WAYCROSS — Pierce County Middle School scored 10 runs over the final three innings here Thursday to beat top-seed Ware County Middle School 11-2 to win the Southeast Georgia Middle School Athletic Conference baseball title.
PCMS trailed 2-1 entering the fifth inning in the March 26 finals. The Bears exploded for four runs in the fifth to take the lead for good at 5-2. They followed with consecutive three-run rallies in the sixth and seventh innings.
The title was Pierce Middle’s third in four years. The Bears went back-to-back in 2023 and 2024. It marked the eighth time PCMS has captured the championship after winning titles in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2016 and 2018.
Pierce Middle’s Jack Jameson (4 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 2 WP) and Colton O’Berry (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 7 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP) combined on the four-hitter.
McCoy Howard led the hitting attack going 3-for-4. James Gruver finished 2-for-4. Gruver, Jameson and Howard each drove in three runs apiece.
Joining the hit parade with one knock each were Colton McCook, O’Berry, Jameson, Spencer Taylor and Jacob Gruver.
Ware Middle broke the scoring ice with a run in the third on a one-out single following a walk and base hit.
The Bears evened the score with a run in the top of the fourth. Howard kept the inning alive with a two-out single. O’Berry followed one pitch later with a run-scoring double tying the game a 1-apiece.
The Gators followed with their final run in the bottom of the inning. A two-out, hit batter was followed by an error putting runners on the corners. The lead runner scored on a wild pitch for a 2-1 Ware Middle lead.
PCMS did all of its scoring in the fifth after two outs and one on base. A two-out error and a walk to James Gruver loaded the bases.
Jameson’s bases clearing double was the big blow giving the Bears a 42 lead. Howard followed with a run-scoring single.
Pierce Middle found two-out magic in the sixth scoring three times after two outs and nobody on base to extend the lead to 8-2. McCook singled, stole second and scored on James Gruver’s bloop single.
After Jameson was walked intentionally, both runners advanced a base on a wild pitch. Howard laced a two-run single to cap the inning.
PCMS added three insurance runs in the top of the seventh. Taylor hit a leadoff double and moved to third on Asher Strickland’s sacrifice bunt. A walk to Drew Stipe and an intentional walk to Jacob Gruver loaded the bases.
The Bears scored on a two-out passed ball and James Gruver’s two-run bloop single to open up an 11-2 advantage.
O’Berry fanned two of the three Ware Middle batters in the bottom of the seventh.
