The PCHS varsity Bears dropped a position are now ranked #2 in both the Georgia High School Sports Network coaches poll and the Baseball Scoutz.com website.

The Pierce County Middle School Bears defeated the Appling County Rams by a score of 12-9 to win the South Georgia Middle School Conference Championship.

The Pierce County Bears dropped from 2nd to 7th in the GaSports.com/GACA coaches’ poll last week. While the Bears have been struggling, they have still been putting games in the win column.

One Bear supporter stated that “to be honest with you, we don't worry to much about the polls. Hardly ever look at them. We have not been playing well and hopefully we can get some people healthy for the playoffs and see how far we can go. I don't know of anybody that has had as many injuries to their main guys as we have had. It will come down to who is playing good at the end. We do appreciate the support and maybe we can turn it up and do what we need to do to win.”

A critic of the polls responded by stating “Pierce Co. has defeated (3) AAAAA Schools, including North Gwinnett, Valdosta, & Bradwell Institute. Add (1) AAAA School in Wayne Co. (twice) to the equation. And, then if that's not enough to convince you, consider that they defeated (3) AAA Schools in Apalachee, Liberty Co.(twice), & Villa Rica, as well... Holy-Cow, Man!!! There's no telling what you-guys could do, if you were playing well, and was free of injuries. Whoever voted these polls should be embarrassed over dropping ya'll from 2nd to 7th, imo.”

I concur with the critic.

BaseballScoutz.com dropped the Pierce County Varsity Bears one spot in the polls from 2nd to 3rd in Class AA. BaseballScoutz.com does predict however that the Bears will be victorious over the Dodge County Indians when the 1st Round of the Class AA playoffs begin in Blackshear on May 9th.

The Pierce County Bears(#1 Region 2AA) will host Dodge County Indians (#4 Region 4AA) in the first round of the State AA Baseball Playoffs Friday, May 9th at Bear Field. Friday's doubleheader will begin at 4:00 pm with the second game beginning at approximately 7:15 pm. A third game (if necessary) will be played on Saturday, May 10th at 5:00 pm also at Bear Field.

The Georgia High School Association regulates ticket prices for all State Playoff games. ALL TICKETS AT THE GATE ARE $7.00. Only GHSA passes will be honored. All-Sports' Season Passes CAN NOT be used for admission into State Playoff Games. If you can not attend, catch all the action on radio WWUF 97.7 and WKUB 105.1.

A playoff bracket can be located at http://ga.prepcountry.com/?template=7&year=2008&sport=21&class=2.

The Pierce County 11-12 Midget Allstar baseball team became the Georgia State Softball Amateur Association Champions recently. They clinched the final game against the Ware County Allstars to become the champs.

The Team #1 9-10 Mite Boys baseball team representing the Blackshear - Pierce County Recreation Department suffered a tough loss to the Long County team (in Long County) by a score of 10-7.

Congratulations to the boys, coaches and parents for their effort.

The Pierce County Cubs 8-Under baseball team won the Spirit of Liberty baseball tournament hosted by the Patterson Recreation Department on June 27th and 28th.

The South Georgia Sluggers competed at the 11-Under Beach Blast in Myrtle Beach at the Cal Ripken Complex. The Sluggers finished fouth in the Western Division with a record of 3-3 in the tournament.

The Ware County Recreation Department will host a Fall Baseball League for boys ages 7-17 from September through November. Registration will be throughout the month of August. Games will be played every other Saturday 10 games and tournament). The age control date is May 1, 2009.

The South Georgia Sluggers are scheduled to play in the Brunswick Beach Blast on July 26-27 in the 11-Under age division.

The 11-12 year old boys baseball team representing the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department will be travelling to Hazlehurst on Wednesday, July 9 to play in the Georgia Parks and Recreaton state play-offs. The tournament will be double elimination with Pierce County playing their first game @ 4:00 pm vs Screven County.

The 12-Under Pierce County All-stars lost a tough game against the All-stars from Screven County by a score of 7-6.

Mason Carter pitched a scoreless three innings for the Bears while helping himself at the plate by hitting a three run triple. Micah Larson came in to pitch the fourth inning facing four batters and fanning two of them for strikeouts.

The Bears were holding a 5-0 lead going into the 5th inning when Screven County had four well placed hits against Larson and one Pierce County error which allowed Screven to score five runs to tie the game.

Heath Highsmith came into to pitch with two outs in the fifth. Highsmith pitched the sixth having three walks (one intentional) and a hit which allowed two runs to score. A couple of Highsmith's walks were caused by the homeplate umpire squeezing the strike zone.

Pierce County will play Miller County @ 10:00 on Thursday, July 10.

The 2008 GRPA Class C State Playoffs are being hosted by the Jeff Davis County Recreation Department. Other teams participating in the tournament are Appling County, Jeff Davis County, Mt. Zion, Miller County, Morgan County, Pierce County, Screven County and Trion.

The 12-Under Pierce County All-stars defeated the Miller County All-stars by a score of 10-2 in six innings.

Pierce County will play again tonight @ 8:00 pm against an undetermined opponent.

The Pierce County 12-Under All-Stars defeated the team from Morgan County by a score of 9-6 in a two hour game that included a 30 minute delay for a blackout when the lights behind home plate went out.

Heath Highsmith started on the mound for Pierce giving up six runs to Morgan County in three innings. Morgan scored two runs in the second inning and four more in the third inning. Two of those four runs however were close calls at second base and home plate that if would have went the other way could have had a different outcome in the inning because Pierce had already plated four runs in the first two innings. The close calls allowed Morgan County to take a two run lead.

Mason Carter came in to pitch the fourth, fifth and sixth innings shutting the Morgan County boys down. Carter faced 12 batters in the three innings giving up two walks, two hits and fanning four batters for strikeouts.

Micah Larson (3 for 4), Colby Thornton (3 for 3), Heath Highsmith (2 for 3), Carter Turner (1 for 3), Matthew Grieco (1 for 3), Blake Aldridge (2 for 3), Blane Mercer (1 for 1) and Layne Dixon (1 for 2) all reached base during the game. Thornton, Highsmith and Nathan Carter were also credited with sacrifice hits to move runners into scoring position.

Pierce County will play its second game against Screven County on Friday morning @ 10:00. Screven won the first game on Wednesday.

The teams fron Trion, Miller County, Morgan County and Mt. Zion have been eliminated from the play-offs. Jeff Davis County, Appling County, Screven County and Pierce County are still alive in the double elimination tournament. Appling and Jeff Davis remain undefeated but will face each other at high noon.

The Pierce County 12-Under boys baseball team ended their season play this morning in the 2008 GRPA Class C State Championship baseball playoffs by being defeated by the Screven County All-stars.

Congratulations to the players, coaches and parents for representing Pierce County this year.

Pierce County was represented by two 12-Under boys teams today in a three team tournament sponsored by the SSAA and held at the Blackshear Pierce County Recreation Department.

The first game of the day pitted the Red Devils of Pierce County against the Sluggers of Wayne County. The Red Devils defeated the Sluggers by a score of 7-4. The Red Devils are coached by James Dowling.

Wayne County also played in Game 2 against the MM Crew that was coached by Mike Martin and Kevin Allen. The Sluggers defeated the MM Crew by a close score of 9 to 8.

The third game of the day pitted the two Pierce County teams against each other with the MM Crew defeating the Red Devils by a score of 7 to 8.

Because each team had won a game and lost a game, a run differential scoring system had to be used to seed the Championship Round. The top seed ended up being the MM Crew.

The fourth game pitted the Red Devils of Pierce County against the Sluggers of Wayne County. The Sluggers defeated the Red Devils by a score of 10 to 1.

The Championship Game was then set as Wayne County lost the coin toss and the MM Crew of Pierce County was home and got to bat last.

Westin Sapp pitched the entire game for the MM Crew giving up one run in the first inning on two hits and getting one strikeout. The MM Crew scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning on a double by Faulk and a two run homerun by Carter Turner.

Sapp struck out the next three Wayne batters in the top of the second and the MM Crew was able to score one in the bottom half to add to their lead by a score of 4-1.

Sapp faced four Wayne batters in the top of the third inning but Wayne was unsuccessful in plating any runs. The MM Crew sent six batters to the plate in the bottom half of the third inning scoring only one run widening their lead to a score of 5-1.

