Brantley County completed its first Region 1-A three-game sweep pounding Bacon County in the next to last week of the regular season.
The Herons (8-19 overall, 8-7 region) ended a two-game skid posting an 8-2 home win Tuesday, April 8 over the Red Raiders (8-15, 3-12).
Brantley County followed with a sweep of the Friday, April 11 doubleheader in Alma. The Herons exploded for a seasonhigh 17 runs in the opener posting a 17-4 “mercy rule” victory in Game 1. They followed with a 14-7 win in the nightcap extended Bacon County’s losing streak to six straight and nine of 10.
BCHS closes out the regular season against Jeff Davis (23-4, 14-1). The Yellow Jackets, ranked No. 1 in the GHSA power poll and No. 2 by MaxPreps, visited Tuesday, April 15 and Friday April 18 for 6 p.m. starts. The middle game of the series is set for Thursday, April 17 in Hazelhurst at 6 p.m.
Game 1 Herons............................8 Bacon County ..................2
CANEY BAY — Gaven Grafford and Brody Howell combined on a three-hitter pitching Brantley County past the visiting Red Raiders.
Bacon County collected two of its base hits in the first inning against Grafford (4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 K, 1 BB) scoring once for a quick 1-0 lead.
Kayden Tyre (1-for-3) hit a leadoff double, moved to third on Scottland Hennesy’s groundout and scored on Knox Ledbetter’s (1-for-3) first-pitch single.
The Herons responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning taking the lead for good on Jackson Rowell’s (1-for-3) two-run triple. Colt Thrift (1-for-3) reached on an error with Grafford (1-for-2) and Kaden Hendrix (1-for-3) following with walks loading the bases with nobody out.
Clark Carter lifted a 1-2 offering from Ledbetter (1+ IP, 3 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 K, 4 BB, 1 WP) into centerfield for a sac fly scoring Thrift to tie the game at 1apiece. After Tallon Collins, courtesy running for Grafford, and Hendrix moved up on a wild pitch, Rowell ripped a 2-2 pitch for a two-run triple and a 3-1 lead.
Brantley County added a run in the second. Thrift hit a leadoff double, stole third and scored on a throwing error. Grafford’s ensuing single chased Ledbetter from the mound.
The Herons extended the lead to 7-1 with a three-run third against T.J. Taylor (4 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 2 WP). Eli Nielson (1-for-3) lined a leadoff single, moved to second on a wild pitch and raced to third on Cain Roberson’s (1-for-3) bunt single.
After Roberson raced to second on defensive indifference, Kent Thomas (1-for-3)stroked a two-run double. Thomas advanced to third on Thrift’s groundout and scored on a passed ball for the six-run advantage.
The Red Raiders scored a final run in the top of the fourth. Grafford hit Ray Tucker with the first pitch of the inning. Jamison Carter drew a one-out walk with both runners advancing on a wild pitch. Hinson Music lifted a sacrifice fly to right scoring Tucker cutting the margin to 72.
Brantley County plated its final run in the bottom of the fifth after two outs and nobody on base. Thrift was hit by a pitch and Grafford walked. Hendrix followed with a run-scoring single scoring Parker Rentz, pinchrunning for Thrift for an 8-2 lead.
Howell (3 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 6 K, 1 BB) retired nine of the 10 batters he faced with three hitless innings of relief.
Game 2 Herons...........................17 Bacon County..................4
ALMA — The Herons scored the first seven runs of the game and capped the victory with a 10-run fourth inning against Bacon County.
Carson Coger (double, three RBI), Grafford, Carter (two doubles, three ribbies, two hit by pitch), Rowell (double, two RBI), Roberson (run batted in) and Thomas led the 15-hit attack with two hits apiece.
Brantley County plated two runs in its opening at bat against Keith Moore (3.1 IP, 10 H, 11 R, 5 ER, 0 K, 2 BB, 2 HBP).
Grafford (2-for-3) lined a one-out single with Hendrix (1for-3) drawing a walk and Carter (2-or-2) getting hit by a pitch loading the bases. Coger’s (2for-3) two-out single chased home the runs.
The Herons scored five times in the second inning extending their lead to 7-0. Roberson (2--for-4) opened the frame with a single with Thomas (2-for-4) reaching two pitches later on a error.
Brantley County scored on the second fielder’s choice play of the inning on the second error of the inning. Four consecutive two-out doubles by Hendrix, Carter, Rowell (2-for-4) and Coger drove home the final four runs of the inning.
Bacon County scored a run in the bottom of the second and two in the third against Thomas (4.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 3 BB, 1 WP) to climb to within 7-3.
Carter (1-for-3) led off the Red Raiders’ second inning with a leadoff single, advanced around to third on an errant pickoff attempt, and scored on Cam Merritt’s groundout.
The third inning runs were set up by a one-out error on a ball hit by Tucker. After a walk to Hennesey (2-for-2), Ledbetter (1-for-3) roped a first-pitch double to right-center field scoring both.
The Herons responded sending 14 batters to the plate in the top of the fourth in scoring 10 times to stretch the lead to 17-3. Brantley County recorded five hits (one double), four walks and a hit batter with the Red Raiders committing one error. Nine consecutive batters reached after the first out.
