CANEY BAY — Thomasville capitalized on three Brantley County errors in the eighth inning paving the way for a sixrun uprising here Tuesday to take the Region 1-A series opener 10-7.
The Herons (9-12 overall, 4-6 region) battled back from a 4-1 deficit scoring twice in the sixth and one in the seven to force extra innings against the Bulldogs (13-9, 7-3).
BCHS, trailing 4-3 entering the home half of the seventh, tied the game with two outs on an error. Kaden Hendrix worked a one-out walk with Carson Coger following two batters later with a two-out free pass.
The pair pulled off a double steal on a 1-0 pitch with the throw from the Thomasville catcher sailing into left field allowing Hendrix to race home tying the game at 4-apiece.
Thomasville’s inning was set up by three errors in the first five batters. A one-out, runscoring single followed the first two miscues giving the visitors the lead for good at 5-4.
The third fielding error allowed the second run to cross. A second run-scoring single, a run-scoring fielder’s choice, a wild pitch and a final run-scoring single followed in sequence extending the lead to 10-4.
The Herons fought back plating three runs and brought the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the inning before the third out was recorded.
Eli Thomas (2-for-3) led off the home half of the frame with a double with Eli Nielson (2-for-3) following one pitch later with a run-scoring single to climb to within 10-5. A two-out error on a ball off the bat of Cain Roberson (1-for-5) kept the inning alive.
Gavin Grafford, who reached on a fielder’s choice during the first out, and Roberson both moved into scoring position ahead of Hendrix’s ground ball being misplayed with each scoring on the play cutting the deficit to 10-7.
Jackson Rowell (2-for-4) followed with an 11-pitch walk after fouling off three consecutive 3-2 pitches before the final out of the game.
BCHS dented the plate first with a second inning run. Rowell led off with a single and moved to second on Dennis Raulerson’s (1-for-4) one-out base hit. Nielson’s first-pitch, two-out single to right drove in Rowell for a 1-0 lead.
Thomasville grabbed its first lead with a two-run fourth against Grafford (5 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 K, 5 BB) on a sacrifice fly and ensuing two-out, run-scoring single.
The Bulldogs scored once in the fifth to build a 3-1 advantage scoring on a two-out single after loading the bases on three walks.
The visitors tacked on run in the sixth against Rylee Young (2.1 IP, 3 H, 6 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 0 BB) extending the lead to 4-1 with the run scoring on a twoout theft of home.
The Herons scored twice in the bottom of the sixth to get to within 4-3. Rowell roped a firstpitch double to start the frame and moved to third on a passed ball.
A walk to Coger and a passed ball advanced him to second. Thomas came through with a one-out single scoring both runners. Thomas would eventually be stranded after swiping second and third base.
