CANEY BAY — Avery Kilcrease's second solo homer of the game in the fifth inning gave fifth-ranked Worth County the lead for good in a 2-1 victory here Friday over Brantley County in the opener of a Region 1-A twinbill.
The Rams (17-3 overall, 10-1 region) won by the same score in the nine-inning, Tuesday, March 24 series opener in Sylvester over the Herons (9-10, 44).
BCHS plated a second inning run for a 1-0 lead in the March 27 opener after a 1-2-3 first trip to the plate. Jackson Rowell (1-for-3) reached on a one-out error, stole second and scored on Cain Roberson's (1-for-3) double to left. The damage was limited by Worth County starter D.J. Eason after Carson Coger (1-for-2) worked a walk. Eason retired the next two batters on a strikeout and infield pop.
Kilcrease (3-for-4) led off the third inning with a solo homerun off a 2-2 pitch from Kaden Hendrix (7 IP, 10 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 K, 0 BB), who threw just 75 pitches in a complete game performance, tying the game a 1-apiece.
Worth County leadoff batter hit his second homer of the game with one out in the top of the fifth off an 0-1 offering from Hendrix.
The Herons managed just three base runners over the final five innings. Rowell lined a one-out single in the fourth, Dennis Raulerson (1-for-3) laced a leadoff single in the fifth, and Coger singled with one out in the bottom of the seventh.
Brantley County had kept the score at 2-1 gunning down a runner at the plate to end the top of the seventh. Rightfielder Eli Nielson made the throw to catcher Clark Carter to nail Kilcrease at the plate after the Rams strung together three consecutive twoout hits in a four-pitch sequence.
