JESUP — Homestanding Wayne County forced a “winner take all” for the Region 1-AAAA No. 2 seed doubling up 10th-ranked Ware County 8-4 here Tuesday in the middle matchup of the threegame, season-ending series.
The Yellow Jackets (1712 overall, 10-4 region) increased their winning streak to five games with the series-clinching victory to move into a tie with the Gators (17-11, 10-4), losers of three straight, with identical region records.
Wayne County scored at least one run (two two-run innings) during its six trips to the plate against the WCHS trio of Tanner Larisey (4 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 3 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP, 2 WP), Ryder McKinnon (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 0 BB) and Landon Smallwood (1 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 WP).
The Yellow Jackets struck for one run in the first inning getting a leadoff triple from Dekan Yeomans (1-for-2) and a sacrifice fly two pitches later off the bat of Haddy Peel (1for-3) for the quick lead.
A two-run second extended the margin to 3-0. Wayne County scored on a one-out error and a twoout, run-scoring single by Easton Deike (1-for-2).
The Yellow Jackets pushed their advantage to 5-0 with two more runs in their third at bat. Peel led off the inning with a double, eventually scoring on a passed ball, the second of the frame.
Following consecutive walks, Maddux Wilkerson scored from second on a fielder’s choice grounder that ended with a throwing error for the five-run advantage.
Wayne County tacked on a run in the fifth for a 6-0 lead. Wilkerson drew a leadoff walk and moved to second when Deike was hit by a pitch. The pair moved up on a wild pitch ahead of Yeomans’ sacrifice fly, extending the lead to six runs.
Cohen Tyre (1-for-2) led off the fifth blasting McKinnon’s second pitch over the fence in left upping the margin to 7-0.
Ware County finally broke through in the sixth against Bryce Wilkerson (6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 K, 1 BB) with a four-run rally.
The Gators left Seth Suess (1-for-3) on base in the first after a two-out error, Walker Hudson in the second following a two-out walk, and Collin Crawford (2for-4) in the third with a one-out double.
Crawford led of the sixth with a single. Following a fielder’s choice groundout by Smallwood, Suess singled with Slade Sweat (1-for-3) following with a run-scoring single.
Following the second out, Larisey lined a two-run double cutting the lead to 7-3. Hudson’s ensuing run-scoring single sliced the margin to 7-4.
Wayne County’s final run came in the bottom of the sixth. Bryce Wilkerson drew a leadoff walk, raced around to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Yeomans sacrifice fly to center.
