BEARVILLE — Pierce County’s Grayson Arington’s squeeze bunt with one out in the bottom of the fourth scored Dylan Johnson with what proved to be the winning run in a 2-1 victory over Vidalia here Thursday in a matchup of second-ranked teams.
Christian Osbourne (5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP) and Jonathan Stone (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB) teamed up to shut down the Class A DI second-ranked Indians (10-5), who lost for the fifth time in seven games after an 8-0 start.
Vidalia’s Veer Patel went the distance, limiting the second-ranked Bears (8-3) to just two hits. Patel fanned six, walked four and hit a batter over his six innings.
Both teams would strand a runner in scoring position in the second, following 1-2-3 first at bats. Osbourne surrendered a leadoff single and a oneout, sacrifice bunt putting the runner in scoring position.
PCHS got a leadoff double from Stone (1-for-2) to start the home half of the second. Courtesy runner James Alonso tagged and moved to third on a Brantley Willis fly ball to right. Patel retired the next two batters on swinging strikeouts— the last coming on a 10-pitch at bat that included six balls fouled off.
After the Indians left a runner stranded in the third, Pierce County capitalized on a one-out error to dent the plate first. Arington’s one-out grounder to first was misplayed.
Chance Williams grounded into a fielder’s choice at second. He stole second on the ensuing pitch and raced home when Beck Hodges (1-for-3) dumped a two-out, 3-2 offering into right for a 1-0 lead. PCHS would eventually leave the bases loaded after consecutive four-pitch walks to Jack McClellan and Stone.
Vidalia evened the score at 1-apiece in the top of the fourth. Patel worked a leadoff walk, was sacrificed to second, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a swinging wild pitch third strike.
Johnson started the PCHS fourth getting hit by a Patel pitch. Osbourne followed Johnson’s theft of second with a walk.
Garrett Stevenson dropped down a first-pitch, sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Arington followed suit with a first-pitch, squeeze bunt plating Johnson for a 2-1 lead.
Osbourne worked his way out of a jam of his own doing in the fifth, with a twoout hit batter and walk before getting the final out of the inning.
Stone retired the Indians in order in the sixth with three groundouts. He gave up a leadoff single in the seventh with two flyouts and a strikeout following to preserve the win.