The top of the fourth inning saw eight Wayne batters come to the plate but the MM Crew defense only allowed two runs to score. The MM Crew was able to add a run in the bottom of the fourth with the score now being 6-3.

The fifth and final inning turned out to be scary for the MM Crew as Wayne County was able to score three to tie the game 6-6. Kyler Allen was the first MM Crew batter in the bottom half of the inning in which he hit a triple to right field. The Sluggers then intentionally walked Carter Turner and Austin Allen to load the bases with no outs. Layne Dixon came to the plate and hit a single scoring Kyler Allen from third bringing the score to 7-6 in the MM Crew's favor giving the MM Crew the championship.

Saturday, October 25 - Current 10th and 11th grade athletes
Sunday, October 26 - Current 12th grade athletes
Coffee High School - Douglas, Georgia

Instructors include:
Ron Polk, Former Head Coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, 2007 College World Series
Jeff Johnson, Head Coach of the Chipola Indians, 2007 Junior College World Series Champions
..... And Others

Athletes will receive instruction in the areas of hitting, pitching, catching, outfield play, infield play, base running and more in the morning. Lunch will be provided. A recruiting question and answer period will be provided for athletes and parents. Finally, in the afternoon the athletes will participate in a showcase in front of the showcase staff, professional scouts and other college coaches who have already committed to attend.

Lunch with the showcase staff will also be provided for all high school coaches who attend this event with their athletes.

Cost is $100.00 before October 10th or $125 after October 10th (including the day of the event).

For more information, call (912) 383-5423 or email bradporter@coffee.k12.ga.us.

The 19 & Under Pierce County County Bears split a pair a games by defeating the McIntosh County Buccaneers by a score of 3-0 and losing a game to the South Georgia Bombers of Ware County by a score of 4-1.

In the top of the first inning, five McIntosh batters came to the plate and Will White got the first batter to pop up to catcher Ethan Parker for the first out. The second batter was barely grazed on an inside full count pitch and was awarded first base when the third Buccaneer batter hit a single to short left field putting runners on first and second. White struck out the next two batters. The Bears sent six batters to the plate loading the bases in the bottom of the first on a walk be Tyler Dasher who then moved to second on a passed ball when the Buccaneer catcher let one go by to the backstop. Leslie Evans struck out and David O'Neal walked putting runners on first and second for Ethan Parker who struck out for the second out. Holt Rowland was hit by a pitch loading the bases when Will White came up and hit a liner right to the second baseman who was able to throw over to first to record the third out leaving three Bear runners on base.

In the top of the second, Bear pitcher White faced three Buccaneer batters striking out the first two and getting the third to hit one to the shortstop Evans who threw the batter out before reaching first base. The bottom half of the inning saw four Bear batters at the plate with Hunter Hewitt getting a hit safely reaching first while Neal Hollis struck out, Xavier McGauley flew deep to right field and Tim Huff hitting a grounder to the third baseman who made the put out at first to end the inning stranding Hewitt on base.

In the top of the third, the first Buccaneer batter reached first on a walk. The second Buccaneer batter was struck out and the Buccaneer runner on first was thrown out by Bear catcher Parker who threw to Evans covering second on the steal to record a "strike 'em out, throw 'em out" double play. The third batter drew a walk but the fourth batter flew out to O'Neal at center field for the third out. The bottom half saw the Bears break out with the Bears sending seven baters to the plate scoring three runs on a walk by Chastain Coleman who was brought home on a two-run homer by Evans. O'Neal hit a single to left field, stole second base and moved to third on a passed ball. O'Neal scored the third run when Holt Rowland hit a single to left field.

The top of the fourth saw four Buccaneer batters with only one reaching base on a walk. The Bears once again loaded the bases by sending six batters to the plate but were unsuccessful in pushing any runners across for scores.

The top of the fifth saw five Buccanner players at the plate with two of them reaching base while White was successful in getting outs with a pop fly to third and two more strike outs. As the time limit ran out, the Bears didn't need to bat in the bottom half of the inning.

Will White pitched all five innings of game one giving up only one hit and recording the win against the Buccaneers.

In game two, the Bears won the coin toss and were designated as the home team. The Bombers sent five batters to the plate one reaching on a walk and another reaching on an error by Will White who was playing third. Bear pitcher O'Neal recorded three strike outs to end the top half of the inning. The Bears only sent three batters with Dasher hitting a liner to the shortstop while Evans and O'Neal striking out.

The second inning saw four Bomber batters with the first two flying out to Evans covering short and Hollis covering second. The third batter drew a walk and the fourth batter was caught looking as O'Neal blew one by him for strike three. The Bears sent four batters to the plate in this half as White drew a walk with two outs moving to second on a balk by the pitcher and and then to third on a passed ball by the catcher. White was stranded at third base.

The top of the third saw seven Bombers at the plate with three of them scoring runs. The bottom half of the inning saw six Bears at the plate with Neal Hollis scoring the only Bear run of the game. Hollis lead of the Bears with a single to left field, moving to second on a passed ball and to third on a balk by the Bomber Pitcher. Hollis scorded when Tim Huff hit a single to left field.

The top of the fourth inning saw some excitement as the Bomber lead off hitter hit a double to left center field. The runner was moved to third when the next Bomber batter hot a dribbler back to the new Bear pitcher Leslie Evans who threw over to first to record the first out of the inning. The next batter hit a liner to right field for the second out when the runner tried to tag up at third and was thrown out at the plate for the third out. The runner was also ejected from the game as he went into Bear catcher Tyler Dasher with a shoulder instead of sliding. The bottom of the fourth for the bears saw a new pitcher for the Bombers which did not allow any Bears to reach base.

The top of the fifth saw six Bombers with Evans striking out the first, loading the bases on three straight walks when the next batter hit a three hopper to Hollis covering second and making the throw to first to record the second out with one runner scoring. Evans struck out the next Bomber to end the top half. As time ran out, the Bears sent three batters to the plate which were unsuccessful in reaching thus ending the game.

David O'Neal pitched the first three innings of game two giving up three runs on only one hit. Leslie Evans came into to pitch the final two innings giving up one run on one hit. O'Neal recorded the loss for the Bears against the Bombers.

The Bears are playing in a fall baseball league hosted by the Ware County Recreation Department. All games are being played at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross.

The complete season schedule is not complete yet and wil be passed along once it is available.

The 19-Under Pierce County Baseball team played two games today losing the first to the Grinders from Brunswick and winning the second over Lanier County.

David O'Neal took the mound in Game 1 for Pierce County pitching 1 1/3 innings giving up six runs. Leslie Evans finished the game for Pierce.

Pierce County batted first only sending three batters in the top half of the inning with O'Neal hitting one to the first baseman who threw to the pitcher covering the bag. Tyler Dasher and Leslie Evans came up and both struck out. O'Neal took the mound seeing four batters at the plate, the first flew one to right field, O'Neal struck out the second batter, the third batter got a hit to right field and the fourth batter flew out center field.

Pierce County again only sent three batters to the plate in the top of the second. Travis Dasher struck out while Holt Rowland and Will White both hit balls directly to the shortstop who threw to the first baseman for the put outs. The bottom of the second inning was rough for O'Neal as he gave up four straight walks after striking out the first batter. O'Neal got the sixth batter to strike out for the second out of the inning before allowing another batter to walk. Leslie Evans then came in for relief of O'Neal. The eighth batter of the inning reached on an error and the ninth and tenth batters each hit singles. As six runs had already been scored by the Grinders, Evans got the eleventh batter of the innings to hit a line drive to Hollis at second base to record the third out of the inning.

The top of the third for Pierce did not fare much better as only four batters again came to the plate for appearances. Hunter Hewitt reached on a walk and stole second base. Neal Hollis flew one to the left fielder for the first out. Tim Huff came to bat and reached first base on a fielder’s choice as Hewitt was tagged out at third for the second out and Chastain Coleman struck out for the third out. The Grinders sent four batters to the plate in the bottom of the third with Evans striking out two of them.

Pierce County sent five batters to the plate in the top of the fourth inning with O’Neal and Tyler Dasher getting back to back singles. Evans then struck out as O’Neal and Dasher stole third and second. Travis Dasher came to back and was called out on an infield fly to the short stop. Rowland then came up and struck out stranding two runners on base. The Grinders sent four batters to the plate unable to score any of them.

