BRUNSWICK — Class A DII third-ranked ECI scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to force an extra inning and scored the game-winner in the eighth to hand Class 2A fourthranked Pierce County its first loss here Saturday in the Bash at the Beach.
The Bears (3-1) opened the season with home wins over Long County, Bacon County and Toombs County before making the trip to the Golden Isles for the annual event. The Bulldogs (1-2) had fallen to Savannah Christian and West Forsyth.
PCHS has three games scheduled for this week with two on the road. The Bears traveled to Caney Bay Tuesday, February 17 to face Brantley County with the Herons making the return trip Thursday, February 19 for a 6 p.m. start. Pierce County travels Friday over to Jesup for a 6 p.m. date with Wayne County.
No. 3 ECI .........................3 No. 4 Bears...........2, 8 Inn.
ECI capped its late-inning comeback with a game-winning, run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth inning to beat the Bears.
The Bulldogs loaded the bases with three walks setting up the winning RBI single.
Pierce County’s Emmitt Hall and Christian Osbourne combined to toss six shutout innings of four-hit ball heading to the seventh. The duo fanned seven and walked one.
The Bears loaded the bases in the third inning with two outs before a liner to second ended the threat. Grayson Arington drew a one-out walk ahead of Chance Williams getting hit by a two-out pitch and Osbourne working a walk.
ECI left the bases loaded in the third against Hall getting a one-out walk and consecutive two-out hits. A liner to center ended the inning.
PCHS stranded two more runners in the fourth. Jack McClellan (2-4) blooped a oneout single and Bryson Smith was hit by a two-out pitch.
The Bears finally cashed in the fifth inning aided by a leadoff error on a ball off the bat of Beck Hodges. Osbourne was hit by a one-out pitch with Jonathan Stone (1-for-3) lining a single to left, loading the bases.
Dylan Johnson (1-for-3) followed two pitches later with a run-scoring single to left for a 10 lead. McClellan was drilled by a pitch on a 1-0 offering, pushing home the second run. ECI escaped with a 5-2-3 double play to get out of the jam.
ECI chased home two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game at 2-apiece.
