The HoCo Bears hosted the Brunswick Pirates for the second time in three seasons in the State Playoffs but this time in the Sweet Sixteen. The result was a Black, Silver, and White sweep.. winning Game One 7-3 and winning Game Two 12-2. Game One would be tightly contested through 4 1/2 innings with the game tied at 3 a piece and neither team leading by more than one run as well.
The host would retake the lead in the last of the fifth when Ethan Buffone hit a sacrifice fly to left to drive in Vick Gann to make the score 4-3 HoCo with one out on the board. Ethan Kenney would follow suit by hitting a sacrifice fly to center to drive in Isaiah Galason to push the score to 5-3 Bears with two outs on the board.
Tyson Ganas would hit an rbi single to drive in Logan Elble to make the score 6-3 in favor of the Black, Silver, and White heading into the sixth inning. Vick Gann would hit an rbi double in the last of the sixth to drive in Kendall Jackson to make the score 7-3 HoCo and that would be the final score of Game One.
Ethan Buffone and Ethan Kenney each led the host in rbis with two followed by Vick Gann, Logan Elble, and Tyson Ganas with one a piece in Game One. Bears’ SP Will Allen was not as sharp tonight but would pitch a complete game.. surrendering three runs (two earned) on six hits, walking three, and striking out six in the process while throwing 101 pitches.
Game Two would be close briefly as the score would be tied at 1 after one inning of play but HoCo would outscore Brunswick 11-1 the remaining six innings as the designated visitors plated two in the second, three in the third, none in the fourth, and two in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings to win Game Two 12-2 to sweep the series 2-0 to advance to the Elite Eight for the seventh consecutive season dating back to 2018.
Kendall Jackson led the Black, Silver, and White in rbis with three followed by Isaiah Galason, Will Allen, and Noah Odom with two a piece, and Logan Elble, Ethan Kenney, and Raymond Byrd with one a piece in Game Two with the highlight being Galason hitting a two run jack in the top of the seventh to bring the Bears’ home run total for the season to 25.
SP Max Wilhide pitched for six innings.. surrendering two earned runs on seven hits, walking two, and striking out eight in the process while reliever Tyson Ganas relief-pitched inning seven and surrendered no runs on no hits, walking one, and striking out one. HoCo improves to 29-5 overall and hits an 11-game win streak for the second time this season and will once again travel to take on the Pope Greyhounds.. this time in the Elite Eight on Wednesday, May 7th.
The Pirates wrap-up 2025 at 20-12 overall.
