BCHS gets invites to state tourney as No. 22 seed; opens at No. 11 seed Fannin County
HAZELHURST — Jeff Davis turned consecutive oneout errors into a pair of runs to break away from a 2-all tie en route to handing visiting Brantley County a 5-2 loss here Friday in the Region 1-A season finale for both schools.
The Herons (13-17 overall, 8-10 region) enter the state playoffs having lost three of their last four games during the last week of the regular season. BCHS finished fifth in the seven-team region standings.
The Yellow Jackets (13-17, 9-9) closed out the season with a fourth win in six games to finish fourth in the standings.
BCHS, seeded 22nd, is one of six Region 1-A schools participating in the 32-team bracket. The Herons open Friday, April 24 on the road against 11th-seed Fannin County in a doubleheader. An “if” game would be played Saturday, April 25. The winner advances to face the winner of sixth-seed Bleckley County and 27th-seed Heard County.
Region champion Worth County is the highest seed at No. 4 and will host 29th-seed Swainsboro. Fitzgerald is seeded 8th and is hosting N0. 25 Haralson County. Thomasville is 16th and will entertain No. 17 Toombs County. Jeff Davis is 21st and travels to No. 12 Putnam County. Berrien is 31st and visits No. 2 Bremen. The lone member not invited was Bacon County.
BCHS recorded two of its three hits during the first inning in claiming a 1-0 lead. Clark Carter lined an 0-2 offering from Zack Hulett (7 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 9 K, 4 BB) for a one-out single and was removed for courtesy runner Parker Rentz.
Following a groundout with Rentz moving to second, Carson Coger (1-for-2) laced a run-scoring single plating Rentz for a one-run lead.
Jeff Davis, after being retired in order in the first by Rylee Young (4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 5 K, 3 BB), grabbed a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second.
The Yellow Jackets’ first run came after a one-out single and a walk with single and fielding error tying the game at 1-all. The go-ahead run scored on a two-out single.
Brantley County evened the score at 2-apiece in the third inning. Gavin Grafford drew a one-out walk with a Kaden Hendrix (1-for-3) two-out single keeping the inning alive.
Coger followed working a walk. Jackson Rowell’s ensuing grounder was misplayed allowing Grafford to score the tying run.
Jeff Davis took the lead for good with a two-run fourth. Back-to-back errors on grounders to infielders set up the inning.
The second miscue was followed by a run-scoring single. Following a four-pitch walk to load the bases and the second out, a five-pitch walk forced home the second run for a 4-2 Yellow Jacket lead.
Jeff Davis scored its final run in the fifth. A leadoff single and stolen base came into score on a one-out single increasing the lead to 5-2.
The Herons left Rowell stranded at second in the sixth inning. They were retired in order in the seventh.
