Regionmate Cook visits in second round matchup
BEARVILLE — Third-seed Pierce County made quick work of 30th-seed South Atlanta here Friday afternoon in the opening round of the Class AA state tournament.
PCHS (22-8) blanked the Hornets (7-12) 15-0 in Game 1 over three innings. Jones Herrin allowed just one hit in his 40-pitch (31 strikes) outing. The southpaw fanned seven and walked one.
The Bears exploded for 12 runs in the first inning of Game 2 in posting a 18-0 three inning victory to move on to the second round for the fourth straight year. PCHS improved to 16-2 in first round series.
The 33 runs for the Bears set a first round scoring record eclipsing the 31 they scored in a two-game sweep of Washington County (17-7, 14-2) to start the 2014 playoffs.
The back-to-back shutouts were the fourth in the first round and fifth overall. PCHS blanked Screven County (7-0, 9-0) in 2007, Crisp County (12-0, 15-0) in 2018 and Johnson- Savannah (7-0, 7-0) in 2022. The Bears shutout Hart County (10-0, 4-0) in a 2017 second round matchup.
Pierce County will host Region 3 member 14th-seed Cook (22-9), which swept 19th-seed Hardaway, in a doubleheader Thursday, May 1 with Game slated for a 4:30 p.m. start. An “if” game would be played Friday, May 2.
PCHS captured the threegame region series against the Hornets sandwiching 10-0 and 3-1 road wins in Adel around a 4-3 home victory the first week of April.
The two programs have met once in the post-season with Cook winning the 1997 first round series 2-1. Cook took the opener 6-3 with PCHS forcing an “if” game with a 7-6 victory. The Hornets won the elimination game 6-5.
Eighth-seed Appling County beat 25th-seed Therrell 18-3 and 15-0. The Pirates will host 24th-seed Hart County, who rallied from a one-game deficit to beat ninth-seed Thompson. After swapping 4-3 wins in Friday’s doubleheader, the Bulldogs rolled 18-2 in the “if” game.
No. 22 Crisp County gave Region 3 a sweep with the Cougars knocking off 11th-seed Shaw winning 5-4 and 5-2. They travel to fifth-seed Columbus, who needed a win in the “if” game to oust 27thseed Sonoraville.
Game 1 No. 3 Bears....................15 No. 30 S. Atlanta ............0
Pierce County had 21 of its 27 batters reach base in twoplus innings with eight combining for 12 stolen bases in the opener.
The Bears collected 10 hits with four walks issued and four batters hit. South Atlanta committed five errors and had six passed balls leading to just four of the 15 runs being earned.
PCHS followed the Hornets’ 1-2-3 first with a two-run bottom of the inning. Chance Williams (1-for-1) drew a leadoff walk, stole second (one of three), moved to third on Herrin’s (2-for-3) groundout and scored on a passed ball.
Jack McClellan followed reaching on a two-base error. Dylan Johnson (2-for-3) singled McClellan home two pitches later for a 2-0 lead.
The Bears sent 17 batters to the plate in the second inning scoring 12 runs for a 14-0 lead. Pierce County had eight hits, two walks and two hit batters with the visitors making two errors.
The first seven batters reached and scored before the first out of the inning. Williams had a two-run double, stole third and home for a 5-0 lead. Jonathan Stone (1-for-2) singled home James Alonzo, courtesy running for Herrin.
A passed ball plated Grayson Arington, running for Stone. An error on a ball hit by Johnson scored McClellan, who walked for an 8-0 advantage. Dylan Figueroa’s sacrifice fly drove home Johnson.
Beck Hodges (2-for-2) followed two batters later with a run-scoring single. After a walk and hit batter loaded the bases, Herrin delivered a first-pitch, two-run single extending the margin to 12-0.
Following Stone getting clipped by the next pitch re-loading the bases, Alonzo hit into a run-scoring fielder’s choice. Johnson’s ensuing pop to third was lost in the sun allowing the final run of the inning to score for a 14-0 advantage.
Mark Sweet (1-for-2) opened the bottom of the third with a four-pitch walk, Isaac Chancey was hit two pitches later with Christian Osbourne’s (1for-2) first-pitch single scoring Sweet with the 15th run ending the game.
Game 2 No. 3 Bears.............18 No. 30 S. Atlanta......0
The Bears put the finale out of reach early coasting to a second straight shutout and a no-hitter.
Jaxton Harris retired the final six batters, the last five via strikeout, following a leadoff error. Johnson worked a 1-2-3 bottom of the third needing just 11 pitches to strikeout the side.
PCHS had 25 batters reach with eight hits. The Hornets’ pitching staff walked seven, hit six and their defense committed four errors.
Garrett Stevenson, Stone and Osbourne (triple) led the way with two hits apiece. Williams and McClellan recorded a hit apiece.
The Bears’ first six batters reached to start the second game. McClellan stroked a bases loaded, two-run single to get the scoring started. Figueroa drew a bases loaded walk for a 3-0 lead.
After a wild pitch plated a run, Osbourne lined a two-run single. A passed ball upped the lead to 7-0. Stevenson’s two-run single two batters later increased the margin to 9-0. Stone followed a walk and theft of third with a sacrifice fly.
Consecutive errors allowed the final two runs to race home for a 12-0 advantage.
PCHS batted around in the second inning scoring five times for a 17-0 lead. Williams had a run-scoring double and raced home when Stevenson’s ensuing grounder was thrown away.
Stone provided a runscoring single. Figueroa was credited with an RBI after drawing a bases loaded walk. Braxton Mc-Cook followed getting hit by a 3-2 pitch forcing home the final run of the inning.
Pierce County’s final score came on a threebase error and a second error. Hodges raced around the bases when his grounder was thrown away. He kept running when the relay was thrown away.
Dylan Johnson pops up a bloop single into shallow center field driving home a run. Photo By RICK HEAD
