Brantley County enjoyed its best week of the season winning a Region 1-A three-game series against Berrien while splitting four games overall.
The highlight of the week was a five inning nohitter by Kaden Hendrix in Friday night’s twinbill finale.
The Herons (2-14 overall, 1-3 region), who have dropped to No. 50 in the MaxPreps rankings, ended a 14-game losing streak dating back to the second round of the Class AA playoffs last season beating 44th-ranked Berrien (5-10, 1-6) 6-5 Tuesday, March 18 in Nashville in eight innings.
The victory was the first one-run win for Brantley County in 2025 after seven consecutive losses.
BCHS lost a wild 17-14 decision in blustery windy conditions Thursday, March 20 to visiting Class 2A 29th-ranked Tattnall County (6-11). The victory gave the Warriors the season sweep after posting a 3-2 home win February 25.
The Herons split the Friday, March 21 doubleheader. Berrien notched a 6-3 victory in the opener with the Herons riding Hendrix’s masterpiece for a 14-0 “mercy rule” victory in the nightcap.
Brantley County hosted ninth-ranked regionmate Worth County in the third round of region action Tuesday, March 25. The Herons and Rams are scheduled to play a twinbill Friday, March 28 in Sylvester beginning at 4 p.m.
BCHS travels Tuesday, April 1 to Thomasville for a 5:30 p.m. first pitch starting a five-game slate of action. Charlton County visits Thursday, April 3 for a 6:15 p.m. start. Thomasville comes to town Friday, April 4 for a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. Brantley County wraps up the week visiting Charlton County Saturday, April 5 with a 1:30 p.m. first pitch.
Game 1 Herons ....................6 Berrien.........5, 8 Inn.
NASHVILLE — Jackson Rowell’s RBI single in the eighth inning broke a 5-all tie leading the Herons to their first win of the season.
Carson Coger (2-for-4) started the extra frame with a first-pitch, leadoff single. Clark Carter (3-for-4) doubled to left-center three pitches later. Rowell (1-for-4) followed one pitch later with what proved to be the gamewinning hit to center.
Brody Howell (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP) pitched around a hit batter in the bottom of the inning to shut the door on the Rebels.
Berrien struck for two runs in its half of the first against Gaven Grafford (4 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 4 K, 2 BB, 2 HBP) for the early 20 lead. The Rebels scored without the benefit of a hit. An error on a sacrifice bunt allowed the first run to cross the plate and a dropped third strike on the second out scored the second run.
Brantley County got one run back in the top of the second. Grafford (1-for-4) lined a first-pitch, leadoff single and moved around the bases when Eli Thomas was hit by a pitch and Howell (1-for-3) walked. Colt Thrift’s (2for-4) sacrifice fly scored Grafford cutting the lead to 2-1.
The Herons followed with a two-run third to take a 3-2 lead. Coger started the inning with a single and moved to second on a passed ball ahead of Carter working a walk.
After reaching third on a wild pitch, Coger trotted home on an errant pickoff tying the game at 2apiece. Carter’s courtesy runner, Hayden Hickox, who raced from first to third on the error, scored the go-ahead run when Rowell’s ensuing grounder was misplayed.
Berrien responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to take a 4-3 lead. The Rebels scored on a base hit and fielder’s choice groundout.
Brantley County reclaimed the lead in the top of the fourth taking advantage of two more fielding mistakes by the home team.
Howell reached on an error and Thrift legged out an infield hit to start the inning. A second error on a ball hit by Coger loaded the bases with one out. Carter followed with a two-run single for a 5-4 lead.
The Rebels tied the score in the bottom of the fourth on a two-out single following a walk to extend the inning.
Each team stranded a runner in the fifth. BCHS was unable to cash in after consecutive errors started the sixth. Both teams stranded a runner in the seventh.
Tattnall Co. ............17 Herons...................14 CANEY BAY — Visiting Tattnall County pulled away from a 7-all tie in the third inning scoring 10 unanswered runs and then hung on to beat the Herons.
The two teams combined for 26 hits, 18 walks, four hit batters and 11 errors. The pitching staffs (three for Tattnall County, four for the Herons) combined to throw 345 pitches (186 strikes, 159 balls) to 94 batters with BCHS hurling 187 pitches (96 strikes/91 balls) to the Warriors’ 158 (90 strikes/60 balls).
Tattnall County hit three doubles and two roundtrippers while the Herons had three doubles (Rowell two, Kaden Hendrix) and a homer (Hickox).
BCHS followed the Warriors’ two-run first (two-run homer) against Dalton Bennett (1.1 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 K, 5 BB, 2 HBP, 3 WP) with five runs in the bottom of the inning.
Hendrix (2-for-5) followed a walk to Thrift and a single by Grafford (2for-3) with a run-scoring single. Rowell (2-for-3) lined a two-run double two batters later for a 3-2 lead. Eli Nielson (2-for-4) and Howell (2-for-5) delivered run-scoring singles extending the margin to 52.
