WCHS begins state hosting Region 5’s Druid Hills today
Wayne County spoiled Ware County’s perfect Region 1-AAAA run and, in the process of sweeping the three-game series, captured the region title in the titanic Top 5 matchup.
The MaxPreps thirdranked Yellow Jackets (26-4 overall, 14-1 region), who were one game back in the standings, needed two wins for the title over the fifth-ranked Gators (23-5, 12-3). They captured Game 1 of the series 4-2 Monday night, April 14 in Jesup.
The series opener was originally scheduled a day later, Tuesday, April 15.
Wayne County followed with a 5-4 series clinching decision in Game 2 on the Ware County campus Tuesday, April 15 giving the Gators their first twogame losing streak of the season. The middle game of the series was moved up from its original date of Thursday, April 17.
The series finale, originally schedule for Friday, April 18, was contested Thursday, April 17 in Jesup with the Yellow Jackets finishing off the sweep with a 4-2 victory.
Ware County’s threegame slide is its first since the second week of the 2024 season. WCHS fell February 17, 20 and 24.
Region 1 is paired with Region 5 in the opening round of the state tournament. Each region has two ranked teams in the top five.
The second-seed Gators will host Region 5 thirdseed Druid Hills (19-10) in the opening round of the state tournament beginning today (Wednesday, April 23) with a doubleheader starting at 4 p.m. An “if” game would be played Thursday, April 24 at 5 p.m.
The winner advances to meet the winner of sixthranked Region 8 champion North Oconee (23-6) and Region 2 fourth-seed Locust Grove (17-10). The second round, scheduled to begin Tuesday, April 29, would be played in Bogart if the Titans are victorious.
Region champion Wayne County is hosting fourth-seed Southwest DeKalb (13-14). Region third-seed Benedictine (1515) travels to secondranked Region 5 runner-up Marist (25-5) while fourthseed Perry (10-14) visits fourth-ranked region champion St. Pius X (292).
Game 1 No. 3 Wayne Co. ......4 No. 5 Gators.............2
JESUP — The Yellow Jackets scored three runs in the home half of the fourth inning breaking a scoreless tie en route to the series opening win.
Limited to a leadoff single in the third inning, Wayne County sent seven batters to the plate. A balk, run-scoring single and an error against Seth Suess (6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 4 K, 0 BB) provided a 3-0 lead.
After leaving Walker Hudson’s (2-for-3) courtesy runner Landon Taylor stranded in the second inning and Landon Smallwood (1-for-3) on in the third, Ware County had a runner caught stealing and another picked off base in the fourth.
The Yellow Jackets’ Dekan Yeomans (1-for-3) led off the bottom of the inning with a single. After stealing second, he advanced to third on Eli Grantham’s (1-for-2) sacrifice bunt.
A balk allowing Yeomans to score the first run was followed by a single by Rowan Blanton (1-for-3) and a Isaiah Lee (2-for-3) double. Cade Lynn (1-for-3) delivered a runscoring single two pitches later. Lee scored when the ball was misplayed in the outfield for the three-run advantage.
Wayne County added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Grantham legged out an infield hit, stole second and scored on Lee’s oneout single for a 4-0 cushion.
After being set down in order over the fifth and sixth innings, Ware County’s bats came to life in the seventh against Blanton (6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 K, 1 BB). He took a two-hit shutout in the final grame.
Cole Cox (1-for-2) lined a first-pitch, leadoff single and raced to third on Hudson’s one-out double. Bryce Dixon (1-for-3) lined the next pitch for an RBI single cutting the lead to 4-1 chasing Blanton.
Smallwood kept the inning alive with a two-out single against reliever Tate Altman (.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB) scoring Colt Cox, courtesy running for Hudson, pulling the Gators to within 4-2 before the final out was recorded.
Game 2 No. 3 Wayne Co. ......5 No. 5 Gators ............4
Wayne County escaped the Gators’ seventh-inning comeback bid getting the final two outs with the bases loaded to clinch the region title.
