THOMASVILLE — Thomasville’s J.C. Wise blasted a one-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning lifting the homestanding Bulldogs to an 8-6 Region 1-A victory over Brantley County in Friday’s doubleheader opener.
Tied at 6-apiece after both teams took turns scoring four runs in the fifth in the April 3 opener, the Bulldogs (14-9 overall, 8-3 region) put the lead runner on in the eighth on an error. Wise launched a 2-2 offering, the sixth pitch of the at bat, over the fence in left spoiling the pitching effort of Kaden Hendrix (7.1 IP, 5 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 5 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP).
The loss was the fifth in extra innings this season and second against Thomasville in as many games. Three of the setbacks have been in eight innings with two ending in the ninth.
The Herons (9-13, 4-7) struck for two runs in the first for the early 2-0 lead. Gavin Grafford (3-for-5) and Clark Carter (2-for-3) opened the BCHS first with consecutive base hits.
Cain Roberson’s (1-for-5) ensuing fielder’s choice, sacrifice bunt ousted Grafford at third. Hendrix (2for-3) followed lining the next pitch into left scoring Clark’s courtesy runner, Parker Rentz.
Roberson moved to third on Jackson Rowell’s (1-for-3) fly ball to center for the second out. Hendrix followed with a theft of second with Roberson scoring when the Thomasville shortstop bobbled the throw for a 20 lead.
The Bulldogs tied the score in the bottom half of the first scoring on the first of five errors committed by Brantley County. A run-scoring groundout followed to even the score at 2-apiece.
The Herons came away empty in the second inning loading the bases with one out with a leadoff walk to Dennis Raulerson (2-for-3) and consecutive one-out singles by Eli Nielson (1-for-4) and Grafford.
Thomasville stranded two in the bottom of the frame on a leadoff error to start the inning and a two-out single.
After BCHS stranded Rowell, who reached on a twoout walk in the third, both sides went quietly until the fifth.
Grafford led off the Herons’ four-run uprising with a single. Carter launched a go-ahead two-run homer three pitches later off an 0-2 offering for his team-high third roundtripper of the year.
Hendrix laced a one-out double and scored on Rowell’s ensuing run-scoring single for a 5-2 lead. After Rowell stole second, Carson Coger (1-for-4) ripped a 32 pitch for a run-scoring double into the left field alley.
Thomasville responded with a four-run inning tying the score at 6-all. A one-out single was followed by an error and a hit batter loading the bases. Brandon Allen launched a grandslam homer on the next pitch over the fence in left.
BCHS’s Carter drew a two-out walk in the sixth. The Herons stranded two in the seventh with a walk to Hendrix and a two-out single by Raulerson.
After Carter gunned down a would-be base stealer at third for the final out in the bottom of the seventh, Thomasville returned the favor in the top of the eighth with a BCHS base runner gunned down racing to third on a base hit.
