BLUE RIDGE — Fannin County’s Hudson York and Rylin Davis combined on a five-hit shutout pitching the 11th-seed Rebels to a 7-0 victory eliminating Brantley County here Friday with a first round doubleheader sweep.
The Rebels (20-11) won their ninth consecutive game in taking the best-of-three series to advance to the second round against fifthseed Bleckley County.
The Herons (13-19), who dropped five of their last six games, were making their 20th playoff appearance in school history. They lost for the second straight year in the opening round falling to 9-11 in first round series matchups.
BCHS was one of three Region 1 teams ousted in the opening round. Thomasville, a 16th-seed, lost in three games to 17th-seed Toombs County. Berrien, seeded 31st, was swept by No. 2 seed Bremen.
Fourth-seed Worth County survived a three-game series against 29th-seed Swainsboro. The Rams will host 13th-seed Banks County in Round 2.
Eighth-seed Fitzgerald swept 25th-seed East Laurens and will host ninth-seed ACE Charter. Jeff Davis, seeded 21st, upset 12th-seed Putnam County with a sweep. The Yellow Jackets head to fifth-seed Social Circle.
After stranding 10 base runners in Game 1’s 6-5 loss, the Herons left nine on base in Game 2 with five stranded in scoring position. BCHS was turned away in each of the first two innings after loading the bases against York (5.1 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 K, 3 BB).
The Rebels scored twice in the first inning on consecutive one-out, run-scoring doubles against Kaden Hendrix (6.1 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 11 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 1 WP).
BCHS threatened in the bottom of the inning. Clark Carter (1-for-4) reached on a one-out error with Hendrix (1-for-3) banging out single at the end of a nine-pitch at bat. Jackson Rowell (1-for-3) singled with two outs to load the bases.
After Hendrix pitched out of a two-out, bases loaded jam in the top of the second, Brantley County loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the inning.
Dennis Raulerson and Cain Roberson each walked. Eli Nielson (1-for-3) beat out a sacrifice bunt loading the bases. York coaxed two infield pops and a fly out to wiggle out unscathed.
Fannin County stretched its 2-0 lead to a 5-0 advantage with a threerun third. A two-run double followed a leadoff single and an error.
Two successful sacrifice bunts with both batters reaching loaded the bases with one out. A sacrifice fly to center plated the final run.
The Rebels scored an unearned run in the fifth upping the margin to 6-0. A one-out hit batter raced from first when a two-out popup was misplayed into an error.
BCHS stranded two in the bottom of the inning. Carter lined a leadoff single with courtesy runner Parker Rentz racing to third on Carson Coger’s (1-for-2) one-out double. An inning-ending doubleplay squelched the scoring opportunity.
Fannin plated a final run in the top of the seventh after two outs and nobody on base against Rowell (.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 WP). Consecutive walks kept the inning moving and were followed by a runscoring single.
