BAXLEY — Ware County bounced back from being swept by Brunswick High with a 13-1 pounding in five innings of Class AA seventhranked Appling County here Monday The March 2 matchup, originally scheduled for Friday, February 27 at home, was a makeup for the cancelled game.
The Gators (3-7) rode the right-arm of Seth Suess (4 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 9 K, 1 BB) to shutdown Appling County’s (3-6) offense handing the Pirates a second straight loss. Ryder McKinnon pitched the fifth surrendering a hit.
Offensively, Ware County banged out 12 hits with three players recording multi-hit games. Slade Sweat led the way going 3-for-4 with a double, drove in two runs and was one of five players with two stolen bases (11 total). Landon Smallwood finished 2-for-2 with a double, a season- high four runs batted in and two base thefts. Garrison Joyner went 2-for-2 with a stolen base.
Ware County’s two-run first inning proved to be more than enough to record the victory. Walker Hudson (1-for-2, three ribbies) kept the first inning alive reaching on a dropped third strike.
Courtesy runner Brodie Burchett raced to third on Sweat’s first-pitch double. Smallwood followed lining an opposite field hit off a 2-2 pitch plating both runners.
The Pirates cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning on a one-out grounder scoring a runner from third to get to within 2-1. Suess would strand runners at the corners.
The Gators started widening its advantage scoring three runs in the third inning, followed by consecutive four-run uprisings in the fourth and fifth to end the game early.
Suess (1-for-2) drew a leadoff walk to start the third after falling into an 0-2 hole. He stole second, moved to third on an errant pickoff and scored on Hudson’s line drive to center.
After Hudson stole second, Sweat stroked a run-scoring single upping the lead to 4-1. A fourpitch walk to Smallwood was followed by a double steal. Sweat raced home on a one-out passed ball for a four-run advantage.
Ware County doubled the lead in the top of the fourth plating four runs for a 9-1 lead. Joyner and Collin Crawford (1-for-4) started the rally with consecutive singles. Both runners executed a double steal ahead of a four-pitch walk to Suess loading the bases.
A Hudson sacrifice fly followed two pitches later extending the margin to 6-1. After a second double steal in the inning, Smallwood doubled Crawford and Suess home pushing the lead to 81. Keaton Holloway’s (1-for-3) ensuing single scored Smallwood for an eight-run cushion.
The Gators came right back with a four-run uprising in the fifth. Colt Cox (1-for-3) poked a leadoff single with Joyner reaching on an infield hit. A second infield hit by Seuss with one out loaded the bases.
Hudson lifted his second sacrifice fly in as many at bats plating Cox. Sweat’s run-scoring single two pitches later upped the lead to 11-1. Smallwood’s unintential/intentional four-pitch walk re-loaded the bases with two outs.
Suess raced home on a passed ball on the next pitch with Holloway’s at bat ending with a walk loading the bases for the third time. Sweat swiped home before the next pitch on a double steal with Smallwood for the final run.