Tattnall County came right back with its first five-run uprising in the top of the second capped by a three-run homer to reclaim the lead at 7-5.
The Herons tied the score at 7-all in the bottom of the inning. Grafford and Coger sandwiched walks around a double by Hendrix loading the bases with nobody out. Rowell was hit by a pitch plating Grafford. Hendrix scored on a doubleplay groundout.
The Warriors took the lead for good with a threerun third against Cain Roberson (2.2 IP, 9 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 1 K, 4 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP) at 10-7. They added two in the fourth and five more in the fifth in building a 17-7 lead.
BCHS kept the game alive with two runs in the bottom of the fifth. Howell’s run-scoring single followed a leadoff base hit from Nielson and Hickox (2-for-5) reaching on an error. Dennis Raulerson’s pinch-hit, RBI single cut the lead to 17-9.
Brantley County chased home five runs in the bottom of the sixth. Consecutive one-out walks to Rowell and Nielson was followed by a first-pitch, three-run homer by Hickox slicing the deficit to 17-12.
Howell reached on an error, stole second and scored when Thrift’s twoout fly ball was misplayed. A walk to Grafford and an error on a ball hit by Hendrix loaded the bases. Thrift raced home on a wild pitch pulling the Herons to within 17-14 before the final out was recorded.
Connor Sumner hurled two hitless and scoreless innings against Tattnall County.
Game 2 Berrien....................6 Herons ....................3
CANEY BAY — Berrien scored three runs in the sixth inning to break away from a 3-all tie to even the series with the Herons.
The visiting Rebels score twice in the second inning for the early 2-0 lead against Kent Thomas (5.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 7 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP). Three consecutive two-out base hits of a single (first pitch), run-scoring double (0-2 pitch) and run-scoring single (1-2 pitch) did the damage.
The Herons tied the score in the bottom half of the frame. Carter (1-for-2) rocketed a single and was removed for courtesy runner Tallin Collins, who moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on Rowell’s (1-for-3) single. Rowell stole second with one out and scored on Hickox’s (2-for-3) single to even the score at 2-all.
BCHS grabbed a 3-2 lead in the fourth inning on back-to-back doubles by Coger (1-for-3) and Hickox to start the inning. Berrien scored a tying run in the fifth. A two-out, two-base error extended the inning and was followed by a run-scoring double knotting the game at 3-apiece.
The Rebels chased home three runs run in the sixth to take a 6-3 lead. A one-out walk and consecutive singles, the second run-scoring, gave Berrien a 4-3 lead. A twoout error allowed the final two runs to score.
Howell (1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP), after hitting the first Berrien batter in the seventh, retired the next three batters on strikes.
Thrift’s (1-for-2) oneout double in the provided the Herons’ lone base runner over the final two frames.
Game 3 Herons...................14 Berrien....................0
CANEY BAY — Hendrix overpowered the Rebels’ bats getting nine of the 15 outs on strikes in a 70pitch performance in the five-inning, “mercy rule” complete game.
Grafford led four BCHS players with multi-hit games going 3-for-4. Carter finished 2-for-2, Coger was 2-for-3 and Rowell was 2-for-4.
Brantley County scored at least three runs in all four trips to the plate with a pair of four-run outbursts and two three-run innings.
The Herons sent nine batters to the plate in a four-run first inning. Thrift (1-for-2) was hit by a pitch, Grafford singled and Hendrix (1-for-1) walked loading the bases with nobody out.
Following a wild pitch to score Thrift will all three base runners advancing, Carter delivered a two-run single for a quick 3-0 lead just four batters in. Collins, courtesy running for Carter, stole second and moved to third on a groundout. He scored on a wild pitch for a four-run advantage.
A three-run second pushed Brantley County’s lead out to 7-0. Grafford lined a one-out single and moved to second on an error. After Hendrix was hit by a pitch, both runners executed a double steal. A wild pitch allowed Grafford to score the first run.
A Carter walk put runners on the corners. Collins, inserted as a courtesy runner, stole second with Hendrix being gunned down at the plate on a double steal. Collins scored on a single by Coger, who took second on the throw and scored on Rowell’s ensuing double for the seven-run advantage.
The Herons scored four times in the bottom of the third to open up an 11-0 lead. After Thrift walked with one out, Hendrix and Carter worked consecutive two-out walks loading the bases. Coger ripped a firstpitch, two-run double. Collins, running for Carter, scored from third on a passed ball ahead of Rowell’s run-scoring single.
BCHS plated three final runs in the fourth inning after two outs and nobody on base. Thrift singled to keep the inning alive and moved to second on a wild pitch. He scored on Grafford’s double. Hendrix blasted the ensuing offering over the fence in rightcenter for a two-run homer and a 14-0 advantage.
