FOLKSTON — Brantley County notched its biggest win of the season here Saturday beating Class A DII top-ranked Charlton County 8-5.
The Herons (6-8) got the series split with the Indians (9-3), who entered on a five-game winning streak. Charlton County recorded a 7-4 victory February 16 in Caney Bay.
BCHS returns to Region 1-A action this week with a three-game series against Berrien. Games 1 (Tuesday, March 17) and Game 3 (Friday, March 20) will be played in Nashville. Game 2 is scheduled for Thursday, March 19 in Caney Bay. All three games begin at 6 p.m.
A three-game region series with current fifthranked Worth County follows. Game 1 is slated for March 24 in Sylvester at 5:30 p.m. The final two games will be played on the BCHS campus Friday, March 27 with the opener of the twinbill slated for 4 p.m., and the finale at 7 p.m.
The Herons used a fiverun second inning to pull away from a 2-all tie to beat Charlton County managing just three hits.
Gaven Grafford opened the game drawing a walk. Dennis Raulerson followed getting hit by a 2-2 pitch.
After the runners moved up on Clark Carter’s (1-for-4) groundout, Grafford scored on a passed ball. Raulerson, who advanced to third, scored on a Kaden Hendrix (1-for-4) groundout for a quick 2-0 lead.
The Indians answered with two runs in the bottom of the first against Hendrix (5 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 K, 4 BB, 2 HBP) to even the score at 2-all.
Griffin Thomas (2-for-4) lined a leadoff single and trotted home when Ethan Crawford belted a two-run homer to left one pitch later.
The Herons loaded the bases in the second with three consecutive one-out, hit batters. Cain Roberson, Eli Nielson and Eli Thomas were hit in succession with Roberson and Thomas hit on 0-2 pitches.
Grafford followed with a five-pitch walk pushing home Roberson for a 3-2 lead. Raulerson’s ensuing groundout plated Nielson. Carter followed with a two-out, run-scoring single for a 5-2 advantage. Hendrix delivered a tworun single to cap the outburst.
BCHS left the bases loaded in the third. Nielson was drilled with a twoout pitch. Thomas and Grafford followed with walks before the inning ended.
The Indians, who left five runners on from the second through the fifth, closed the deficit to 7-5 with a three-run sixth against Grafford (2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 K, 2 BB).
A one-out walk and a two-out, two-run homer by Slade Oxley (2-for-3) cut the margin to 7-4. A single, walk and an error followed allowing the third run to score.
The Herons added an insurance run in the top of the seventh on a two-out, solo homer by Jackson Rowell (1-for-4).
