CANEY BAY — Visiting Long County scored three times in the fourth inning in taking the lead for good here Monday in a 4-3 victory over Brantley County in a non-region matchup.
The Herons (12-15) entered off a three-game sweep of Region 1-A foe Bacon County. Meanwhile, the Blue Tide (13-9) won for the third time in four games with the loss coming at home to Pierce County.
The victory for Long County avenged a 7-4 home loss to BCHS back on February 26.
The two teams traded punches for four innings with all seven runs scoring. However, both the Blue Tide and Brantley County combined to leave 14 base runners on base during that time.
Long County managed consecutive two-out singles in the sixth for its only base runners over the final three frames. The Herons managed just one base runner, who was wiped out on a doubleplay grounder. Brantley County managed just three hits.
BCHS plated the first run in its opening at bat after Ethan Jones (1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 2 BB, 1 WP) pitched around a one-out error in the Blue Tide’s opening at bat.
Gavin Grafford (1-for-3) lined a leadoff double, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Kaden Hendrix one-out, sacrifice fly to center for a 1-0 advantage.
Long County tied the game in the top of the second. The Blue Tide had one runner thrown out at the plate for the first out. They would also leave the bases loaded.
A leadoff walk, stolen base and single to center led to the play at the plate with Jackson Rowell making the throw to catcher Eli Nielson. After consecutive two-out walks loaded the bases, Long County tied the score at 1-apiece on a run-scoring single.
The Herons got the run right back in the bottom of the inning. Eli Thomas (1-for-3) lined a oneout single ahead of Dennis Raulerson getting hit by a pitch.
Cain Roberson’s ensuing groundout advanced the runners 90 feet. Nielson (1-for-2) followed with a run-scoring single for a 2-1 lead.
Both teams left two runners apiece on base in the third. Long County had a one-out single and walk against Ellis Westover (1.2, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 K, 4 BB, 1 WP).
Brantley County’s Carson Coger and Rowell worked consecutive two-out free passes.
The Blue Tide had two singles, two walks and two hit batters in fourth batting against Westover and Roberson (3.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 K, 0 BB, 2 HBP) scoring one run on a balk. They scored another on a run-scoring single and a bases loaded hit batter in grabbing a 4-2 lead.
BCHS responded with a run in the bottom of the inning cutting the lead to 4-3. The Herons left the tying run at third.
Raulerson opened the inning reaching on an error. He was balked to second, tagged and moved to third on Roberson’s fly ball to right scoring two batters later on Grafford’s one-out, sacrifice fly down the right field line.
The out followed Nielson getting hit with courtesy runner Parker Rentz stealing second and taking third on Grafford’s fly ball out.
Robinson retired the Blue Tide in order in the fifth and seventh innings. He surrendered consecutive two-out hits in the sixth after retiring seven in a row.
After getting to within 4-3, Brantley County had eight consecutive batters go down in order. Nielson led off the seventh reaching on an error before being wiped out on a doubleplay grounder.
