A two-out error set up the Packers’ final run. A walk and a run-scoring single followed for the three-run advantage.
Ware County started chipping away at the deficit with a two-run fourth to get to within 4-3.
Hudson laced a secondpitch single and was removed for courtesy runner Landon Taylor. After moving up on a wild pitch, Taylor raced home when Cox’s grounder was thrown away for a twobase error cutting the deficit to 4-2. Cox scored three pitches later when Slade Sweat’s grounder was booted.
The Gators took a 5-4 lead in the top of the fifth pushing home two runs. Joiner and Hudson sandwiched walks around a Suess infield hit loading the bases with one out. Joiner tied the game at 4apiece scoring on a wild pitch. Cox executed a suicide squeeze on the ensuing offering scoring Suess with the eventual winning run.
A three-run sixth extended Ware County’s margin to 8-4. Hooks delivered a one-out, runscoring single followed a lead off walk to Pearson and Crawford’s sacrifice bunt.
After a walk to Joiner, Suess singled scoring Hooks from second for a 7-4 lead. Hudson’s twoout bloop double scored Joiner with the last run of the inning.
The Gators finished out the scoring chasing home two runs in the seventh. Sweat drew a lead off walk ahead of Keaton Holloway’s fielder’s choice grounder. After Holloway stole second, he scored on Crawford’s single to right.
Hooks followed with a single and Joiner walked loading the bases. An infield hit by Suess plated Hooks for a 10-4 advantage.
No. 7 Gators..................... 8 Coffee................................3
Bryce Dixon’s one-out, run-scoring double in the broke a l-all tie giving the Gators the lead for good en route to downing visiting Coffee.
Ware County rode the one-hit pitching of Joiner over five innings while building a 6-1 lead. Joiner, who threw 66 pitches, fanned seven, walked one and allowed an earned run.
He was followed to the mound by Sweat (.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, O K, 1 BB) and Dixon, who fanned four of the five batters he faced over the sixth and seventh innings.
The Trojans took an early 1-0 lead with a second inning run. A one-out hit batter was followed by a single. Both runners took an extra base on the play. A groundout to short scored the run.
Ware County, which left Joiner (2-for-3) and Suess (2-for-3) on in the first after base hits, evened the score at 1-apiece in the bottom of the second.
Hooks (l-for-4), after a lead off single, was retired on Dixon’s (2-for-3) fielder’s choice. Dixon stole second and moved to third on a fly ball out. He trotted home on Crawford’s (l-for-2) two-out infield hit.
Hudson (l-for-4) led off the fourth inniny runner). Holloway swiped second and third in front of a walk to Sweat (2-for-3) putting runners on the corners.
After a foiled squeeze play retiring Holloway at the plate, Dixon ripped a run-scoring double chasing Sweat home for a 2-1 lead. Pearson and Crawford were each hit in a three-pitch sequence with Crawford’s coming with the bases loaded forcing home Hooks. Joiner’s sacrifice fly to center plated Dixon for a 4-1 advantage.
Suess led off a two-run fifth getting hit by a pitch. Sweat’s one-out double put runners at second and third. Dixon’s two-out single drove home Suess for a 5-1 margin. Following a walk to Pearson loading the bases, Sweat scored on a passed ball for a five-run lead.
The Trojans scored twice in the top of the sixth on a one-out, two-run double closing the deficit to 6--
3--
Ware County got the runs right back in the bottom half of the inning. Joiner reached on a lead off single and moved around to third on a wild pitch. Suess delivered a one-out single scoring Joiner for a 7-3 lead. A two-out wild pitch advanced Suess to second with Sweat driving a 3-2 pitch to right to drive in Suess.
No. 7 Gators................... 12 No. 5 Toombs Co............. 2 Ware County did all of its damage over three innings starting with a fiverun first in beating the visiting Bulldogs.
Toombs County took advantage of a couple of errors in the first inning scoring on a two-out single against Sweat (4 IP, 2 H, 2 R, O ER, 4 K, 2 BB) for a 1O lead.
The Gators came right back with a five-run rally in the bottom of the inning. Cox (2-for-3) walked with one out. After swiping second and third, Cox scored on a throwing error tying the score at l-apiece.
Suess (2-for-3) walked and stole second ahead of Hudson (l-for-2) getting hit by a pitch. After Suess and Taylor (courtesy running for Hudson) pulled off a double steal, Hooks (lfor- 4) poked a two-run single to right for a 3-1 lead.
Hooks stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error. He scored on a wild pitch. Dixon followed with a triple at the end of a nine-pitch at bat and scored on a passed ball for the 5-1 lead.
The Bulldogs cut the margin to 5-2 in the fourth on two walks, a single and an error.
Ware County answered with three runs after two outs and nobody on base in the bottom of the frame stretching the margin to 82. Crawford was hit by a l-l offering to extend the inning.
After a walk to Joiner (lfor- 3) and a double steal putting runners at second and third, Crawford scored on a wild pitch with Joiner scoring when Cox’s grounder was booted into a two-base error. Suess followed with a run-scoring hit.
The Gators ended the game in the bottom of the sixth. Joiner led off reaching on a two-base error, moved to third on a passed ball and scored on a single by Cox for a 9-2 advantage. Cox, who took second on the throw to the plate, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on an infield hit by Suess.
Back-to-back walks to Hudson and Sweat loaded the bases. Grant Geiger (lfor- 2) ended the game with a two-out double.
Hatcher and Reid Kirkland worked an inning apiece facing four batters each and combining for four strikeouts with one walk.