The fifth inning saw only four batters again with Whit getting a lead off hit but the next three batters hitting two fly balls to the outfield and the fourth hitting on to the shortstop. The Grinders sent five batters to the plate with two of them getting hits but Evans was successful in striking out one and getting the other two batters to fly out to right field leaving two runners stranded on base.

As the time limit was running out, Pierce County had one last chance but was unable as Coleman struck out, O’Neal hit one to the second baseman and Tyler Dasher hit one to the shortstop bringing the game to an end with Pierce losing by a score of 6-0.

The second game of the day was much better for Pierce as the defeated the team from Lanier County by a score of 11-0.

Pierce County again was the visiting team with O’Neal, Tyler Dasher, Evans and Travis Dasher coming to the plate with Evans getting the lone hit with no runs being scored. Lanier County also sent four batters to the plate with Will White pitching on the mound for Pierce County. The first Lanier batter got a hit but was picked off by White and Dasher while trying to steal second. The second batter hit to Travis Dasher at shortstop who threw to first for the put out. The third Lanier batter walked and was left stranded as the fourth Lanier batter hit the ball back to White who threw to first for the third out of the inning.

The top of the second got lively for Pierce County which scored six runs as twelve batters made plate appearances. Holt Rowland led off the inning by hitting to the third baseman who threw Rowland out at first. White then got walked, Hewitt hit a single and Hollis reached first on an error by the shortstop. Huff also reached first on a hit. Coleman struck out for the second out of the inning. O’Neal then got a hit then Tyler Dasher and Evans both were hit by the pitcher. Travis Dasher and Rowland each came up to bat and got walked before White struck out for the third out of the inning. The bottom of the second again only saw four Lanier batters with two of them reaching on a walk and an error by the third baseman but great defense by Pierce saw a double play turned for two outs with White striking out a batter to end the inning.

The top of the third produced two more runs for Pierce as six batters coming to the plate. Hewitt lead off the inning striking out, Hollis was hit by a pitch and Huff was walked putting runners at first and second. Coleman came up and struck out for the second out of the inning and Hollis and Huff stole third and second on a passed ball by the Lanier catcher. O’Neal then came up hitting a single scoring Hollis and Huff. Tyler Dasher came up and then flew out to center field stranding O’Neal on first. The bottom half of the inning saw five Lanier batters score two runs on two walks and a hit and two Pierce errors. White struck out three batters throughout the inning.

The top of the fourth got lively again for Pierce which sent nine batters to the plate with Pierce being able to score three of them as Evans and Coleman got walks, Travis Dasher, Rowland, Hewitt and Hollis each got hits and White reached on a fielder’s choice. The bottom of the fourth saw six Lanier batters come to the plate scoring two more runs as Hollis came in to pitch for Pierce County. Lanier scored the two runs on one hit, on batter hit by a pitch and a walk. Hollis recorded one strike out in the inning.

The next games are scheduled for Saturday, September 27th @ 10:45 a.m. and 12:15 pm at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross.
(Article by Tony Walsh)

The 19-Under Pierce County baseball team defeated the Brunswick Red Claws by a score of 6-0 and Charlton County by a score of 13-5.

The first game of the day for Pierce County saw the dynamic duo of Leslie Evans and David O’Neal shut down the Red Claws by giving up only one hit on a 0-2 pitch in the third inning by Evans. Evans and O’Neal combined for 10 strikeouts against a total of 19 batters.

Pierce went quietly in the first inning going three up and three down. Pierce made a little noise in the second inning sending five batters to the plate but left runners stranded at second and third.

In the bottom of the third, Pierce sent seven batters to the plate scoring only one run. Tim Huff led off with a single but was picked off by the pitcher for the first out. O’Neal walked and moved over to second when Tyler Dasher hit one to the shortstop which made an error on the throw trying to put Dasher out at first allowing the speedy O’Neal to score the first run of the day. Evans then drew a walk and Travis Dasher came to bat hitting a single to load the bases. Hunter Hewitt batted next for Pierce striking out for the second out. Neal Hollis then tried to keep the rally going to no avail as Hollis hit one right back to the Brunswick pitcher who threw over to first to record the third out to end the inning.

Pierce County got the bats going again in the fourth as they run through the entire line up sending 10 batters to the plate. Holt Rowland led off with a fly ball right to the Brunswick center fielder for the first out. Will White then walked and Huff then flew one up to the shorts stop for the second out. O’Neal hit a double scoring White. With O’Neal on second, Tyler Dasher came up and hit a double scoring O’Neal. Evans came up and hit a single moving Dasher to third. Travis Dasher then hit a single scoring his brother Tyler from third and moving Evans to third. With runners on the corners, Hewitt came up and drew a walk loading the bases for Hollis who then hit a single scoring Evans. With two outs and runners on first and second, Rowland came up to bat for the second time in the inning flying out again to centerfield for the third out of the inning.

The fifth inning saw five Pierce County batters come to the plate with none of them able to score to end the game.

The second game of the day featured the team from Charlton County playing host to Pierce County. O’Neal again led off and hit a single. Tyler Dasher came in to bat and O’Neal moved to second on a wild pitch. Dasher then hit a double scoring O’Neal from second. Evans came up and drew a walk and with runners on first and second with no outs, Travis Dasher came in and flew out to the first base man, Hewitt came up and struck out and Hollis hit to the short stop for the third out.

Travis Dasher took the mound for Pierce County and faced seven Charlton batters giving up one hit; one walk and one hit batter allowing Charlton to score one run in the bottom half of the inning.

The top half of the second inning saw eleven Pierce County batters at the plate. Rowland led off the inning flying out to centerfield. White came up and hit a single bringing Huff up to bat. White moved to second on a wild pitch and then scored on a single by Huff. O’Neal came up and drew a walk after Huff moved to second on another wild pitch. Tyler Dasher came up and hit a single loading the bases for Evans who got an RBI scoring Huff from third after Evans drew a walk. With the bases loaded and one out, Travis Dasher hit one to the short stop who bobbled the ball but was able to get Evans out at second but not before O’Neal and Tyler Dasher scored. With Travis on first, Hewitt came up and hit a triple scoring Dasher. Hollis came up and walked before Rowland came up and hit a single scoring Hewitt. White came up and hot one to the second baseman who threw White out at first to end the drive for Pierce County.

The third inning saw seven Charlton batters come to bat with four of them scoring runs. Pierce County wasn’t as lucky as only four batters saw action with runs being scored.

The top of the fourth inning saw five Pierce batters with Travis Dasher getting a single, Hewitt getting a walk and Hollis striking out bringing up Rowland. On a 3-2 pitch, Rowland hit one to right field scoring Hewitt on the tag up for a sacrifice as Dasher had already stolen home on a passed ball. White ended the inning on a hard hit straight to the first baseman.

White came in for relief of Dasher on the mound. White struck out the first batter. The second Charlton batter hit a double but was thrown out trying to steal third. The next batter hit a single and then the next batter hit one to Evans who couldn’t handle the ball. With runners on first and second with two outs, the next Charlton batter hit to Evans who this time made the throw to first ending the inning.

As time was running out, the fifth and final inning for Pierce saw all nine batters come to bat. Huff led off the inning with a single moving to second on a steal. O’Neal came in and flew out to center field for the first out. Tyler Dasher came in and walked. Travis Dasher reached first on an error by the third baseman. Hewitt came up and hit a deep single scoring Huff and Dasher. Hollis hit one to the second baseman for the second out. Rowland came up and struck out but the Charlton catcher dropped the ball allowing Rowland to reach first on an error. White came up and hit it the second baseman for the third and final out.

The bottom of the fifth saw four Charlton batters with none of them able to score giving Pierce its second victory of the day giving Pierce an overall record of 4-2 in the Ware County Recreation Department Fall Baseball League.

The next schedule games for Pierce County will be held on Saturday, October 4th @ 4:00 pm and 5:45 pm against CCA (Coffee County) and the Camden River Dogs.

The second game of the day saw Pierce County as the visiting team to the Camden County Riverdogs. Ethan Parker took the mound for Pierce.

