Class 3A No. 5 Trojans win 18th straight ending Class 4A WCHS’s win streak at 13
Something had to give Saturday when Top 10 powers Ware County and Peach County battled with long winning streaks on the line.
The Gators (20-2), ranked first in the Class 4A GHSA power rankings and second by MaxPreps, had their 13-game winning streak snapped by the Class 3A Trojans falling 12-4 in nine innings.
Peach County (23-2) entered riding a 17-game winning streak and ranked fourth in the Class 3A power rankings and fifth by MaxPreps.
Ware County’s game Wednesday, April 2 at West Laurens, was cancelled by rain with the Gators leading 6-0. It was ruled a no contest.
The Gators return to Region 1-AAAA action this week against Benedictine with each game starting at 6 p.m. Ware County will host Game 1 (Tuesday, April 8) and Game 3 (Friday, April 11). The Cadets host Game 2 (Thursday, April 10).
Ware County closes the regular season against current MaxPreps thirdranked Wayne County with each game starting at 6 p.m. The Yellow Jackets will be the home team in Game 1 (Monday, April 14) and Game 3 (Thursday, April 17). The Gators will host Game 2 (April 15).
No. 5 Peach Co........12 No. 2 Gators 4, .9 Inn.
The visiting Trojans scored eight runs in the ninth inning pulling away from a 4-all tie to keep its winning streak intact with the victory over Ware County.
Peach County, trailing 4-2 entering the seventh, tied the game scoring twice to force extra innings. A one-out hit and a four-pitch walk were followed by a two-run single against Slade Sweat (2+ IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 5 K, 4 BB, 2 HBP, 2 WP).
The Trojans added a hit and a walk leaving the bases loaded with Sweat getting the third out on a swinging strike on a 3-2 pitch.
Peach County would also leave the bases loaded in the eighth inning getting a one-out walk and consecutive infield hits before Sweat retired the final two batters to get out of the jam.
Ware County, after going down 1-2-3 in the seventh, left a runner on in the eighth when Walker Hudson (2-for-3) reached on a one-out error.
The ninth inning unraveled for the home team with 14 Trojans coming to the plate and 11 reaching against three pitchers. Peach County collected six walks, two hit batters, two singles and a double in the uprising against Sweat, Logan Hatcher (.1 IP, 2 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP) and Evan Pearson (.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 2 BB).
The visitors scored the first run on a sacrifice fly following a hit batter and two walks to start the inning to take a 5-4 lead. After a walk to re-load the bases, the Trojans had a run-scoring single, a walk forcing home a run, a hit by pitch to plate a run, a wild pitch scoring a run and a two-run double blowing the game open in building an 11-4 advantage.
A single and a walk loaded the bases for a third time. A two-out walk forced home the final run.
The Gators scored a run in their first at bat for a 1-0 lead. Seth Suess walked with two outs to keep the inning moving. Hudson followed with a sinking liner to left for a double scoring Suess. The ball eluded the diving attempt of the Peach County leftfielder for an inning-ending catch.
Peach County scored single runs in the third and fifth innings against Bryce Dixon (6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 K, 1 BB, 1 WP) in taking a 2-1 lead. A leadoff single, sacrifice bunt and a run-scoring single in the first three batters evened the score at 1-apiece.
The Trojans got a oneout single, stolen base and two-out single in the fifth to take their first lead at 2-1.
Ware County scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth in rallying for a 4-2 lead. Isaiah White (1-for-2) led off with a single and advanced to second when Suess reached on an error.
Hudson’s ensuing infield hit loaded the bases. All three runners advanced on a wild pitch with White scoring to tie the game at 2-all. Dixon delivered a tworun single two pitches later for the two-run advantage.
Dixon’s hit was the last for the Gators. Peach County’s Jaden Jones, who entered with one on and nobody out in the sixth, retired 12 of the 13 batters he faced with Landon Smallwood’s leadoff walk in the ninth the only blemish.
Ware County’s Bryce Dixon gets hit by a pitch in the first inning of Saturday’s game against Peach County. Photo By RICK HEAD
