BEARVILLE — Fourth-ranked Pierce County captured a third home victory in the opening week of the season, beating Toombs County 11-1 in six innings Thursday.
The Bears (3-0) rode the combined three-hit pitching of Brantley Willis (4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 8 K, 0 BB), Kolton Brogdon (1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 2 BB) and Gavin Schreiber (1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 BB).
Willis threw 72 percent (36-of-50) of his pitches for strikes. Brogdon needed 31 pitches in his inning of work (58% strikes) with Schreiber tossing 23 pitches (44% strikes).
PCHS finished the game banging out a season-high 10 hits and scoring a season-best 11 runs against two Toombs County hurlers.
Chance Williams led the hitparade going 3-for-3 (triple, three RBIs). Christian Osbourne (2-for-4, three RBIs) and Dylan Johnson (2-for-3, two ribbies) also had multi-hit games.
Willis surrendered his only hit, a one-out triple, in the first inning. A strikeout and pop to third followed.
The Bears struck for their first run in the first inning on Johnson’s one-out single. Williams reached on an infield hit with Jonathan Stone getting hit two batters later. Johnson’s hit came on a 2-0 offering.
PCHS tacked on three runs in the second, extending the margin to 4-0. Four consecutive batters reached following the first out.
Grayson Arington (1-for-2, two RBI) walked with Beck Hodges (1--for-3) legging out an infield hit. Williams singled home Arington two pitches later with Hodges taking third. Osbourne’s ensuing single off a 2-2 pitch scored both Hodges and Williams.
With Willis retiring the final 11 batters he faced through the fourth, the Bears were able to blow the game open in the fourth with a five-run uprising growing the lead to 9-0.
Arington started the bottom of the fourth with a walk, the first of seven straight batters to reach, and raced to third on a two-base throwing error off a ball hit by Hodges. Williams laced a 3-2 pitch to right for a two-run triple upping the lead to 6-0.
Osbourne followed with a run-scoring single and Stone reached on a twobase outfield error. Johnson’s ensuing runscoring single scored courtesy runner Garrett Stevenson. A walk to Jack McClellan loaded the bases before the first out was recorded. A fielder’s choice groundout by Bryson Smith chased home Stone for an 9-0 advantage.
After leaving the bases loaded in the fifth against Brogdon, the Bulldogs broke the ice in the top of the sixth against Schreiber. A one-out walk came around to score on a two-out single.
PCHS responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning to have the “10run mercy rule”enacted.
Pinch-hitter Zayden Council walked with Willis getting hit by a one-out offering. A single by Smith loaded the bases ahead of Arington’s two-run double two pitches later ending the game.