Pierce batted first sending seven batters to the plate scoring four runs. David O’Neal led off reaching on a catching error by the Camden first baseman which allowed the speedy O’Neal to take second. Tyler Dasher came up and drew a walk as O’Neal stole third base on the pitch. With runners at the corners, Travis Dasher came up and hit a three run homer over the fence. With the bases empty, Tim Huff came up to continue the hitting by getting a single and also stealing second base as Holt Rowland struck out for the first out of the inning. Neal Hollis came up and hit into a 4-3 for the second out and Ethan Parker hit one back to the pitcher who threw over to first to record the third out for Pierce. Parker then took the mound only facing three Camden batters to end the inning in which Parker had two strike outs and giving up a walk but caught that batter trying to steal second base.

Pierce went three up and three down in the top of the second as Hunter Hewitt hit into a 4-3, Will White flew out to the shortstop and Chastain Coleman hit one to the first baseman. In the bottom half of the second inning, Parker accidently hit the first Camden batter and then allowed him to reach second on a balk. The next Camden batter came up and walked putting runners at first and second with no outs. Parker struck out the next batter but the fourth Camden batter hit a single driving in the first run for Camden. Parker then struck out the fifth Camden batter and then walked the next batter. With runners at all the bases and the seventh batter at the plate, the Camden runner on first was picked off to end the inning.

Five Pierce batters went to the plate in the third inning. John Walsh struck out, O’Neal hit into a 4-3 so with two outs, Tyler Dasher hit a single. Travis Dasher came up and hit a single moving Tyler to third base. Tim Huff came up to bat and hit one back to the pitcher to end the inning. The bottom of the third saw eight Camden batters. Parker struck out the first two batters and then ran into trouble giving up a single and then walking the next three batters giving up a run. Parker was pulled to make room for John Walsh to take the mound. With the bases loaded and two outs, the Camden batter hit one to Huff at third that was not able to field the ball cleanly which allowed the batter to reach first and a run to score leaving the bases still loaded and Walsh struck out the next batter to end the inning.

The fourth inning saw five Pierce batters and two more Pierce County runs being scored. Rowland led off the inning flying out to deep centerfield. Hollis came up and safely reached first on an error by the Camden second baseman. With Hollis on first, Parker swung at the first pitch sending it over the fence for a two run homer. Hewitt and White then came up with both of them striking out. Walsh continued where he left off the previous inning by striking out the first Camden batter but hit the next one putting him on first base with no outs. While the third Camden batter was swinging at the pitch, the Camden runner on first made a break for second but was gunned down at second by the Pierce catcher Will White for the second out of the inning. Walsh walked that Camden batter but then struck out the next one to end the inning.

The fifth inning saw Pierce score two more runs as Coleman reached on an error by the right fielder. Walsh then came up and hit a two run homer over the left field fence. O’Neal then flew out to left field, Tyler Dasher struck out and Travis Dasher flew out to center field for the third out. Walsh again took to the mound and walked the first Camden batter but then continued his dominance by striking out the next three to end the game.

Parker was the winning pitcher for Pierce and Walsh got the save and the game ball as he struck out six of the ten batters he faced.

The first game of the day saw Pierce County playing host to the Coffee County Academy (CCA). Will White took to the mound for Pierce County pitching a complete game for five innings and getting credit for the win.

In the top half of the first, seven CCA batters came to the plate with two of them able to score off of three hits and one walk. In the bottom half, five Pierce batters came to the plate with none of them being able to score.

In the top of the second, White struck out one batter while getting the other two to hit fly balls to the first baseman and right fielder. Pierce again sent five batters to the plate with none of them being able to score.

In the top of the third, White faced four CCA batters with none of them being able to score. The bats for Pierce County finally woke up. David O’Neal led off the inning with a triple. Tyler Dasher then hit a single scoring O’Neal. Travis Dasher then hit a double scoring his brother who had already moved to second on a wild pitch from the CCA pitcher. Tim Huff struck out for the first out and Hunter Hewitt came up and drew a walk. Holt Rowland came up to bat and Travis Dasher got caught trying to take third on a hit by Rowland. With Hewitt on second and Rowland on First, Neal Hollis came up and hit a single to load the bases for Will White who hit into a fielder’s choice to get Hewitt thrown out at home to end the inning.

At the top of the fourth, White again faced four CCA batters with none of them being able to score. Pierce sent seven more batters to the plate in the bottom half of the inning. Chastain Coleman led off and hit one to the first baseman who threw to the pitcher covering the bag. Ethan Parker and O’Neal then came up and both of them got hit by the CCA pitcher to reach first and second with one out. With Tyler Dasher at bat, both Parker and O’Neal stole bases with Parker stealing home on a wild pitch. Tyler then walked and with runners at first and second, Travis Dasher came up and struck out. Tim Huff hit a single scoring O’Neal and moving Tyler Dasher to third. With runners at the corners with two outs, Hewitt struck out to end the inning.

The top of the fifth saw White face five CCA batters giving up two hits and allowing one CCA runner to score. With three minutes left on the clock and Pierce already leading, the umpires let Pierce continue batting. Rowland came up and walked and Hollis came in and hit a double scoring Rowland as time ran out to end the game with Pierce being victorious over CCA by a score of 5 to 3.

The Pierce County Baseball team is in a 3-way battle for third place with the Brunswick Grinders and Brunswick Red Claws to have a first round bye in the Ware County Recreation Department’s Fall Baseball League.

The top four teams at the end of the season (October 18th) will be exempt from playing in the first round of the single elimination tournament to be held at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross on October 25th. The South Georgia Bombers are currently in first place with an 8-0 record, the Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets are in second place with a 7-1 record. Pierce County and the teams from Brunswick have a 6-2 record.

The complete standings and the tournament bracket can be found by clicking the appropriate tabs on the left side of this web page.

The Pierce County fall baseball team is set to play this Saturday, October 18th against the Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets @ 10:45 a.m. at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross. Pierce will also play the EC/Southern Superior Homes team at 2:15 p.m.

Pierce is battling both the Grinders and the Red Claws from Brunswick for a spot as a top four team to obtain a first round bye in the October 25th tournament.

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On October 22 @ 6:30 p.m., Power Unlimited will be visiting PCHS to share their Christian message. A brochure is available for viewing in the "Handout" section to the left of this web page. More information can be obtained by reviewing the Power Unlimited website at www.power-unlimited.org.

Who: 2009 & 2010 Grads
What: Professional and College Instruction and Evaluation
Where: South Georgia College Douglas, Georgia
When: December 6, 2008 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Why: To display your skills and receive professional instruction from scouts and coaches.
Cost: $120.00

This showcase allows players and parents to interact, learn and be evaluated by Junior College Coaches from South Georgia and North Florida as well as Professional Scouts. We hope that you will consider attending the Juco Baseball Showcase at South Georgia College. Showcase will be limited to the first 40 that register.

Additional information can be obtained by viewing the South Georgia College website @ http://www.sgc.edu/athletics/baseball/juco2008.html.

The Pierce County Bears fall baseball team defeated the Yellow Jackets from Jeff Davis County today. Pierce County won the toss and elected to bat last. Will White took the mound to pitch for Pierce.

White saw seven Jeff Davis batters in the top of the first giving up one hit, two walks, one hit batsman, one strikeout and one run to end the inning. David O’Neal led off for Pierce hitting into 5-3 for the first out. Tyler Dasher came up and was hit by the pitcher and then his brother Travis came up and hit a double. With runners at second and third, Tim Huff came up to bat and hit a two run RBI single scoring the Dasher brothers. Holt Rowland came up and hit into a Fielders Choice getting Huff thrown out before reaching second base. With Rowland on first base and two outs, Neal Hollis hit into a Fielder’s Choice getting Rowland thrown out at second.

Again, seven Jeff Davis batters came to the plate in the top of the second with Jeff Davis scoring two more runs off of White. Pierce went three up and three down in the bottom half of the inning as Hunter Hewitt struck out, White hit one back to the pitcher and John Walsh flew one to the right fielder.

David O’Neal took the mound for Pierce only facing four Jeff Davis batters. After striking out the first batter, O’Neal gave up a single then struck out the next two batters. The bottom of the third inning saw four Pierce batters. Chastain Coleman drew a lead-off walk, O’Neal hit into a 5-3, Tyler Dasher hit one to right field and Travis Dasher hit one back to the pitcher for the third out.

