Ware County allows two hits in three games outscoring Phoenix 46-0
Fourth-ranked Ware County opened Region 1AAAA play with a threegame sweep of overmatched New Hampstead allowing just two hits and outscoring the punchless Phoenix 46-0.
The Gators (16-1 overall, 3-0 region), who dropped a spot in the MaxPreps poll, are riding a seven-game winning streak after the sweep. They opened the series at home Tuesday, March 11 with a 15-0 no-hit victory in three innings over the 33rd-ranked Phoenix (54, 0-3).
Ware County copped the Friday, March 14 twinbill with a pair of five-inning, one-hit shutouts. The Gators posted a 17-0 victory in Game 1 and took the nightcap 14-0.
Ware traveled Tuesday (March 18) to 29thranked Perry (3-7, 0-3), who was swept by thidranked Wayne County (13-2, 3-0), in the opener of the three-game series with the Panthers. The two teams will play a doubleheader Friday, March 21 beginning at 4 p.m.
Warner Robins, ranked 38th, visits Tuesday, March 25 for a 5 p.m. first pitch. The Gators hit the road for a doubleheader Friday, March 28 with Game 1 starting at 4:30 p.m.
Game 1 No. 4 Gators...........15 New Hampstead......0
Evan Joiner tossed a three-inning no-hitter facing the minimum nine batters in pitching Ware County past the Phoenix.
Joiner needed just 35 pitches. A leadoff walk in the second inning was the only blemish on his pitching line that included six strikeouts.
New Hampstead made contact with five pitches, two ending with groundouts and three fouled off. Half of Joiners 24 strikes were swings and misses, including all six strikeout pitches.
The Gators plated more than enough runs for Joiner in the first inning scoring four times.
Cole Cox (2-for-2), one of four players with a multi-hit game, led off the home half with a double — the first of four consecutive batters reaching in a 10-pitch sequence. Slade Sweat (3-for-3) followed with a run-scoring triple.
After Seth Suess (1-for-2) reached on an error scoring Sweat for a 2-0 lead, Walker Hudson (1for-2) doubled putting runners at second and third. Suess scored on a wild pitch with Hudson’s courtesy runner Landon Taylor advancing to third and scoring on Bryce Dixon’s (1-for-3) groundout extending the margin to 4-0.
Evan Pearson (2-for-2) opened the five-run second inning with a single ahead of a four-pitch walk to Luke Hooks. A second consecutive four-pitch walk to Cox loaded the bases with nobody out.
Sweat followed with a two-run single pushing the lead out to 6-0. A fourpitch walk to Suess reloaded the bases. Hudson’s four-pitch walk forced home Cox.
Joiner (2-for-3) followed the first out of the inning with a two-run single for a 9-0 advantage to help his own cause.
Ware County ended the game with one out in the third after scoring six times. Seven of the eight batters reached starting with consecutive walks to Pearson and Hooks.
Three consecutive runscoring doubles followed in a five-pitch sequence. Cox laced a first-pitch two-run double followed by Sweat’s first-pitch runscoring double. Suess delivered a run-scoring double off a 1-1 pitch for a 13-0 lead.
Dixon lined a one-out, first-pitch run-scoring single, stole second and third, and scored on Joiner’s base hit off a 3-0 pitch ending the game.
Game 2 No. 4 Gators ...........17 New Hampstead......0
SAVANNAH — Ware County took advantage of 10 walks, seven hit batters and 12 stolen bases while collecting five hits in dismantling the Phoenix over five innings.
Suess (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 8 K, 1 BB), Sweat and Reid Kirkland combined for the shutout. A leadoff single in the second was New Hampstead’s lone base hit. Sweat and Kirkland each worked a hitless inning fanning two. Kirkland issued a walk.
The Gators scored in each of their five at bats highlighted by a pair of five-run innings in the first and third .
Hudson led Ware County at the plate going 2-for-3. Grant Geiger, Cox and Joiner had the other hits.
Three consecutive oneout walks to Sweat, Suess and Hudson loaded the bases in the first inning.
Sweat and Taylor, courtesy running for Suess, each scored on an error with Zeke Gillis, running for Hudson, advancing to third.
Joiner lined a run-scoring hit and eventually scored on a throwing error while stealing third. Cox was hit by a two-out pitch with the bases loaded plating the final run.
The margin was extended to 6-0 in the second. Dixon was hit by a two-out pitch, Joiner walked and Landon Smallwood was hit by a pitch loading the bases. Dixon scored on a passed ball.
During the five-run third to open an 11-0 lead, Cox stole home, Hudson delivered a run-scoring single, Gillis scored on a passed ball, an error allowed a run in and Joiner raced home on a wild pitch.
Hudson blasted a two-out, tworun homer in the fourth upping the lead to 13-0 after Geiger delivered a pinch-hit single.
Joiner scored the final run racing home on a two-out error.
Game 3 No. 4 Gators........................14 New Hampstead...................0
SAVANNAH — The Gators scored crooked numbers in four innings to take the five-inning series finale.
Ware County banged out 15 hits with five players having multi-hit games. Hooks led the way going 3for-4. Sweat and Pearson were each 2-for-4. Suess finished 2-for-3 while Joiner went 2-for-2.
Sweat followed Cox’s (1-for-3) leadoff single and two stolen bases with a run-scoring hit. Sweat stole second, advanced to third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Hudson for a 2-0 lead in the first inning.
That was more than enough runs for Dixon (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP) and Logan Hatcher (2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB).
A five-run second extended the Gators’ lead to 7-0. Sweat drove in the first two runs with a bases loaded groundout. Suess followed with a two-run double and Joiner blooped a two-out, run-scoring single.
Ware County plated four runs in the third in building an 11-0 advantage. Cox lifted a sacrifice fly to left with the bases loaded, Sweat followed with a sacrifice fly with Hudson’s two-out, two-run single finishing off the uprising.
The Gators chased home six run in the top of the fifth sending 10 batters to the plate. Suess lined a tworun single, Hudson hit a sacrifice fly, pinch-hitter Isaiah White produced a two-out, run-scoring double with Pearson following with a two-run single on the ensuing pitch.
