Slade Sweat’s two-out, run-scoring single in the bottom of the fourth inning broke a 4-all tie propelling Ware County to a 10-7 victory over visiting Class A DI second-ranked Vidalia Tuesday.
Sweat’s (1-for-2) RBI single started a three-run fourth with the Gators (47) adding three runs in the fifth for a 10-4 advantage in the March 3 tilt. The senior right-hander got the start on the mound working five innings.
He allowed four hits and allowed four runs (three earned) with eight strikeouts, four walks and a hit batter. Sweat threw 91 pitches in the appearance.
Ware County opens Region 1-AAAA play this week. The Gators traveled Tuesday, March 10 to Pooler to face New Hampstead in the opener of the three-game series. The Phoenix visit Friday, March 13 for a doubleheader beginning at 5 p.m.
Perry comes to town Tuesday, March 17 for a 5 p.m. first pitch. The series shifts to Perry Friday, March 20 for a twinbill with Game 1 scheduled for a 4:30 p.m. start.
The Gators struck for two runs in their first at bat. Collin Crawford (1for-3) legged out an infield hit on the first pitch of the Ware County first. Crawford stole stole second, the first of his three thefts and first of 16 for the Gators.
Seth Suess (2-for-3, double, two steals) followed with an opp0site field single putting runners on the corners. Walker Hudson (2-for-4, three thefts) followed a Suess stolen base with a run-scoring single and a theft of second.
Suess scored on a passed ball for a 2-0 advantage. Walks to Landon Smallwood (stolen base) and Keaton Holloway (2for-2, stolen base) loaded the bases before the final out.
Vidalia (10-4), which lost for the fourth time in six games after an 8-0 start to the season, responded with a three-run second taking advantage of a one-out error to extend the inning. A first-pitch, one-out, two-run double and an ensuing run-scoring single off an 0-2 offering followed giving the Indians a 3-2 lead.
The Gators would capitalize on a Vidalia miscue setting up a two-run third inning to re-take the lead at 43. Hudson reached on the error, stole second and advance to third on a balk.
Smallwood’s one-out grounder plated Hudson tying the game at 3-apiece. Holloway singled, stole second and scored on Tanner Larisey’s (1-for-4) two-out single for the lead.
Vidalia evened the score at 4-all with a run in the fourth on a two-out single with runners on the corners.
Ware County did its fourth-inning damage with two outs. Crawford was hit by a one-out pitch with Suess following with a walk. The pair pulled off a double steal ahead of the second out.
Sweat’s first-pitch base hit to left drove home Crawford for the lead at 5-4 with Suess anchoring down at third. Smallwood’s four-pitch walk followed Sweat’s theft of second loading the bases.
Suess scored on a passed ball for a two-run advantage with a walk to Holloway re-loading the bases. Sweat raced home on a second passed ball extending the margin to 7-4 before the last out was recorded.
A Vidalia error to start the fifth helped set up a threerun fifth for the Gators pushing their advantage to 104.
Colt Cox was the beneficiary of the miscue. He stole second two pitches before Garrison Joyner was plunked by a pitch. Suess followed a double steal by Cox and Joyner with a two-run double for a 9-4 lead.
Suess moved to third on a Hudson single. After Hudson swiped second, Sweat lifted a sacrifice fly to right plating Suess with the final run.
The Indians scored three times in the sixth against Trace Crosby (1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 K, 2 BB) on a pair of two-out errors cutting the margin to 10-7.
Ryder Kinnon pitched around a leadoff error retiring the next three batters to protect the lead.