Carter was hit by the first pitch, the second time in three trips to the plate, of the inning. Coger started the stretch of nine straight batters reaching base with a one-out walk.
Nielson’s (1-for-2) ensuing sacrifice bunt was thrown away allowing Carter’s courtesy runner, Dennis Raulerson, to score and put runners on the corners. Roberson followed with a runscoring single chasing Moore with Thomas dropping down a perfect sacrifice bunt loading the bases against Taylor (0 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 K, 3 BB, 2 WP).
A walk to Thrift (1-for-4) pushed home the third run of the inning for a 10-3 lead. Taylor uncorked a pair of wild pitches during his walk to Grafford scoring two more runs for a 12-3 Brantley County lead. Taylor exited after walking Hendrix to reload the bases.
Carter greeted Tucker (1.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 1 BB) with a first-pitch, two-run double upping the lead to 14-3. Rowell followed with a first-pitch, run-scoring single. Nielson finished the uprising with a twoout, two-run single giving the Herons a 14-run advantage.
Bacon County scored its last run in the bottom of the fifth. Tucker reached on an error to start the inning and raced around the bases on Hennesy’s ensuing double. Howell came on to get the final two outs ending the game with a strikeout.
Game 3 Herons ..........................14 Bacon County ..................7
ALMA — Brantley County used a five-run fifth inning to overcome a 6-5 deficit outscoring the Red Raiders 9-1 over the final three innings to complete the sweep.
The Herons built a 5-0 lead in their first two at bats. Bacon County evened the score at 5-all by the end of the second inning and grabbed its only lead since the first inning of the series opener with a run in the bottom of the fourth.
Brantley County struck for four runs in the opening frame against the Lewis (4+ IP, 6 H, 9 R, 6 ER, 5 K, 5 BB, 1 WP).
Thrift (2-for-3) lined the third pitch of the game for a leadoff single. A walk to Grafford (1-for-4) was followed by an error on a ball hit by Hendrix (1-for-3) allowing Thrift to score the first run.
Coger (1-for-2) laced a 2-2 pitch for a run-scoring double and a 2-0 lead. Nielson’s (1-for-3) one-out grounder was thrown away allowing Hendrix and Coger to race home for a 4-0 advantage.
The Herons scored in the second on a balk by Lewis allowing Grafford to trot home from third. He had reached on a fielder’s choice groundout, moved to second on a passed ball and over to third on Hendrix’s base hit.
Bacon County came right back with five runs in the bottom of the inning against Hendrix (6 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 K, 5 BB, 1 HBP) sending 10 batters to the plate. Carter (2-for-4) hit a leadoff double and scored on one-out single off the bat of Merritt (2-for-4).
A two-out walk to Moore kept the Red Raiders’ inning alive. Tucker (2-for-5) delivered a run-scoring single with Hennesy’s (1-for-5) ensuing single driving in one run with a second run scoring on an error closing the deficit to 5-4. A walk to Ledbetter was followed by Samtiago Bizzell’s (1-for-3) RBI single tying the game at 5-apiece.
Bacon County grabbed the lead at 6-5 with an unearned run in the bottom of the fourth. A leadoff error on a ball hit by Tyre was followed by a two-base error on a fly ball off the bat of Tucker putting runners at second and third. Hennesy’s ensuing first-pitch, sacrifice fly scored Tyre with the go-ahead run.
The Herons grabbed the lead for good with a five-run fifth sending eight batters to the plate. Four of the five runs scored on wild pitches.
Coger started the inning with a 10-pitch walk after fouling off four consecutive 3-2 pitches from Lewis. Rowell (2-for-5) beat out a sacrifice bunt putting two runners on. An error on a ball hit by Nielson, who was replaced by Raulerson as the courtesy runner, loaded the bases.
Hayden Hickox followed with a four-pitch walk forcing home Coger with the tying run. A wild pitch scored Rowell giving Brantley County a 7-6 lead. A second wild pitch plated Raulerson for a two-run advantage at 8-6.
After a walk to Thomas, who took second without a throw putting runners at second and third, both Hickox and Thomas would score on wild pitches uncorked by Carter (2.1 IP, 2 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 2 K, 5 BB, 4 WP) for a 10-6 lead.
Brantley County extended the lead to 12-6 with a two-run sixth. Hendrix began the inning reaching on a two-base error. After stealing third, he scored on Coger’s sacrifice fly. Rowell hit the ensuing pitch for a triple and scored on Nielson’s sacrifice fly in doubling up the Red Raiders.
Bacon County took advantage of a two-out error to extend the bottom of the sixth. Bizzell raced to third on the three-base error and scored on Carter’s single cutting the deficit to 12-7.
The Herons scored twice in the seventh for a 14-7 advantage. Thrift opened the inning with a walk, Grafford doubled with Bacon County making a play at the plate to retire Thrift.
After Hendrix drew a fourpitch walk, Eli Thomas(1-for-1) followed with a two-run single for the final runs.
Howell pitched out of bases loaded jam in the bottom of the seventh issuing a pair of one-out walks. A two-out error loaded the bases with Howell getting the final out on three called strikes.
