Seventh-ranked Ware County extended its season-opening winning streak to six games sandwiching two road wins around a home victory.
The Gators (6-0) finished off the season sweep of Toombs County (33) Tuesday, February 18 beating the Bulldogs 13-1 in Lyons. Ware County rolled 12-2 at home February 14.
Ware County blanked visiting Thomasville (2-4) 10-0 in five innings Thursday, February 20 behind the no-hit pitching effort of Evan Joiner. The game was moved up one day with the Lady Gator basketball team hosting East Forsyth in the second round of the state basketball playoffs Friday.
The Gators closed out the week Saturday, February 22 downing Coffee (2-5) 7-3 in 10 innings on Bryce Dixon’s grandslam homer for the series sweep. The game was a makeup of the Wednesday, February 19 postponement due to rain. Ware County beat the Trojans 8-3 February 11 at home.
Ware County traveled Tuesday, February 25 to Thomasville for the series finale at 5:30 p.m. Colquitt County comes to town Wednesday, February 26 for a 6 p.m., first pitch. Class AA pre-season No. 1 Appling County visits Friday, February 28 at 6 p.m.
The Gators have three games scheduled next week. They travel Monday, March 3 to Vidalia, entertain the Indians Thursday, March 6 at 6 p.m., and visit Appling County Friday, March 7 at 6 p.m.
No. 7 Gators ........................13 Toombs County.....................1
LYONS — Ware County put together three four-run innings in hammering the Bulldogs.
The Gators uprisings came in the third, fifth and seventh innings. The last two came after Toombs County plated its lone run in the fourth inning to cut the deficit to 5-1.
Six Ware County players were credited with two hits apiece as the Gators collected 15 base knocks against six pitchers. Seven were for extra bases.
The Gators scored their first run in the second inning after two outs and nobody on base. Dixon (2-for-4, triple) singled on a 1-2 pitch, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a Logan Hatcher (1-for-3) single.
They followed with a four-run third set up by a leadoff error on a ball hit by Collin Crawford. He stole second, moved to third on a groundout and scored on Cole Cox’s (2-for-5) single. Cox stole second and scored on a single by Seth Suess (2for-5), who was replaced by courtesy runner Landon Taylor, for a 3-0 lead.
After Walker Hudson (1-for-3, double) was hit by a pitch, Slade Sweat (2-for-4, two doubles) ripped a run-scoring double with Hudson’s courtesy runner Zeke Gillis being gunned down at the plate. Luke Hooks (2-for-3, double) followed with a run-scoring bloop double pushing the margin to 5-0.
Toombs County plated its lone run in the fourth against Suess (4 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 0 BB, 1 WP). A leadoff single, wild pitch and a oneout error allowed the run.
Ware County came right back with four runs in the top of the fifth to open up a 9-1 lead. The first six batters reached for the Gators starting with back-to-back doubles by Hudson and Sweat for the first run. Following a walk to Hooks, Dixon laced a two-run triple for an 8-1 advantage. An error on a ball hit by Hatcher plated Dixon gave Ware County an eight-run advantage before the first out was recorded.
The Gators batted around in the seventh. Evan Pearson was hit to start the inning and removed for Taylor. Grant Geiger (1for-) followed with a double. Both runners trotted home on a double by Joiner (2-for-5) for an 11-1 lead.
Following a single by Cox putting runners on the corners, Suess executed a sacrifice bunt plating Joiner. A two-out walk to Sweat kept the inning alive with Hooks following with a run-scoring single.
Pearson (2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 K, 3 BB, 1 HBP) and Reid Kirkland (1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP) followed Suess to the mound.
No. 7 Gators............10 Thomasville .............0
The Gators capitalized on six Thomasville errors scoring 10 unearned runs while Joiner silenced the Bulldogs’ bats.
The right-hander needed 67 pitches to complete five innings. He fanned eight, walked two and uncorked a wild pitch.
Ware County broke a scoreless tie with a ninerun third inning sending 13 batters to the plate. Thomasville committed four errors in the inning including three to start the frame.
Cox got the inning started when his liner to center was misplayed into a two-base error. Suess (1for-3) reached when his fly to right was misplayed into a two-base error scoring Cox with the first run. Hudson (1-for-2) followed suit reaching when his fly ball to left was misplayed into a two-base error. Hudson was removed for Taylor.
Following the first out, Hooks (1-for-3) doubled home Suess. Dixon’s (1for-3) bloop double scored Taylor for a 3-0 advantage. After a walk to Pearson loading the bases, Hatcher (1-for-1) stroked a two-run single pushing the lead out to 5-0.
Joiner (1-for-3) reached on a fielder’s choice loading the bases. One out later, a liner to right off the bat of Suess was misplayed allowing all three runners to score growing the lead to 8-0. Suess, who took second on the error, scored on a single by Hudson to cap the nine-run explosion.
Ware County scored its last run in the bottom of the fourth. Dixon reached on a one-out, two-base error and scored from second on a passed ball.
No. 7 Gators..............7 Coffee..........3, 10 Inn.
DOUGLAS — Dixon broke a 3-all tie blasting an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left for a game-winning grandslam homer lifting the Gators past Coffee.
The Trojans forced extra innings scoring on a Ben Fussell (3-for-5) one-out double and subsequent error on the play allowing the leadoff batter to race around the base paths.
Ware County threatened in the eighth loading the bases after two outs and nobody on base. Hudson reached on an error to extend the inning. Cox (1-for-4) and Dixon (2-for-3) were each hit in a fourpitch loading the bases with a pop out ending the threat.
Coffee loaded the bases in the bottom of the inning against Sweat (3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP) with a leadoff single and back-to-back intentional walks with one out. Following a strikeout, Hudson nailed the runner at third with a perfect throw to Suess to get out of the jam.
Both teams would strand a runner in the ninth with Joiner (1-for-5) drawing a two-out walk and Sweat hitting Coffee’s leadoff batter.
The Gators set up the 10th with Sweat (1-for-4) drawing a one-out walk and being removed for courtesy runner Keaton Holloway. Hudson’s ensuing grounder was booted allowing Holloway to race around to third. Hudson was replaced by Taylor.
Cox reached on a safety squeeze loading the bases. After fouling off the first pitch, Dixon blasted a roundtripper for a 7-3 lead.
Ware County scored a run in the first on a RBI single off the bat of Suess (1-for-4). Joiner led off the inning reaching on a twobase error on a comebacker to the mound.
Suess followed two batters later with a one-out hit against Michael Strictland (7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 12 K, 1 BB). After a double by Sweat, Strictland got the next two batters on strikes stranding runners at second and third.
Coffee responded with two runs in the bottom of the inning against Dixon (7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 6 K, 0 BB, 1 HBP). A leadoff double by Fussell, sacrifice bunt and run-scoring single by Strictland (1-for-5) knotted the score at 1apiece. A two-out error plated the second run.
Dixon led off the Gators’ two-run second getting hit by a pitch. Landon Smallwood (2-for-5) followed with a first-pitch homer to right giving Ware County a 3-2 lead.
The Gators left two on base in the third and one in the sixth. Coffee stranded a runner in the second, one in the third and two in the sixth.
