BEARVILLE — Pierce County Middle School’s baseball program opened up its 2026 season winning a pair of bitter cold home games.
The Bears (1-0) kicked off the season with a 14-2 whipping of Toombs County Middle School in a five-inning “mercy rule” scrimmage Tuesday, January 27.
PCMS no-hit McIntosh County Academy Middle School Friday, January 30 winning 13-0 in four innings.
Pierce Middle traveled Tuesday, February 3 over to Darien to play McIntosh County Academy Middle School for a 4 p.m. matchup. The Bears will play Saturday, February 7 in the Dublin Middle School tournament.
PCMS travels Tuesday, February 10 to Lyons for a return engagement with Toombs Middle at 4 p.m.. The Bears will host Bethune Middle School of Folkston in the Southeast Georgia Middle School Conference opener Thursday, February 12 at 4 p.m.
Bears ........................................14 Toombs Middle...........................2
Five PCMS pitchers combined on a three-hitter twirling the Bears past Toombs Middle.
Jack Jameson worked the first two inning retiring all six batters he faced with five strikeouts. Colton McCook (walk) and Asher Strickland (two strikeouts, two hits) were each charged with a run in the third inning.
Drew Stipe (hit, two strikeouts) and Briggs Sweat (strikeout, walk) each worked an inning.
James Gruver (RBI, two stolen bases) and Stipe (stolen base) led the nine-hit attack with collecting two hits. Colton O’Berry (three ribbies), McCoy Howard (RBI), Spencer Taylor (two runs batted in, stole base), Jameson (double, RBI) and Strickland (two RBI) each collected a hit.
PCMS scored a run in the first when Jacob Gruver raced home from third on a dropped third strike. The Bears extended the lead to 5-0 in the second with a four-run rally. Stipe scored on an error, McCook crossed the plate on a James Gruver single, Jacob Gruver raced home on a passed ball with James Gruver scoring on Jameson’s double.
The Bears blew the game open after Toombs Middle scored twice in the top of the third to get to within 5-2.
Pierce Middle scored eight runs in the bottom half of the inning sending 12 batters to the plate to open up a 13-2 lead.
The Bears added a final run in the bottom of the of the fourth.
Bears.........................................13 MCA Middle ...............................0
A trio of PCMS hurlers combined for 11 strikeouts while not allowing a Bucs hit in the season opener.
O’Berry worked the first two innings fanning five and walk two. Taylor followed with an inning of work striking out the side and issuing awalk. James Gruver worked an inning fanning three and walking two.
Pierce Middle broke the game open in the first inning sending 12 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs. Jameson (3for-3, two RBI, stolen base) supplying a two-run homer.
The Bears scored on an error, a runscoring single by O’Berry (1-for-3, RBI), an RBI single by Stipe (1-for-2 RBI, stolen base) and a bases clearing double by James Gruver (1-for-2, four runs batted in, stole base).
PCMS tacked on three runs in the second inning upping its lead to 11-0. Jameson scored on a wild pitch, Strickland (1-for-2, RBI, stolen base) lined a run-scoring single with Griff Walsh producing an a run-scoring groundout.
Pierce Middle plated its final two runs in the third inning. Walsh and Jacob Gruver (1-for-1 RBI) drew consecutive bases loaded two-out walks.
