Ware County’s junior varsity baseball program wrapped up its season with a three-game final week ending the year on a winning note.
The Gators (11-7) were blanked 6-0 Tuesday, March 31 in Thomasville by Thomas County Central for a split in the season series following a March 26 6-1 home victory.
WCHS fell 5-4 Wednesday, April 1 to visiting Coffee. Ware County gained its revenge in the Saturday, April 4 finale beating the Trojans 8-7 in 10 innings in Douglas.
Thomas County Central ..............6 Gators ........................................0
THOMASVILLE — The Yellow Jackets broke open a scoreless game with a fourrun third en route to the home win over Ware County.
The Gators managed five hits in the complete game performance of the Thomas County Central starter.
Brayden Tanner (2-for-3) recorded Ware County’s first hit with a one-out single in the fourth. Chaden Carter (1-for-4) singled with two outs in the fifth.
Ryder Kinnon (1-for-3) and Tanner went back-to-back with a single and double to start the sixth. Brody Griffin (1-for-3) led off the seventh with a single.
Ware County had at least one base runner in every inning but the first finishing with 10 left on base. The Gators stranded one in the second, one in the third, three in the fourth, one in the fifth, two in the sixth and two in the seventh.
Revis Barnes (5 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 5 K, 1 BB) and Jaccheus Cooper (1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 K, 1 BB) toed the rubber for the Gators.
TCC followed the four-run third with two runs in the fourth on a two-run homer.
Coffee .........................................5 Gators.........................................4
Ware County rallied from a 5-0 deficit getting to within a run with the tying run at second when the final out was recorded in the loss to the Trojans.
Coffee scored single runs in the first and third innings, and finshed out its scoring with a three-run fourth for a 5-0 lead against Carter (5 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 1 ER, 4 K, 3 BB, 2 WP).
The Trojans scored on a wild pitch in the first and a two-out, run-scoring single in the third. All three runs in the fourth came on a bases clearing throwing error.
The Gators stranded two runners in the first with a one-out walk to Carter and a two-out single by Tanner (1-for-4). Kinnon (2-for-3) was wiped out by a doubleplay after leading off the second with a hit.
Ware County ended an 11-inning scoring drought with two runs in the bottom of the third. Pinch-hitter Bridan Cox (1-for-1) got the rally started with a one-out double. Cox stole third and raced home on an errant throw to the bag.
A walk to Hayes Sweat (2-for-2) was followed by a Kinnon single. Brodie Burchett’s ensuing grounder was booted allowing Sweat to score cutting the deficit to 5-2.
After leaving Brayden Davis (1for-3) and Carter standing in the fifth, the Gators stranded Sweat in the sixth.
Ryder Gilbert followed a Davis singled with one out in the seventh hitting into a fielder’s choice for the second out. Lucas Howard (1-for-4) singled and took two extra bases on an error scoring Gilbert cutting the margin to 5-3.
Jaccheus Cooper (1-for-1), who pitched two scoreless innings in relief with three strikeouts and a walk, delivered a run-scoring single pulling the Gators to within 5-4. A walk to Cox moved Cooper into scoring position before the final out.
Gators ..................................8 Coffee ......................7, 10 Inn.
DOUGLAS — Ware County broke a 7-all tie on a Davis one-out, runscoring single in the 10th and then retired Coffee in the bottom of the inning stranding the tying run at second.
The Gators forced extra innings scoring three runs in the seventh inning - all after two outs and two on base — to overcome a 7-4 deficit.
Davis (3-for-5) opened the Ware County seventh with an infield hit and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Howard (1-for-4) drew a walk ahead of the second out.
Barnes (2-for-5) kept the inning alive with the first of three consecutive run-scoring singles with a line drive to center. Tanner (2-for-5) followed with a bloop single to center cutting the deficit to 7-6.
Sweat (1-for-5) delivered the game-tying hit left. Kinnon was hit loading the bases ahead of the third out.
Each team left a runner on in the eighth with Ware County’s Brody Griffin reaching on a leadoff error. Tanner was stranded in the ninth after reaching on a two-out error.
Burchett (3-for-4) lined a one-out, first-pitch single in the 10th. He stole second ahead of Griffin getting hit by a pitch. Davis followed two pitches later with a run-scoring single to left for an 8-7 lead.
Coffee kept the margin at one throwing out a runner at the plate on Gilbert’s single for the second out. Howard was hit by a pitch loading the bases before the Trojans escaped.
Coffee made things interesting with a two-out single and an error by the Gators against Barnes (5.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 3 BB, 1 WP), who came on in the fifth in relief of Howard (4.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 1 K, 3 BB).
The Trojans scored in the first for a 1-0 lead. Ware County tied the game in the third. Davis reached on an error, was sacrificed to second by Gilbert, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on Howard’s groundout.
Coffee responded with a three-run rally to take a 4-1 lead. The Trojans scored on a two-out, run-scoring double followed by consecutive runscoring singles.
The Gators plated two runs in the fifth to get to within 4-3. Burchett led off with a single with Griffin following with a walk. Both scored on a Davis double.
The Trojans answered with two runs in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back, one-out doubles extending the margin back to three runs at 6-3.
Both scored a run in the sixth. Tanner lined a leadoff double and eventually scored on Burchett’s twoout base hit. Coffee also scored on a two-out base hit to take a 7-4 lead to the seventh.
