BEARVILLE — Class 4A fifth-ranked Wayne County used three tworun rallies in winning 7-2 to complete the season sweep of second-ranked Class 2A Pierce County here Tuesday night.
The Yellow Jackets (65) ended a three-game losing streak with the victory. Wayne County knocked off the Bears (73) February 20 in Jesup, capturing a 5-3 decision.
The visitors broke away from a 1-all deadlock with a two-run third. They followed with two runs in the fourth and added the final two runs in the sixth, doing their damage against four PCHS pitchers.
Brantley Willis (3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 K, 1 BB, 3 HBP) had an erratic first inning, but limited Wayne County’s damage to just one run thanks to an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.
The Yellow Jackets banged out two doubles and had two batters hit in the opening frame. Dekan Yeomans (3-for-4; two doubles) lined a full-count pitch for a leadoff double.
One out later, Cohen Tyre (1-for-2) was drilled with a first-pitch offering. Maddux Wilkerson (2for-4) followed two pitches later with a runscoring double for a 1-0 lead. Willis plunked Zach Ellis (1-for-2) with an 0-1 offering, loading the bases before getting out of the jam with double play liner.
Chance Williams opened the PCHS first, getting hit by the first offering from Ostin Kinard (7 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP). Williams stole second and scored on a Beck Hodges’ (1-for-3) single to even the score.
After both teams stranded a runner in the second, each would take turns scoring runs in the third.
Willis hit Haddy Peel (1-for-3) to start the inning before surrendering a run-scoring double to right-center off the bat of Tyre, giving Wayne County the lead for good at 2-1. A one-out single by Ellis upped the lead to 31.
Pierce County got one run back in the bottom of the frame, striking after two outs and nobody on base. Jack McClellan (2for-4) lined an opposite field single and raced home on Jonathan Stone’s (2-for-3) double to right-center.
The Yellow Jackets knocked around PCHS reliever Kolton Brogdon (2.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 K, 2 BB) with the first four batters reaching and two scoring in the fourth. A leadoff double by Gunner Campbell (1-for-4) was followed by Easton Detki’s (1-for-2) bunt single one pitch later.
Both runners scored on Yeomans’ double of a 1-1 pitch for a 5-2 lead. Peel’s ensuing bunt single put runners on the corners with Brogdon escaping further damage with a caught stealing of Peel and an infield pop.
PCHS threatened in the bottom of the fourth with Dylan Johnson’s (1-for-3) leadoff single and Christian Osbourne’s slow chopper which Johnson beat to the bag at second. The runners moved up on a one-out grounder and were stranded with a groundout to end the inning.
Following a 1-2-3 fifth inning for both sides, the Yellow Jackets scored the final two runs of the night in the sixth.
Detki drew a leadoff walk and raced to third on Yeomans’ ensuing single. Peel’s groundout plated Detki for a 6-1 lead ending the night for Brogdon.
Colt Hickox (.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 0 BB, 1 HB) hit the first batter he faced, gave up a stolen base and surrendered a run-scoring single to Wilkerson before retiring the next two batters to end the inning and PCHS trailing 7-2.
Gavin Schreiber worked around a one-out error in the top of the seventh to keep the Bears within striking distance.
Consecutive two-out walks in the seventh to Williams and Hodges went for naught, with Kinard inducing a game-ending groundout.