In the top of the fourth, O’Neal took up where he left off by striking out the first two batters before he hit the next two. With two outs in the inning, O’Neal again found his mark by striking out the fifth batter to end the inning. Trailing by a score of 3-2, Pierce County again went three up and three down with Tim Huff drawing a lead-off walk. Holt Rowland came up and struck out. With one out, Neal Hollis came up and lined one to the second baseman and Huff was caught in the middle for the third out.

With time running out, Jeff Davis again was shut down by the dominance of O’Neal as he struck out the first two batters and the third flew out to Hewitt in right field. Trailing 3-2 and eleven minutes left on the clock, Hewitt started Pierce off with a lead-off walk then White hit a single. With runners on first and second with no outs, Walsh drew a walk bringing Coleman up to bat with the bases loaded and no outs. Coleman hit into a Fielder’s Choice getting Hewitt thrown out a home on the force and Colman was thrown out at first for the double play. O’Neal came up a drew a walk to load the bases with two outs for Tyler Dasher. Dasher then hit a three run double scoring White, Walsh and O’Neal. Travis Dasher then came up and hit a single so with runners on the corners with two out and Pierce now leading Jeff Davis by a score of 5-3, Huff came up to bat as time ran out on the clock giving Pierce County the win and Jeff Davis their second loss of the day. David O'Neal was awarded the win with a dominant performance by striking out 8 of 12 batters.

The second game for Pierce County was cancelled because the EC/Southern Superior Homes team forfeited. With Jeff Davis losing earlier in the morning to the South Georgia Bombers, Pierce County moved from a three way tie for third into second place in the league however both teams from Brunswick still had scheduled games to play. League standings will be posted on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Pierce County fall baseball team coached by Dave Rowland, Bill White and Jerry Hollis have earned a first round bye in the Ware County Recreation Departments Fall Baseball League. The single elimination tournament will be held in Waycross at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex on November 8, 2008 with Pierce County scheduled to play its first game at 12:30 pm.

Pierce County ended in a three-way tie for second place with the two teams from Brunswick but the tie breaker rules ended up with Pierce earning the second seed. Pierce more than likely will play either the Brunswick Red Claws or the Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets. Pierce defeated the Red Claws earlier in the season by a score of 6-0 and defeated Jeff Davis last week by a score of 5-3.

The tournament bracket can be viewed in the "Tournament" section of this website.

The Pierce County fall baseball team coached by Dave Rowland, Bill White and Jerry Hollis will be playing in a single elimination tournament that will be held in Waycross at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex on November 8, 2008 with Pierce County scheduled to play its first game at 9:00 a.m. against McIntosh County.

Pierce County ended in a three-way tie for second place with the two teams from Brunswick but the tie breaker rules ended up with Pierce earning the second seed.

The tournament bracket can be viewed in the "Tournament" section of this website.

The Pierce County Bears fall baseball team finished second in the single elimination fall league tournament sponsored by the Ware County Recreation Department. Teams that participated in tournament were from Camden (Riverdogs), Charlton, Coffee (CCA), Clinch, Glynn (Grinders and Red Claws), McIntosh, Pierce and Ware (South GA Bombers from Ware, Bacon and Brantley). Other teams that participated in the season but not the tournament were Jeff Davis, Lanier and EC/Southern Superior Homes.

Pierce County’s first game of the day resulted in a win by forfeit as McIntosh County failed to show up.

The second game saw action between Pierce as the home team and the Red Claws from Brunswick as the visitors. John Walsh took the mound for the Bears. Walsh was rocked in the top of the first as the Red Claws sent seven batters to the plate scoring three runs on a walk, two singles and a home run before Walsh could get his first strikeout, a ground out and a fly ball to centerfield. The lead for the Red Claws didn’t last though as the Bears sent nine batters to the plate to scoring three runs to tie the game.

David O’Neal led off grounding out to the pitcher, Tyler Dasher drew a walk and Travis Dasher struck out. The two out rally started with Tim Huff who drew his first walk of the game moving Tyler Dasher to second. On a passed ball by the catcher, both Dasher and Huff moved up to third and second. Holt Rowland came up and drew a walk to load the bases with two outs when Neal Hollis came in and hit a two RBI single. Walsh came up to bat and drew a walk loading the bases again for Hunter Hewitt. Hewitt drew a walk scoring Rowland from third to keep the bases loaded for Ethan Parker who hit a line drive right to the shortstop to end the first inning.

The top of the second saw Walsh take the mound again getting the first batter to hit into a 1-3 bunt, then Walsh walked the second batter and struck out the third batter. With two outs in the innings, the Red Claw batters started a rally scoring three runs on three straight singles and a fielding error before the eighth batter hit into a 6-3 out. The bottom of the second was short for Pierce as Will White hit into a 6-3, O’Neal lined out to the shortstop and Tyler Dasher flew out to centerfield.

With a 6-3 lead going into the third inning, Will White took the mound for Pierce County giving up two runs to the Red Claws on three singles. White recorded one of the outs on a pop-up and getting another hitter to fly out to centerfield and recording the third out by the batter hitting into a 4-3. The bottom of the third inning fared no better for Pierce. Travis Dasher led off hitting a single and moving to second on a passed ball while Huff again drew his second walk of the day. With runners on first and second with no outs, Rowland flew one out to short right field for the first out. Hollis came up and hit a liner to the second baseman for the second out who then threw over to first catching Huff off of the bag to end the inning.

David O’Neal then took the mound for Pierce causing the top of the fourth to be short for Brunswick. The first batter hit a single, O’Neal struck out the second batter when turn about came in to play. The third batter came up and hit a liner to O’Neal who threw over to first catching the Brunswick runner off of the bag for the third out in the same way Pierce ended the third inning earlier. The Bears scored six runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a 9-8 lead. Walsh led off the inning hitting into a 6-3. Hewitt came up to bat and drew a walk and then Parker came up a walked. With one out and runners on first and second, White came up and hit a single scoring Hewitt and moving Parker to third and then Parker scored on a passed ball while O’Neal was batting. O’Neal hit into a fielder’s choice to the first baseman who tried to throw the speedy White at home unsuccessfully as White scored and O’Neal reached first. Tyler Dasher hit a single moving O’Neal to second when Travis Dasher came up and hit one to deep right field for the second out of the inning as the speedy O’Neal moved to third on the tag up. Huff came up and again drew his third walk of the game loading the bases with two outs for Rowland who hit a two RBI single scoring O’Neal and Dasher. With Huff at third, Hollis batted and hit a single scoring Huff and moving Rowland to second. With the entire Pierce roster having batted, Walsh came up again and batted hitting ball to deep right field but right at the Brunswick fielder to end the inning.

With O’Neal still on the mound, the Red Claws scored a run to tie the game at nine all in the top of the fifth inning. The Red Claws scored the lone run on two walks and a single. Going into the bottom half of the inning with time running out on the clock, Hewitt came up and hit into a 3-1, Parker flew out to centerfield for the second out when the rally started. White walked and then stole second base. The Red Claws intentionally walked O’Neal with two outs to set up a force play at any base when Tyler Dasher made them pay. Dasher hit a single scoring White and moving O’Neal to second giving the Bears a one run lead. O’Neal and Tyler Dasher pulled off a double steal to put the runners a third and second with two outs when Travis Dasher walked loading the bases for Huff. Huff having already walked three times earlier in the game struck out to end the inning.

With seconds left on the clock, the top of the sixth started with O’Neal still on the mound and the Red Claws trailing by one. The first batter hit into a 4-3 and O’Neal accidentally hit the second batter. The third batter hit a single to right field when the Red Claw runner on first took third on the hit and the batter took second on the throw to third. With two outs and runners on third and second, O’Neal struck out the next batter to end the game giving Pierce the victory and a trip to the championship game.

The championship game pitted Pierce County against the South Georgia Bombers which is an all-star caliber team made up of some of the best players from Bacon, Brantley and Ware Counties. Due to the tournament seeding, Pierce was the visitor and the Bombers were the home team.

