Jackets use 2-run 7th to win series opener, 4-2
Visiting Wayne County scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to take the season-ending, three-game series opener 4-2 Monday night over 10th-ranked Ware County.
The Gators (17-10 overall, 10-3), who fell for the third time in four games April 13 following a 14game winning streak, needed a sweep of the Yellow Jackets (16-12, 9-4) and one victory by New Hampstead over secondranked Benedictine to clinch the region title.
Wayne County’s victory, its fourth in a row and eighth in 10 games, tightened the race for secondplace with the Gators with two games remaining. Ware County needs one win in the final two games of the series to secure the region’s No. 2 seed in the Class 4A state tournament.
The Yellow Jackets, held hitless since collecting four base knocks in the first inning by Seth Suess (7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 6 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP), recorded their first hit since a twoout, run-scoring single in the first for a 2-0 advantage, with one out in the seventh.
Gunner Campbell’s (2for-3) single was followed by an eight-pitch walk to Bryce Wilkerson. Easton Delk (1-for-3) delivered the go-ahead, RBI single to center for a 3-2 Wayne County lead putting runners on the corners.
Dekan Yeomans’ (1-for-4) beat out Ware County’s bid to turn an inning-ending doubleplay allowing a second run to race home for the two-run advantage.
Malachi Lightsey (3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 8 K, 0 BB), who overpowered the Gators’ bats, fanned the side in the bottom half of the inning. Collin Crawford (2-for-4) dropped down a one-out, bunt single for Ware County’s only base runner in the seventh.
The Gators had threatened to break the 2-2 score in their half of the sixth inning, loading the bases with one out against Lightsey.
Landon Smallwood (2-for-3) singled to right with one out. Isaiah White (1-for-2) was hit two pitches later with Walker Hudson (1-for-3) lining an 0-2 Lightsey offering to right loading the bases.
The Wayne County reliever fanned the next two batters on six pitches to get out of the jam.
The Yellow Jackets scored twice in their first turn at bat forcing Suess to throw 34 of his 108 total pitches in the frame. Yeomans lined a leadoff singled to left on the 10th pitch of his at bat, stole second, and scored on Maddux Wilkerson’s (1for-3) double to left-center.
A single by Cohen Tyre (1-for-3) and Max Boykin getting hit loaded the bases. Gamble followed two batters later with a two-out, run-scoring single for a 2-0 advantage.
Ware County cut the deficit in half with a run in the bottom of the first against Ostin Kinard (4 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 6 K, 0 BB).
Suess (2-for-4) lined a one-out single and advanced to second when the ball was mishandled in left. Courtesy runner Brodie Burchett raced home when Smallwood dumped a two-out single to left.
The Gators tied the score in the third inning at 2-all. Crawford and Suess opened the frame with backto- back singles to left. Crawford scored from second on Slade Sweat’s ensuing fielder’s choice 6-4 groundout beating the throw home.
Suess retired 12 consecutive Wayne County batters after the two-out, run-scoring hit in the first and 16 of 17 entering the seventh inning. The stretch was interrupted by a two-out error with the runner gunned down trying to steal second.
The right-hander needed 41 pitches from the second through the fifth frame after hurling 34 pitches in the first inning. He had a sevenpitch second and an eight-pitch fifth.
Suess set down the Yellow Jackets in order in the sixth and recorded the first out in the seventh before running into trouble.
