Cats fight back but drop region opener in walk-off fashion at Lawrence Co.
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From Staff Reports
Giving up a six-run inning is hard to overcome in baseball. The GCHS Wildcats came about as close to doing so as possible on Tuesday at Lawrence County, but ended up with an 11-10 loss to start region play.
GCHS took an early 3-0 lead, but trailed by seven through three innings after giving up six runs to the Cougars in the second and another four in the third. But, the Cats never quit and battled back to a 10-10 tie going into the bottom of the seventh. Unfortunately, the Cats couldn’t hold the lead, giving up the winning run on a sacrifice fly in the final frame. Freshman Connor West took the loss for the Cats after allowing two hits and one run in one and one-third innings of work.
GCHS had 12 hits in the game, led by seniors Noah Mitchell, Garrett West and Peyton Roberts. Mitchell doubled, homered and drove in four runs, while West finished 3-for-4 with a double and a RBI. Roberts had two hits, a RBI and three runs scored.
Defensively, GCHS committed five errors in the loss. Senior Kenneth Moore got the start, but left in the second inning after giving up three runs. Malachi Graham worked three and two-thirds of an inning in relief. He scattered five hits, but gave up seven runs, although only two of those runs were earned.
With the loss, GCHS fell to 5-5 overall and 0-1 in region play. They will try to even their region record on Friday when the Cougars come to Scott Bray Field for game two of the series.
GCHS wins 2-of-3 leading into region opener against Cougars
From Staff Reports
The GCHS Wildcats won 2-of-3 games last week in preparation for the beginning of region play this week.
Against Stone County last Tuesday, seniors Noah Mitchell and Brantley Smith drove in runs in the top of the ninth inning to lead GCHS to a 4-2 win. Their classmate Kenneth Moore and junior Malachi Graham also drove in runs in the win.
Moore got the start on the mound and threw three no-hit innings, striking out five along the way. Graham gave the Cats three and a third quality innings out of the bullpen, before turning the game over to freshman Connor West midway through the seventh inning. West allowed just one hit over two and two thirds of an inning to earn the win.
The Cats then dropped a 2-1 pitcher’s duel on Friday to the defending 4-A State Champions from Vancleave. Junior pitcher Drake Henderson took the loss on the mound for GCHS despite a solid outing. Henderson scattered six hits over six innings, but didn’t get any run support as the Cats struggled at the plate. Henderson and Mitchell were the only Cats to record hits in the game.
On Saturday, Greene County broke open a tie game with two runs in the sixth inning and then added an insurance run in the seventh to take a 5-2 win on the road at East Central. The win pushed the Wildcats’ record to 5-4 as they entered region play this week with a 2-game series with Lawrence County.
Senior Garrett West singled with two outs to load the bases for GCHS in the sixth. Walker Byrd singled to drive in Jackson Dueitt, and then Peyton Roberts and Bradley Snyder scored on an error by the Hornet shortstop on the play to put the Cats up 4-2. They extended the lead in the top of the seventh when Brayden Brewer scored on a passed ball on a swinging third strike by Dylan Miller.
Noah Mitchell tripled and scored on a ground ball by Brantley Smith to start the scoring for GCHS in the fifth.
Freshman pitcher Connor West inherited a 1-run lead and a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth and promptly balked and hit a batter as East Central jumped in front. But, West was lights out from that point, retiring the next seven hitters he faced in order to earn his second win of the season.
GCHS traveled to Lawrence County Tuesday, but results were not available at press time. They will host the Cougars Friday.
GCHS SENIORS (L-R) WALKER BYRD, KEVIN DORTCH, BRANTLEY SMITH, NOAH MITCHELL, GARRETT WEST, DALTON JENKINS AND KENNETH MOORE.
