The Houston County Bears baseball team made the trip to Tifton to play the Tift Co Blue Devils to open a mammoth region series and the result was a 5-3 Bears’ victory to lead 1-0 in this region set going into the doubleheader at The Garden tomorrow. The Black, Silver, and White got the scoring started in the top of the first when Kendall Jackson grounded out which would drive in Vick Gann to make the score 1-0 Bears going into the last of the first.
The Blue Devils would respond nearly right out of the gate as on the second pitch their bats would face, John Davis would hit a leadoff jack to right to tie the game at 1 a piece and they later would have Brady Moretz at third with one out but they were unable to drive him in as HoCo got out of the last of the first tied at 1.
The visitors would retake the lead in the top half of the third when Ethan Buffone grounded into fielder’s choice to drive in Kendall Jackson to make the score 2-1 Bears which would be the score going into the last of the third inning. Tift would tie the game at 2 with a John Dorman groundout to drive in John Davis and Mac Brooks would hit a ground ball that would be fumbled by Isaiah Galason which would drive in Brady Moretz to give the host a 3-2 lead after the E4.
Tift Co would load the bases but HoCo got a groundout to end the inning and the Black, Silver, and White would tie the game at 3 in the top half of the fifth when Ethan Buffone hit an rbi single on a hard ground ball that would drive in Vick Gann and the score would remain this way going into the top half of the seventh.
With one out on the bord and the bases loaded and facing a 2-2 count, Troy Carpenter would hit a massive two rbi single to left to drive in Vick Gann and Kendall Jackson to give the Black, Silver, and White a 5-3 lead which would be the score going into the last of the seventh where Tucker Hale came in to relief pitch and he got the job done to preserve the 5-3 region road win for the HoCo Bears.
Landon Tankersley was tapped to be the SP for the visitors and he had the best game of his career to this point as he went six innings surrendering three runs (two earned) on four hits, walking four, and striking out six in the process and Tucker Hale came in to relief Tankersley in the seventh and he would successfully get the save as he surrendered no runs on no hits, walking one, and striking out one in the process.
Blue Devils’ SP Ryan Whitley also went six innings and he surrendered three earned runs on five hits, walking five, and striking out three in the process and his reliever Tyler VanSumeren came in to relieve in the seventh and he surrendered two earned runs on two hits, walking two, and striking out none in the process.
Ethan Buffone and Troy Carpenter led HoCo in rbis with two a piece followed by Kendall Jackson with one and John Davis and John Dorman were responsible for both of Tift Co’s rbis. Both teams committed one error in the contest. The Bears improve to 16-4 overall; 9-1 in region play while the Blue Devils saw their 14-game win streak get snapped as they fell to 16-2 overall; 9-1 in region play.
These two will meet at The Garden tomorrow afternoon in a mammoth region doubleheader.
