Ryder Kinnon and Tanner Larisey combined on a twohitter, and Slade Sweat homered for the third consecutive game as Ware County finished off a Region 1-AAAA doubleheader and series sweep Friday of Warner Robins winning 6-1.
Kinnon allowed one hit, an unearned run and walked four in three innings of work. Larisey surrendered a hit over four scoreless innings fanning five and walking one.
Sweat recorded his third consecutive three-hit game, finishing the series going 9-for-11 with two doubles, three homers and nine runs batted in.
The victory stretched Ware County’s (13-7 overall, 90 region) winning streak to 11 games. The Gators hold a one-game lead over current fourth-ranked Benedictine (19-3, 8-1). The Cadets had an 18-game winning streak snapped in Game 2 of their series with Perry.
Ware County has a region bye this week. The Gators traveled Tuesday, March 31 to face Class 5A seventhranked Coffee (12-9). The Trojans visit Friday, April 3. Coffee was swept by third-ranked regionmate Houston County getting outscored 26-1.
Ware County goes to Baxley Thursday, April 2 to meet Appling County, currently 9-9 heading into a Tuesday matchup with visiting Wayne County.
The Gators struck for a first inning run in the series finale with Warner Robins.
Sweat (3-for-3) lined a two-out single and moved into scoring position when the ball was misplayed. After stealing third, he scored on Isaiah White’s (2-for-3) triple.
The Demons evened the score with a run in the second. Two walks were sandwiched around an error, loading the bases with nobody out. A 6-4-3 double play plated the lead runner to tie the score at 1-apiece.
Collin Crawford opened the bottom of the third with a walk and scored one-out later on Sweat’s first-pitch, two-run homer to left giving Ware County the lead for good at 3-1.
The Gators added a third run for a 4-1 advantage. Tanner Larisey (1-for-3) laced a two-out double and was lifted for courtesy runner Brodie Burchett, who promptly stole third ahead of a walk to Keaton Holloway. Burchett scored on a balk.
Ware County would add single runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings. Sweat singled with one out in the fifth, stole second and scored on White’s double one pitch later giving the home team a 5-1 lead.
In the Gators’ sixth, Lucas Howard (2-for-3) ripped a one-out triple into the rightfield corner. Howard scored when Gunter’s ensuing grounder was booted for the final 6-1 margin.
