LUDOWICI — Pierce County broke a 5-all tie, scoring the go-ahead run on a fielding error in the fourth inning, in a 9-5 decision here Wednesday over Long County.
The ScoreAtlanta second-ranked Bears (23-3), who are the No. 2 public school team in the MaxPreps rankings, moved to the top of the GHSA power rankings last week. They replaced Morgan County after stretching their winning streak to 16 games while the Blue Tide (129) fell for the fourth time in six games following the April 8 matchup.
PCHS also won the first meeting 4-1 at home against the Blue Tide in the season opener for both teams February 9.
Pierce County has two regular season home games remaining before the playoffs begin. Class A DII Score-Atlanta and MaxPreps top-ranked Lanier County, who also is the top team in the power rankings and the defending state champions, visits Thursday, April 16 at 6 p.m.
Clinch County, ranked sixth by ScoreAtlanta and seventh by MaxPreps in the power rankings, comes calling Friday, April 17 at 6 p.m.
The Bears plated two runs in their first at bat. Chance Williams (2-for-4) worked a walk to start the game. He raced to third on Jack McClellan’s (2-for-3) one-out, opposite field single to right putting runners on the corners.
A two-out walk to Dylan Johnson loading the bases kept the inning alive. Brantley Willis (2-for-5) followed two pitches later with a two-run single.
Long County battled back with two runs in the home half of the first against Emmitt Hall (2.1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 K, 0 BB), taking advantage of two errors to tie the score at 2-apiece.
PCHS scored three runs in the second after two outs and one on base to grab a 5-2 lead. Grayson Arington (1for-3) and Beck Hodges (1-for-4) sandwiched a walk and single around the second out.
Following a walk to McClellan to load the bases, Jonathan Stone lined a two-run single to center giving the Bears a 4-2 lead. An error on a ball hit by Willis allowed McClellan to race home for the three-run advantage.
The Blue Tide tied the score at 5-all with a three-run third getting a one-out, solo homer and two-run homer two batters later chasing Hall.
McClellan and Stone started the Pierce County fourth with consecutive singles. After Johnson executed a sacrifice bunt, an error on a Willis infield pop plated McClellan with what proved to be the game-winning run.
PCHS added a run in the sixth on a one-out, Willis run-scoring single. Stone was hit with courtesy runner James Alonso moving to second on a Johnson’s ensuing sacrifice bunt. He scored on the Willis liner to left for a 7-5 lead.
Pierce County added a pair of insurance runs in the seventh. Arington singled to start the inning with Williams reaching on a two-base throwing error on his sacrifice bunt.
After a walk to Hodges loaded the bases, McClellan lifted a sacrifice fly. Williams scored the final run on a two-out, passed ball.
