Pierce County seeded 1st for Class AA, to host Bleckley County in first round
BEARVILLE — Second-ranked Pierce County closed out the 2026 regular season here Friday recording a 12-2 victory in five innings over Class A DII sixth-ranked Clinch County.
The April 17 win tied the school record for consecutive wins at 18 set during the 2015.
The top-seed Bears (25-3) will put their winning streak on the line in the first round against 32nd-seed Columbia (4-14). PCHS will host each round it advances in the playoffs.
The first round begins Friday, April 24 with doubleheaders and a Saturday, April 25 “if” game. The winner advances to face the survivor of 16th-seed Pike County and 17thseed Sonoraville beginning Thursday, April 30.
Joining PCHS from Region 3 are sixth-seed Appling County, 12thseed Cook, 22nd-seed Tattnall County and 24th-seed Crisp County.
Clinch County (20-9) entered the season finale having won five of its last six games. The Panthers were unable to battle back from dreadful first inning.
The Bears scored nine runs in their first at bat with the first 10 batters reaching before a double play liner interrupted the stretch.
Chance Williams (2-for-3) got the inning started with a line drive single to center. He stole second and third ahead of a walk to Beck Hodges and a run-scoring single by Jack McClellan (3-for-3), the first of six hits driving home runs in the opening frame.
Jonathan Stone (2-for-3) followed with a run-scoring single for a 2-0 lead. After a walk to Dylan Johnson loaded the bases, Brantley Willis (1-for-3) followed with an infield hit with a second run scoring on an error upping the advantage to 4-0.
Christian Osbourne’s (1-for-3) ensuing double driving in two runs was followed by Bryson Smith’s (3for-3) RBI single for a 7-0 lead. After a walk to Grayson Arington (1-for-1), Williams’ hard grounder to third was bobbled loading the bases chasing Clinch County starter Tate Denmark (0 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 0 K, 3 BB) after 10 batters.
Following a lineout double play, Williams stole second. Both Smith and Williams scored on a single by McClellan capping the scoring explosion for a 9-0 lead.
The Panthers scored their runs in the second against Emmitt Hall (2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP), the first of four pitchers used by PCHS. Willis, Colt Hickox and Stone followed with each working an inning apiece and fanning two batters each.
Hunter Henderson (1-for-2) and Jacob Delk (1-for-2) had consecutive one-out, RBI singles.
Pierce County stretched the margin out to 12-2 with a three-run third against Jake King (3 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 K, 1 BB).
Smith led off the third launching a first-pitch, solo homer to left-center, his first of the season. Arington, who followed with a walk, and Williams, who singled, would eventually score without the benefit of a base hit.
Both runners tagged up and advanced a base on a Hodges fly ball to right. Each scored on a passed ball for a 10-run advantage.
PCHS put two runners on in the fourth with Smith and Arington lining consecutive one-out singles. Delk retired the next two batters to get out of the jam.
