BAXLEY — Brantley Willis and Emmitt Hall combined on a two-hit shutout leading second-ranked Pierce County to a 4-0 victory here Friday of Region 3-AA foe Appling County and a three-game series sweep.
PCHS (15-3 overall, 6-0 region) had dropped six of the last nine meetings with the Pirates (6-9, 3-3) over the last three years. The Bears’ sweep, their first vs. Appling County since going back-to-back in 2021 and 2022, evened the series at 11 wins each under PCHS head coach Andrew Evans since 2017.
Willis (6 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP) retired the first nine Pirates’ batters before surrendering a leadoff single to start the fourth. He hit Appling County’s leadoff batter in the fifth and gave up a leadoff single to start the sixth.
Hall needed just 11 pitches to retire the Pirates in order in the bottom of the seventh with a strikeout and two groundouts.
PCHS scored the only runs Willis and Hall would need with a threerun first inning. Chance William (1for-4) lined a leadoff single, stole second with one out, and scored on Jack McClellan’s (2-for-4) opposite field single to right for a 1-0 lead.
Jonathan Stone (1-for-3) followed with a single in the same direction two pitches later putting runners on the corners. Christian Osbourne (1for-3) lined a two-out, 2-2 pitch into the gap in right-center scoring both runners for a 3-0 advantage.
The Bears stranded Bryson Smith at second in the second inning after a leadoff walk and sacrifice bunt by Grayson Arington. Dylan Johnson (1-for-2) was left standing in the third following a two-out single.
Appling County’s leadoff single in the bottom of the fourth was wiped out with an inning-ending double play.
PCHS’s Beck Hodges (1-for-4) was left on base in the fifth following a one-out single.
A leadoff hit batter in the bottom of the fifth was left at second in the Pirates half of the fifth.
Pierce County added an insurance run in the sixth. Johnson and Osbourne drew consecutive full-count walks to start the inning. Willis dropped a perfect sacrifice bunt with no play made to load the bases.
Smith followed with a sacrifice fly to right scoring Johnson for a 4-0 lead. The inning ended with an infield pop and a strikeout.
Appling County stranded a third runner in the bottom of the sixth after Willis surrendered a lead off single.
The Bears left the bases loaded for a second straight inning in the seventh. After a one-out single by McClellan and consecutive walks to Stone and Johnson, the inning ended with a strikeout and flyout.
