RICHMOND HILL — A tough opening week ended with ninth-ranked Ware County falling 15-4 to Class 6A second-ranked Etowah here Saturday afternoon.
The Gators (0-3) have lost 6-4 at Class 6A thirdranked Lowndes, the twotime defending champions and 1-0 at unranked Class 5A South Effingham before the February 14 setback to Etowah.
The Eagles (2-1) lofty perch follows back-to-back runner-up finishes in the state finals to Lowndes while posting a 68-9 record with consecutive 34-win campaigns. Etowah, who reached the Class 7A semifinals in 2023 and finals in 2022, has won 31-plus games in three of the last four years and put together a 141-52 record over the last five seasons.
Ware County’s rugged schedule continued Monday, February 16 with Lowndes visiting. The Gators face unranked perennial playoff participant Whitewater Friday, February 20 at 4 p.m., and Class 4A No. 2 Cartersville Saturday, February 21 at 7 p.m., in the annual Bash at the Beach in Brunswick.
A home-and-home series with Class 5A Brunswick is scheduled for the last week of February. Ware County will host the Pirates Tuesday, February 24 and travel to Brunswick Thursday, February 26.
No. 2 Etowah...........15 No. 9 Gators .............4
Etowah overcame a 3-2 deficit through three innings scoring 13 runs over its final three at bats in a game shortened to six innings.
The Eagles’ trio of Trevor Condon (double, triple), Caden Borcherding (homer) and Deion Cole (double) collected two hits apiece going 6-for-12 with four extra base hits and drove in 11 runs.
Ware County managed just three hits against three Etowah hurlers.
The Eagles strung together three consecutive two-out hits (two singles, two-run double) in the top of the first inning scoring twice against Seth Suess (3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP). The Ware County right-hander escaped a bases loaded situation in the second and retired the side in order in the third.
The Gators broke through in the third after stranding Landon Smallwood, who reached on a one-out error, Suess (1-for-2), who legged out a twoout infield hit.
Ashton Suess was hit by an 0-2 pitch leading off the frame. After Slade Sweat (1-for-2) lined the ensuing pitch for a single, Smallwood dropped down a sacrifice bunt moving the runners up 90 feet.
Walker Hudson (1-for-3) sliced an opposite field triple into the rightfield corner two pitches later scoring both runners tying the game at 2-apiece. Seth Suess lifted a sacrifice fly to right scoring Hudson for a 3-2 lead.
The Eagles responded with a six-run fourth getting a run-scoring double, scoring on an error, a sacrifice fly, a run-scoring single and a two-run double in grabbing an 8-3 advantage chasing Seth Suess with Sweat (.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 1 BB) getting the final two outs of the inning.
Ware County plated its final run in the bottom of the inning. Garrison Joyner was hit by a oneout pitch, stole second and third with two outs, and scored on a passed ball pulling the Gators to within 8-4.
Etowah scored twice in the fifth against Trace Crosby (1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 K, 0 BB) on a sacrifice fly and run-scoring single upping the margin to 10-4.
The Eagles plated five runs in the sixth against Eli Watkins (1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 K, 0 BB, 2 HBP) with a two-out, three-run triple and a two-run homer.