David O’Neal led off for Pierce drawing a walk and stealing second base on a passed ball. Tyler Dasher batted second and hit into a 6-3. Travis Dasher drew a walk and then Tin Huff hit into a 4-6-3 double play to end the top half of the first. Will White took the mound for the Bears striking out the first batter then giving up a home run to the second batter. White then give up two walks and a single which included a fielding error by the infield allowing the Bombers to score another run before White could end the inning with another strikeout.

The top of the second saw six Pierce batters come to the plate with none of them able to cross the plate to score a run. Holt Rowland led off with a single then Neal Hollis hit a single moving Rowland to third then Hollis moved to second on a passed ball during the at bat of John Walsh. Walsh and Hunter Hewitt both struck out when Ethan Parker then drew a walk to load the bases for White. With two outs and the bases loaded, White tried desperately to help his pitching effort by trying to swing aggressively but unsuccessfully as he also struck out. The bottom of the inning saw the Bombers score five more runs after White struck out the first two batters when the third batter swung at a third strike but the Parker (the Pierce catcher) dropped the ball allowing the batter to successfully reach first base. White then gave up two walks, a single and a homerun before the eighth batter hit a liner to White to end the inning.

Trailing seven to zero in the top of the third, Pierce County came to life. O’Neal was hit by the pitch, Tyler Dasher hit a single, Travis Dasher struck out and then Tim Huff hit a two RBI single scoring O’Neal and Dasher. Rowland drew a walk and then he and Huff moved up ninety feet on a passed ball. With the runners on third and second, Neal Hollis hit a single scoring Huff. Hollis moved to second on a passed ball and then Walsh hit into a 6-3 RBI scoring Rowland. Hewitt and Parker came up and both walked loading the bases again for White. White hit a two run double scoring Hollis and Hewitt. Parker tried to make it three but was gunned down at home on a very close play to end the inning. The bottom half of the fourth saw twelve Bomber batters score eight more runs. White gave up two singles, one hit batsman, one double one strikeout and six walks before Parker could gun one runner down trying to steal second. White was pulled to make way for John Walsh to take over on the mound. Walsh was able to strike his batter out to end the inning.

With time on the clock running out and Pierce trailing by a score of 15-6, Pierce cranked up the bats. O’Neal led of the inning hitting a single and then taking second base on a passed ball. O’Neal then stole third base and then Tyler Dasher walked. Travis Dasher, Huff, Rowland, Hollis and Walsh all came up and hit singles moving runners from base to base scoring six runs to bring the score to 15-12. With Walsh on first, Hewitt struck out for the first out, Parker walked moving Walsh to second. White then hit into a 3-1 for the second out. With two runners on base, no time on the clock and trailing by three runs, O’Neal came up for the second time in the inning striking out to end the game with the Bears suffering the loss and giving the championship to the Bombers.

Pictured kneeling from left to right is Ethan Parker, John Walsh, Hunter Hewitt, Neal Hollis and Tim Huff. Standing from left to right is Coach Jerry Hollis, Will White, Travis Dasher, David O’Neal, Holt Rowland, Tyler Dasher, Leslie Evans and Coach Bill White. Not pictured are Coach Dave Rowland, Xavier McGauley and Chastain Coleman.

The 10-Under Pierce County Cubs participated in the Elite Tournament Baseball Tournament recently at the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department.

Game 1 of the day saw the Cubs run rule the Crushers by a score of 12-0 in four innings. The second game of the day didn’t fare as well for the Cubs as they were defeated by the Thunderin Herd by a score of 15-7 putting the Cubs in the Loser’s Bracket for the rest of the day. The young Cubs came back together in their third game with a vengeance pounding the Bulldogs by a score of 15-2. Game four for the Cubs saw the Cubs defeat the Young Guns setting up the Consolation Game between the Cubs and the Thunderin Herd.

In the Consolation Game, the Cubs played the Thunderin Herd closer but were still defeated giving Pierce the 3rd place finish out of the six teams that participated in the tournament. The Championship Game saw The Thunderin Herd defeat the Yard Doggzz in back to back games for the championship.

The 4th Annual 100-inning Marathon Game took place last weekend at PCHS. The Ole’ Timers stole the show Saturday after lunch as the two teams battled it out as Mike Martin drove in the game winning RBI in the bottom of the 9th inning to propel his team to an 18-17 victory. “The men had a great time. This was the first time we cut the scoreboard on during the Ole’ Timers game, and once they saw we were keeping score, they stepped it up a little. However, based on how they were walking after the game, I have a feeling they will be sore for a few days,” said Coach Gay.

Ole’ Timers participating in the game were front row L-R: Troy Taylor, Timmy Lowman, Jerry Hollis, Dave Rowland, Gary Huff, Jim Grady, & Sebastian Martin and the back row L-R: Suggy Grant, Dave Barefield, Wade Skipper, Randy Dixon, Tony Walsh, Mike Walsh, Mike Martin, Blake Smith, & Garrett Grady.

The high school players played 54-innings on Friday and finished their portion of the games Saturday morning as team three won the championship. After the Ole’ Timers game, the middle school program completed their “Hit-A-Thon” coordinated by Head Coach David Lanier, and then they finished off the 100-innings by playing the final 10-innings. “Once again, the kids had a great time. The games give us a format to improve before we start the regular season,” said Coach Gay.
Gay also added, “We want to thank everyone who contributed to the fundraiser. This is a great community who continually shows their support for our kids in athletics.”

The varsity hosts Toombs County on Tuesday at 5:45 while the JV opens Thursday at home against Bacon County at 5:30. Come out and see PCHS Bear Baseball in action this season.

The Bears are out of hibernation and are ready for another great season on the diamond. The Bears are coming off back-to-back region titles and quarter-final appearances in the 2007 and 2008 seasons. Pierce finished #3 in the final state AA rankings last season with a 28-5 record. They lost a heart-breaking series to the eventual state champions, the Wesleyan Wolves. Head coach, Greg Gay, begins his 4th year at the helm with both assistant coaches, Brett Brooker and Keith Mobley back for another year as the trio enters its 3rd season together. "We are blessed at Pierce to have two quality guys working with our kids in Brett and Keith. They care about the program and the kids and do a great job teaching the game," stated Coach Gay.

Pierce graduated a special group of seniors last year losing Zach Culver in center-field, Alex Bell behind the plate, Caleb King knocking in runs and playing 1st base, Caleb Lairsey winning 11 games on the mound, and Hugh Lee Finishing off a tremendous career.

"The seniors from last year are going to be missed. They were not only talented but great young men. We owe a great deal of gratitude to these guys as well as our upper classmen we have now that were a part of the accomplishments the last two seasons," said Coach Gay. Gay added, "But we have to move on. Our opponents could care less about last year’s team, and we are excited about the kids this year."

Senior Mikey Grant will anchor the Bears defensively up the middle this year at shortstop. "In 13-years of baseball, Mikey is the finest shortstop I've coached," stated Gay. UGA signee, Brett DeLoach, will be behind the dish taking care of the pitching staff. "Brett is an unbelievable athlete that happens to catch and will hit lead-off for us," added Gay. Andrew Cuneo, coming off an impressive offensive season last year leading the Bears at the plate, will hold down third base and be expected to put up big numbers again. "Andrew’s coming off surgery from his broken leg he suffered during football season. He's not close to a 100%, but I expect him to play every inning this year. He is that type of kid," stated Gay. Lucas Wrobel has the task of roaming centerfield. "Lucas is a tremendous athlete who has played several positions for us the last two years. With his speed and armstrenght he is going to ba agood outfielder. He just needs time to learn the position,"added Gay. Armstrong Atlantic State University signee, David O’Neal, will lead the pitching staff. "David has already had a great high school career but has actually gotten better. We are looking for great performances out of him," said Gay. DeLoach and O’Neal have been selected on the GA Dugout Club pre-season All-State 1st team, while Cuneo was honored on the 2nd team. DeLoach has also been selected with eight other catchers across the nation as a 2nd team pre-season All-American. Left-handed pitcher Michael Walsh finishes up the senior class. "Michael is working hard coming off arm surgery to get back in the rotation. He is a great kid and hard worker that will help us as he gets healthy," stated Gay.

Junior Trey Thompson coming off surgery himself will be the DH having started since he was a freshman. Ethan Parker will play one of the outfield spots and should provide offensive production from the left side of the plate. John Walsh will see time on the mound and fight for an outfield position. Jimmy Heatherly has shown some power the last couple of years at the JV level and should help out in the outfield. Travis Dasher returns as the starting 2nd baseman and an improved swing should put him near the middle of the batting order.

