Ware County completed its second three-game shutout sweep of a Region 1-AAAA foe beating Warner Robins by a combined 31-0 score to stretch its winning streak to 13 games.
The MaxPreps third-ranked Gators (20-1 overall, 9-0 region), off to the program’s best ever start, beat New Hampstead 46-0 allowing just two hits. The Ware County pitching staff surrendered just four hits in the threegame series with the Demons.
Bryce Dixon threw the Gators’ second no-hitter in seven days in a 10-0 “mercy rule” win in five innings, Ware County’s 11th straight victory, over visiting Warner Robins (9-7, 4-5) Tuesday, March 25.
Victories 12 and 13 came Friday during a doubleheader sweep in Warner Robins. The Gators won the opener 14-0 in five innings allowing just two hits.
The nightcap went the distance with Ware County picking up a 7-0 victory. The Demons’ lone hit was a one-out single in the fourth.
The Gators traveled Wednesday, April 2 to face Class 3A West Laurens (12-7) during a bye week from region play. Class 3A Peach County (20-2), ranked No. 6 by ScoreAtlanta/Atlanta Journal-Constitution and seventh by MaxPreps, visits Saturday, April 5 for a 1 p.m. first pitch. The Trojans enter the week riding a 15-game winning streak.
The Gators return to region action Tuesday, April 8 with Benedictine visiting at 6 p.m. Ware County goes to Savannah for Game 2 (6 p.m.) Thursday, April 10 and wraps up the series with the Cadets at 6 p.m., Friday, April 11.
Game 1 No. 3 Gators ...................10 Warner Robins ................0
Ware County scored half of its runs in the first frame giving Dixon all the support he would need.
The right-hander struck out the first six batters he faced recording 12 of the 15 outs via strikeout. He walked two throwing just 66 pitches with 47 strikes.
Slade Sweat (1-for-2) gave Ware County a quick 2-0 lead with a two-run homer three pitches into the Gator first inning. Cole Cox was hit by the second offering of Drew White with Sweat following one pitch later with blast over the fence in left.
Seth Suess (2-for-2) doubled to right off a 3-2 pitch before the first out was recorded. Dixon (1--for-3) stroked an opposite field run-scoring double extending the lead to 3-0.
Evan Joiner (1-for-2) followed a theft of third and throwing error allowing courtesy runner Zeke Gillis to score with a walk and stolen base. Joiner raced home on Landon Smallwood’s (2-for-3) single to center extending the Ware County advantage to 5-0.
The Gators plated three runs in the second inning after Dixon fanned the side on 10 pitches in the top half of the inning.
Sweat drew a one-out walk ahead of Suess getting hit by the ensuing offering. Following a double steal, Walker Hudson’s (1-for-3) grounder was booted allowing Sweat to score. Hudson’s courtesy runner, Keaton Holloway, and Suess executed a double steal prior to Joiner’s two-run single to center extending the advantage to 8-0.
The Demons’ first two base runners came on back-to-back, two-out walks in the third. Both came on 3-2 pitches.
Ware County finished off the scoring in the bottom of the fourth. Suess lined a leadoff single and was removed for Holloway, inserted as a pinch runner. Holloway stole second and third in a three-pitch sequence and scored on Hudson’s groundout.
A two-out error on a ball hit by Joiner extended the inning. He raced around the bases scoring on Smallwood’s double off the ensuing pitch for a 10-0 advantage.
Game 2 No. 3 Gators...................14 Warner Robins................0
WARNER ROBINS — The Gators blasted three home runs amongst their six extra base hits in routing Warner Robins.
Dixon (2-for-2, double) and Smallwood (1-for-3) each hit two-run homers in a four-run third inning. Suess (1-for-4) blasted a grandslam highlighting a six-run fifth.
Ware County scored all the runs Joiner (4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 8 K, 2 BB) and Logan Hatcher (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 K, 0 BB) would need with a tworun first inning as the pair combined on the two-hit shutout.
Sweat (1-for-3) hit the second offering of the game for a single to left. He scored on Hudson’s (2-for-3) one-out, firstpitch triple. Dixon followed two pitches later with a run-scoring double for the early 2-0 lead.
Evan Pearson (1-for-2) led off the second inning with a single and moved up on a balk. He scored when Hooks’ one-out grounder was booted for a 3-0 advantage.
The Gators alternated base hits with roundtrippers in the third inning. Hudson led off with a single and Dixon followed with a two-run homer off a 3-2 pitch.
Joiner (3-for-4, double) then singled with Smallwood launching a 1-1 pitch over the right-center field fence for a 7-0 working margin.
A Warner Robins’ error set up the run in the fourth. Sweat led off reaching on the miscue, stole second and third, and scored on Hudson’s groundout extending the lead to 8-0.
Ware County did all of its damage after two outs and one on base in the fifth. Pearson sandwiched a walk between the first two outs.
Consecutive two-out walks to Hooks and Sweat kept the inning alive. Seuss hit the first pitch he saw to left-center for the grandslam upping the lead to 12-0.
Hudson walked and was removed for Gillis as the courtesy runner. Grant Geiger followed with a pinch-hit single. Both moved up on a passed ball and scored on Joiner’s double off a 3-0 pitch.
Game 3 No. 3 Gators ............7 Warner Robins .......0
WARNER ROBINS — Ware County scored in five of its seven at bats to back the six-inning, onehit pitching effort of Suess.
The right-hander fanned five in his 70-pitch outing. Suess retired the first 10 batters before surrendering a base hit. He set down the next eight batters facing just one over the minimum.
Reid Kirkland fanned two of the five batters he faced in the seventh and walked one.
The Gators scored in their first at bat for the third time in the series. Joiner (1-for-5) ripped a leadoff double reaching third when the ball was bobbled. Sweat (1-for-4) legged out an infield hit plating Joiner. Sweat stole second and scored on the throwing error for a 2-0 advantage.
Ware County took advantage of a two-out error to score a run in the third. Suess (1-for-3) was the beneficiary of the misplayed infield pop. Holloway, inserted as the courtesy runner, stole second and scored on Hudson’s (2-for-3) base hit upping the margin to 3-0.
Dixon’s (1-for-3) oneout, RBI groundout with the bases loaded in the fifth increased the Gators’ lead to 4-0. The grounder followed a walk to Seat, double by Suess and walk to Hudson.
Ware County scored once in the sixth. Isaiah White laced a one-out triple and scored when Hooks’ grounder was misplayed. A second error on a ball hit by Joiner and Suess getting hit by a pitch loaded the bases before the final out was recorded.
The Gators added two insurance runs in the seventh. Dixon (1-for-3) opened the frame with a triple and scored two pitches later on Smallwood’s groundout.
Following the out, Pearson was hit by a pitch and White drew a walk. Joiner’s two-out fly ball was misplayed into a twobase error allowing Pearson to score the final run.
