KINGSLAND — Ware County’s junior varsity closed out its season here sweeping a doubleheader from Camden County.
The Gators (12-5-1) ended a two-game slide with a 2-1 victory in the Monday, April 7 five-inning opener. They followed with a 10-1 decision in the four-inning nightcap.
Game 1 Gators ...................2 Camden County .....1
Lucas Howard and Chaden Carter combined on a one-hitter making a two-run second stand up against the Wildcats.
Howard tossed four hitless innings fanning three and walking two on 64 pitches. Carter worked the fifth allowing a base hit, walked one and allowed a run.
Sage Delk (2-for-2) led off the third inning with a first-pitch single. He stole second with one out and scored on Tanner Lairsey’s (1-for-3) two-out single. Courtesy runner Ryder Gilbert stole second and scored on Keaton Holloway’s (1-for-2) ensuing double for a 2-0 lead.
Camden County, which stranded two base runners against Howard, collected its first hit with a fifth inning leadoff single. A stolen base, wild pitch and sacrifice bunt got the runner home.
After putting the tying run on base with a twoout walk, Carter ended the game picking the runner off at first.
Game 2 Gators..................10 Camden County .....1
The Gators scored in each of their first four at bats in rolling past Camden County for the sweep of the twinbill.
Garrison Joyner led the Ware County offense going 3-for-3 and driving in four runs. Trace Crosby, Brodie Burchett, Holloway, Carter and Delk added a hit apiece.
Ware County scored all the runs Ryder Kinnon (3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 1 BB, 1 HBP) and Wes Jordan (1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 K, 2 BB) would need with a tworun first. The Gators added two runs in the second, five in the third and one in the fourth in building a 10-0 advantage.
Howard led off the first reaching on an error. After stealing second, he scored on Joyner’s first hit of the game. Joyner stole second, advanced to third after tagging on a fly ball and scored on a wild pitch for a 2-0 advantage.
The Gators’ second also started with a leadoff error with Crosby (1-for-3) reaching on the miscue. Burchett (1-for-2) executed a sacrifice bunt with Delk (1-for-1) poking a single to put runners on the corners.
Howard followed with a sacrifice fly scoring Crosby. Delk stole second and third with two outs and scored on Joyner’s second base hit for a 4-0 lead.
Ware County broke the game open with a five-run third opening up a 9-0 margin. Holloway (1-for-3) tripled and scored on Carter’s (1-for-2) ensuing firstpitch single.
After a walk to Kinnon, both runners advanced on Crosby’s groundout. Burchett lined a first-pitch, RBI single for a 6-0 lead. After a walk to Delk (1-for-1) loaded the bases, Howard drove home Kinnon with a ground out. Joyner drove in the final two runs with a first-pitch single giving the Gators a 9-0 advantage.
Asher Lee scored Ware County’s final run in the top of the fourth. Lee reached on a one-out, dropped third strike, stole second, advanced to third on a dropped third strike and scored on Crosby’s two-out single.
The Wildcats broke through in the bottom of the inning. A double, single and walk against Jordan loaded the bases. A fielder’s choice groundout forced home the lead runner. A caught stealing and an infield pop ended the threat.
