity Gators stretched their unbeaten streak to four games taking the home-and-home series with Tattnall County.
The Gators (5-2-1) beat the visiting Warriors 11-2 Monday, March 3 in the series opener. They followed with a 10-6 victory Wednesday, March 5 in Reidsville.
Ware County hosted Toombs County Monday, March 10 in a doubleheader. Lowndes visits today (Wednesday, March 12) at 5 p.m.
The Gators travel Monday, March 17 to Coffee and host the Trojans Wednesday, March 19.
Gators.....................11 Tattnall Co. ..............2
Ware County capitalized on the control issues by the Warriors’ pitchers who walked 12, uncorked seven wild pitches and hit two batters.
Keaton Holloway (5 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 9 K, 1 BB, 2 HBP) and Tanner Lairsey (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 2 BB) combined on a three-hit, 10-strikeout performance.
Tattnall County scored in the second inning on a passed ball for a 1-0 lead courtesy of two walks and a balk putting runners in scoring position.
The Gators responded in the bottom of the frame with a run to even the score at 1-apiece. Chaden Carter (1-for-2) stroked a leadoff single and moved around to third on a pair of passed balls. Consecutive walks to Lucas Howard and Eli Watkins loaded the bases ahead of a wild pitch allowing Carter to score.
Ware County grabbed the lead for good in the bottom of the third plating two runs for a 3-1 advantage. Brodie Burchett (1for-1) drew a leadoff walk, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a second wild pitch breaking the tie.
Garrison Joyner (1-for-4) followed one out later with a bloop single. He raced to third on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on a wild pitch.
Tattnall County cut the deficit to 3-2 with a run in the fifth. A leadoff hit batter, sacrifice bunt and runscoring single followed.
The Gators blew the game open with a five-run bottom of the fifth to stretch the margin to 8-2. Burchett walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and stole third. After Zeke Gillis walked, he moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Joyne with Burchett staying at third.
Holloway (1-for-2) followed with a run-scoring single driving home the first run of the uprising. Gillis scored when Lairsey’s (1-for-2) ensuing grounder was booted into a two-base error for a 5-2 lead.
Following a walk to Carter loading the bases, Howard drew a walk forcing home Holloway. A wild pitch plated Lairsey with a Watkins’ groundout driving home Carter for the final run and a six-run advantage.
Ware County chased home three runs in the bottom of the sixth. Trace Crosby walked to start the rally and Burchett followed with an infield hit. Joyner’s one-out popup was booted into a twobase error scoring Crosby.
Burchett raced home on a wild pitch ahead of Holloway getting hit for a 102 lead. Lairsey’s sacrifice bunt scored Joyner with the last run.
Gators....................10 Tattnall Co...............6
REIDSVILLE — The Gators used a seven-run second inning to build a lead it would not relinquish in beating Tattnall County.
Holloway (2-for-3) led off the second with a double and moved to third on Carter’s (1-for-3) bunt. Both runners scored on Watkins’ (1-for-3) ensuing base hit.
Howard (1-for-1) followed with a base hit with Burchett (1-for-4) reaching on a sacrifice bunt loading the bases. Gillis was hit by a pitch forcing home run for a 3-0 lead.
After Howard scored on a wild pitch, Joyner (1-for-3) walked re-loading the bases. Isaiah White’s (2for-4) infield hit plated a run for a 5-0 advantage. Lairsey’s sacrifice fly drove in a run with the last scoring on a passed ball.
Ware County extended the lead to 9-0 with two runs in the sixth. Howard drew a one-out walk with Joyner keeping the inning alive with a two-out single. White followed with a run-scoring hit. An error on a ball hit by Lairsey allowed Joyner to score.
Tattnall County scored four times in the bottom of the inning cutting the lead to 9-4. A leadoff hit batter was followed by a first-pitch, two-run homer.
Consecutive singles followed the roundtripper. Both runners raced home on a two-out single.
The Gators added a run in the seventh for a 10-4 advantage. Holloway ripped a leadoff double, stole third and scored on a wild pitch.
The Warriors pushed home two runs in the bottom of the inning after two outs and nobody on. A double, walk and hit batter loaded the bases. An error on a grounder scored the first run with a balk scoring the second run.