Sophomores Jayk Graham and Xavier McGauley finish up the varsity squad. "McGauley plays in the outfield and as he improves his swing can put up big time numbers. Graham will play several positions and possibly be one of our region starters on the mound," said Gay.

Once again Pierce will face another tough schedule. Opening week Pierce faces a tough Toombs County squad and then travels to Atlanta to face the defending state champs, Wesleyan, as well as a Providence Christian program that has been one of the elite private schools in the state. Other non-region opponents include single A powerhouse Aquinas out of Augusta, Deerfield Beach out of Florida, and AAAA Effingham County who has a high round draft pick pitching for the Rebels. "Our tough non-region schedule benefitted us last year. Once again we are going to play the best teams that would play us and see what happens," said Gay.

Region 2-AA has been re-aligned. Savannah Christian dropped down to single A, and the region added Benedictine out of Savannah and Tattnall County. Old foes and rivals remain in the region to include Brantley, Jeff Davis, Appling, Charlton, McIntosh, and Long. Pierce and Appling are predicted to be the front runners for the region title but several programs could eventually end up in the #1 spot.

Although hampered by injuries at the present time, Coach Gay is optimistic about the season. "If we can get some kids healthy and back on the field, we have a chance to be as good or better than last season. Fortunatley we have some of the hardest working kids I have ever been around. That makes practice fun. When you can get a bunch of kids that value hard work as much as ours it makes coaching enjoying," said Gay.

Coach Mobley will head up a JV squad lead by sophomores Matthew Aldridge and new comer Aaron Wade. Freshmen will dominate the line-up as 13 9th graders enter their high school career. "The 9th graders are coming off a middle school conference championship, and we look forward to their development. Our future looks bright with the JV kids," said Gay.

The team wil participate in their 4th annual marathon game this weekend and then host Toombs County at home on Tuesday Feb. 24th and 5:45.

The PCHS JV Bears defeated the Raiders of Bacon today by a score of 16-6 for their home opener. The photo above shows freshman shortstop Codi Dixon tagging out a Bacon runner as Neal Hollis and Xavier McGauley look on. The JV Bears host the Ware County JV Gators next Tuesday @ 5:00 pm. Pictured to the right is Shortstop Codi Dixon tagging out a Bacon baserunner.

The PCHS Varsity baseball games this weekend versus Wesleyan and Providence Christian have been cancelled due to inclimate weather.
There are no make up dates at this time.

The 10-Under Pierce County Cubs dropped two games during the Elite Tournament Baseball series in Brunswick today. The Cubs suffered their first loss of the day as they were defeated by the eventual tourney winner, the Crushers. The second loss of the days was at the hands of the Young Guns which ended up being defeated by the Crushers for the Tournament Championship.

The PCHS baseball team encountered a tough week during the opening week of the season. Pierce lost to Toombs County on Tuesday and then had to cancel their trip to Atlanta due to inclement weather to play powerhouse Wesleyan and Providence Christian. The Bears led most of the home opener scoring in the 1st inning when Brett DeLoach led off with a double followed by a Trey Thompson walk. DeLoach and Thompson both advanced on a stolen base just before Jayk Graham hit into a 4-3 RBI ground out to score DeLoach.

Holding Toombs scoreless for 3-innings, starting pitcher, David O’Neal, gave up an unearned run in the 4th inning to tie the game up 1-1.

The Bears scored three more in the bottom of the 5th inning as Lucas Wrobel and O’Neal both walked and advanced a base on a wild pitch. Wrobel scored on a pass ball, and DeLoach doubled again to score O’Neal. DeLoach then moved to 3rd base (see photo) on a groundout by Thompson before scoring on a RBI single by Graham.

However, in the top of the 6th inning, things started to unravel. Relief pitcher Travis Dasher walked the first and second batter of the inning before giving up 3 hits to close out the inning. With the game tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the 6th inning, Pierce loaded the bases with two outs but could not score.

Andrew Cuneo took the mound in the 7th inning giving up a hit to the first batter, hitting the 2nd batter, followed by two more hits and a couple of errors as Toombs made the score 9-4. Once again the Bears loaded the bases in the 7th inning but could not score as the Bears drop the season opener.

“Other than not hitting the ball great, we played pretty well for 5-innings. The last two innings pitchers missed their spots, we made several errors, and left base runners on in critical situations at the plate,” said Coach Gay. Gay added, “Toombs is a much improved team, and we will just have to get better.”

O’Neal got a no decision pitching 5-innings, giving up 2 hits, 1 unearned run, with 8 Ks, and 1 BB. Dasher pitched 1-inning getting the loss giving up 4 earned runs on 3 hits, 1 K, and 2 BB. Cuneo pitched an inning giving up 4 unearned runs on 3 hits and 2 Ks.

Offensively DeLoach and Graham swung the bats well both going 2 for 3 while Ethan Parker and Thompson both picked up the only other hits.

Pierce travels to Toombs County on Tuesday, March 3rd and plays at home this Friday at 6:00 in the region opener against Long County. Pictured below is Brett DeLoach sliding safely into 3rd base.

The 2009 Edition of the Georgia Dugout Preview magazine has selected David O’Neal and Brett DeLoach to the Class AA Preseason All-State First Team. Andrew Cuneo was selected for the Second Team.

The magazine also has the Bears ranked #2 in the state with a comment that the “Bears could make a deep run” in the playoffs and are the Region 2-AA favorites.

Pierce players to watch are listed as Andrew Cuneo, Brett DeLoach, Mikey Grant and David O’Neal.

On Tuesday the Bears traveled to a frigid Bulldog stadium to play Toombs County. Toombs beat Pierce just a week earlier 9-4 at home. Pierce scored the opening runs in the top of the 2nd inning when Andrew Cuneo reached on an error followed by a Mikey Grant base-on-balls. With two outs in the inning, Cuneo scored on a wild pitch to put the Bears up 1-0. After a Jimmy Heatherly walk, Brett DeLoach came through with an infield single scoring Grant. With runners now on 1st & 3rd, DeLoach stole 2nd base allowing Heatherly to score stealing home to put Pierce up 3-0.

Starting pitcher, Jayk Graham, just got out of a bases loaded jam in the 1st inning and gave up 1 run going into the 6th inning when he allowed the first and second batter to reach on singles. After an error at first base and an intentional walk to load the bases with an out, relief pitcher Cuneo allowed a single and a sac fly before getting out of the jam with the score tied 3-3.

In the top of the 7th inning, DeLoach led the inning off with a single and moved to 2nd base on a wild pitch, stole 3rd base, and scored on the errant throw by the Toombs County catcher.

Up 4-3 in the last inning, Pierce could not hold on to the lead as Cuneo gave up a two out single to score a runner from 2nd base as the Bear’s outfielder failed to make a play on the ball in order to throw the ball home to hold the runner at 3rd base.

Both Pierce and Toombs threatened in the 8th inning getting two runners on but failing to score. However, in the 9th inning Cuneo doubled in Graham and Parker on a deep drive into the right-center gap to put Pierce up 6-4.

With the win 3-outs away, Pierce could not hold on. The 1st and 2nd batters both reached on singles. The next batter bunted and instead of getting an out, a poorly thrown ball could not be handled by the Bears’ second baseman allowing the runner from 2nd to score and the runner from 1st to move to 3rd base. Two pitches later, Toombs tied the game again on a wild pitch while putting the go ahead run in scoring position. On a 3-1 count, the Toombs catcher drove a fast ball over the Bears centerfielder to walk away with the game winning RBI.

The loss put the Bears at 0-2 losing both games to Toombs County. “The loss, like the other night, is a disappointment. The difference is the kids fought tonight. Toombs is a good team with a solid pitcher. They will be tough for a lot of teams with that pitcher on the mound. But that does not negate the fact that we are making too many mistakes in every area of the game,” said Coach Gay. Gay added, “However, we have good kids in this program. We believe in these kids and expect great things soon.”

On Friday, the Bears hosted Long County for Pierce’s region opener. Long came into the game with a region win 12-6 over Benedictine and playing with a lot of confidence. David O’Neal took the mound with the responsibility of delivering not only great pitches but a win for a struggling Pierce squad.