The Yellow Jackets built a 5-1 lead with six Ware County outs remaining on the strength of Jeb Craven’s (1-for-2) two-run homer in the third giving the visitors the lead for good and Lynn’s (2-for-3) solo homer in the fourth.
Trailing by four runs, the Gators got back-toback walks to Evan Joiner (2-for-3) and Smallwood to start the sixth against Grantham (5+ IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 5 BB, 2 WP).
Lynn (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB), who entered after the second walk, surrendered a oneout triple to Luke Hooks (2-for-4) scoring Joiner’s courtesy runner Collin Crawford, and Smallwood’s pinch runner, Keaton Holloway, pulling Ware County to within 53.
After Joiner (7 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 7 K, 0 BB, 3 HBP, 2 WP) retired Wayne County in order in the top of the seventh, the Gators made things interesting.
Hudson drew a leadoff walk and was removed for courtesy runner Colt Cox, who scored from first on Dixon’s (3-for-3) ensuing first-pitch double into the left-center field gap for a 5-4 deficit chasing Lynn.
A one-out single by Joiner off Altman (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 1 BB) moved Dixon to third. Joiner raced to second on the throw to third putting the tying and winning runs in scoring position.
With a base open, Smallwood was intentionally walked setting up a force plays at each base. Altman retired the next two batters on an infield pop and a liner to center to get out of the jam.
Ware County scored in its first at bat. Cole Cox led off reaching on an error. He stole second and moved to third on a ground out. Consecutive two-out walks to Dixon and Slade Sweat loaded the bases. Cox stole home on a 1-0 pitch to Joiner for a 1-0 lead.
The Yellow Jackets scored twice in the third with Joiner hitting leadoff batter Maddux Wilkerson (1-for-3) with the second pitch of the inning. Craven followed belting a 1-1 pitch up into the jet stream for a two-run homer just clearing the fence in left-center and a 2-1 lead.
Lynn followed the first out in the fourth with a solo homer to left off a 1-1 pitch for a 3-1 advantage.
Wayne County plated two runs in the sixth. Consecutive singles by Lynn and Wilkerson got the inning started. After the runners moved up on a wild pitch, Haddy Peel (2for-3) lined a run-scoring single and Nic Thomas lifted a sacrifice fly extending the margin to 5-1.
Game 3 No. 3 Wayne Co. ......4 No. 5 Gators ............2
JESUP — Two errors on one batted ball scored the tying and go-ahead runs in the bottom of the second inning giving the Yellow Jackets an advantage they would not relinquish in completing the sweep.
All six runs in the game crossed home plate in the first two innings.
Ware County struck for a run in its half of the first. Cole Cox (1-for-4) legged out an infield hit, stole second and third before scoring on a Suess groundout two batters in against Lynn (5 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 K, 3 BB, 2 WP).
Wayne County tied the score in the bottom of the inning against Dixon (5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 5 K, 2 BB after two outs and nobody on base. A two-out double by Grantham (1for-3) was followed by Blanton’s (1-for-3) firstpitch, run-scoring single to even the score at 1apiece.
Slade Sweat (2-for-3) led off the Gators’ second with a single. He stole second, advanced to third on a Joiner groundout, and scored on Smallwood’s (1for-3) ensuing first-pitch single for a 2-1 lead.
The Yellow Jackets came right back with three runs in the bottom of the frame. Wilkerson (1-for-3) stroked a leadoff single with Peel (1-for-2) lining a one-out single putting runners at first and second.
An infield error on a ball hit by Thomas one pitch and an ensuing miscue in the outfield allowed both Wilkerson and Peel to score giving Wayne County a 3-2 lead. Thomas would later score on a two-out error for a two-run cushion.
Ware County left one on base in the third and one in the fourth. The Gators loaded the bases in the fifth with a oneout single by Hooks (1for-3) and consecutive two-out walks to Suess and Hudson, who was the last batter to reach. Altman sat Ware County down in order the last two frames.
The Yellow Jackets left one on in the third and one in the fifth (leadoff triple). White worked a perfect sixth for the Gators fanning one.