Just as the previous two games, Pierce took an early lead. Lead-off, Brett DeLoach, singled and moved to 2nd base on a wild pitch. Jayk Graham, hitting in the 2-spot, moved DeLoach to 3rd on a groundout. Andrew Cuneo followed with a sacrifice fly to shallow right field. DeLoach scored just in front of a sweeping tag by the catcher to strike first making the score 1-0.

In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Ethan Parker reached on an error and moved to 2nd on a John Walsh base on balls. Travis Dasher followed with a fielder’s choice, forcing Walsh out at 2nd but moving Parker to 3rd. O’Neal followed with a safety squeeze to plate Parker and put the Bears up 2-0.

In the top of the 3rd inning, O’Neal continued to subdue Long County as he picked the runner off 2nd base on a timing play with Travis Dasher to close the inning in the books.

The Bears added another run in the bottom half as once again DeLoach reached on an error, moved to 2nd on an errant throw trying to pick him off 1st base, moved to 3rd base on a fly ball by Graham to right field, and scored on an RBI groundout by Cuneo.

In the top of the 5th inning, Long scored two runs as O’Neal gave up back-to-back singles, then a sac bunt, a walk, and another single before enticing a pop-up and strike-out to get out of the jam.

With the score 3-2, Pierce added a much needed insurance run. For the third time in the game DeLoach led the inning off reaching base on a single, moved to 3rd on a Graham hard hit line drive up the middle, and scored on another Cuneo RBI groundout.

The top of the 7th inning validated the need for the insurance run. With an out in the inning, O’Neal hung a curve ball to the clean-up hitter who deposited the ball over the left-field fence. However, O’Neal kept his composure striking out the next batter before getting a 5-3 put-out to finish off the complete game win.

“O’Neal pitched great! We had two established goals for him this game. Focus on mechanics and try to force contact on quality pitches and for this early in the season he succeeded in both,” said Gay. O’Neal allowed 6 hits, while striking out 8, and walking 4 to get his first win of the year.

DeLoach led the way at the plate going 2 for 3, reaching on an error and scoring 3 runs. Cuneo had 3 RBIs, Mikey Grant had a 2 for 3 night with a deep fly out to left field. Graham and Walsh each added a hit.

“We are still a long ways from where we need to be. However, we did what it took to win to include great baserunning by DeLoach and Parker to unselfish at bats from Graham, Cuneo, and O’Neal,” said Gay. Gay added, “I kept waiting for an offensive explosion that we typically see but instead we played ABC baseball to win the game. That is a lot of fun as well.”

Pierce will host Brantley Tuesday at home in a JV/varsity double-header, travel to Appling to face the highly ranked Pirates in a big region match-up, and then Saturday travel to Rincon, GA to face off in another JV/varsity double-header to play the AAAA #1 ranked Effingham County Rebels. Come out and support your Pierce County Bears as they fight for their 3rd straight 2-AA Region Championship.

The 8-Under (eight years old) Bears baseball team travelled to Jesup for a Saturday morning doubleheader against the Wayne County Stingers.

Game 1 had the Bears as the visiting team and the game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth as Wayne County was able to put an un-earned run up taking a 1-0 lead. Pierce put two on the board during the top of the fifth on singles by Jordan White and Parker Peagler when Matt Simmons came up and hit a stand up triple to score both White and Peagler giving the Bears a 2-1 lead.

The lead didn’t last long though as Wayne put two more on the board as they put the bat on the ball scoring two runs to take a 3-2 lead and win the game.

Game 2 had the Bears as the visiting team again but it didn’t take four innings to get the scoring started. The Bears jumped out to 3-0 lead in the first on three straight hits by Peagler, Simmons and Avery Jernigan with another hit by Andrew Walsh before the Bears at bat came to an end. The bottom of the first put the Bears in a hole as Wayne put four on the board taking a 4-3 lead in almost the same fashion as the Bears did.

The Wayne lead didn’t last long though as the determined Bears put four more runs in the second and third innings each and held Wayne scoreless the rest of the game giving the Bears an 11-4 victory.

Peagler, Simmons, Avery Jernigan and Walsh all had hits in the second inning along with hits from Walker Sinclair, Nathan Carter and Seth Taylor. Peagler, Austin Hodges, Nathan Carter, Seth Taylor and Jordan White had hits in the fourth while Sinclair, Walsh and Austin Jernigan all had hits contributing to the victory.

The team hitting leader for the day was Matt Simmons followed by Parker Peagler, both had four hits apiece but Simmons had a triple and homerun to lead the team.

“I’m so proud of these boys” said Coach Tony Walsh. For an 8-Under age group of boys including some six year olds, we played well as a team. These were our first games as a team and I’m so happy with their performance as a whole. We made some mistakes in the first game and corrected them in the second game.

Other coaches for the team include Jaime Hodges and Jason White. The Bears host the Stingers in Blackshear next Saturday for a double header beginning at 9:30 a.m. on the Mau Brown Field at the Recreation Department on Ware Street.

PCHS Junior Varsity Head Coach Keith Mobley was recently selected to the “Hall of Fame” at Brewton Parker College in Mount Vernon. The picture to the right was taken last year as Coach Mobley coached the JV team to the Championship victory in Hazlehurst last season. Congratulations Coach Mobley, you’ve earned it.

The Pierce County High School Athletic Boosters' Club will conduct a business meeting on Monday, March 16th at 7:30 pm in the gym at PCHS. All members & parents are urged to attend. Nomination committees for the election of officers for next year will be selected as well as discussion on the upcoming Winter Sports' Awards Reception.

The Varsity, Junior Varsity and Middle School Bears all defeated their opponents today. The Middle School defeated the Waycross Bulldogs by a score of 13-2, the JV defeated the Brantley County Herons by a score of 11-9 and the Varsity won the night cap against Brantley by a score of 5-3.

The game schedule for the rest of this week includes the Middle School hosting Charlton County on Friday the 13th in Pierce County at 4:30 p.m. while the Varsity travels to Appling County for a game time of 6:00 p.m.

The JV and Varsity Bears travel to Effingham County on Saturday, March 14th to play a double-header. The JV start is at 11:00 a.m. while the Varsity plays at 1:00 p.m.

The Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department starts it's Spring Baseball League this Saturday as well with games beginning at 9:00 a.m.

The 10-Under Dirt Devils defeated the 8-Under Bears by a score of 11-4 tonight. The game went scoreless for the fist two innings before the Dirt Devils unleashed a bombardment of hits on the younger Bears by scoring 7 runs in the bottom of the third inning. Getting hits for the Dirt Devils were Hayden, Carson Davis, Caleb, Trevor Parr, Trey Barber and Blane Jowers.

The Bears were able to score 1 run in the top of the fourth on consecutive hits by Matt Simmons and Parker Peagler. Walker Sinclair came up and hit into a fielder's choice scoring Simmons giving Sinclair the RBI. The Dirt Devils put four more on the board in the bottom of the fourth on hits by Hayden, Davis, Caleb, Parr, Barber and Jowers.

With the five inning game coming to a close, the Bears had one last chance scoring three runs on hits by Jordan White, Austin Hodges and Avery Jernigan. The three runs scored were contributed to sacrifices by Nathan Carter and Seth Taylor.

We made a few defensive errors allowing some unearned runs and had seven strikouts out of 22 plate appearances; you can't score runs when 1/3 of your plate appearances strike out however Coach Tony Walsh stated after the game that he was very proud of the younger Bears for playing an older group of boys. These players are great and I enjoy working with them.

Three teams from Pierce County competed last Saturday in the opening day of the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Departments Spring Baseball League.

Competing in the 2009 age 12 & Under Midget boys division was the Blackshear Bandits coached by Randy King, James Dowling, Danny Jones and Timmy Lowman. The Bandits lost their first game of the day to the Lugnuts of Waycross by a score of 10-7. The Bandits turned around and defeated the Red Sox by a score of 10-1 later in the day.

Two teams from Pierce County are competing in the age 10-Under Mite boys division. The Pierce County Cubs are coached by Loran Tuten, Stephen Tuten, Hank Wheeler and Jeffrey Bolden. The Dirt Devils are coached by Keith Ambrose and Drew Davis.

The Cubs split their two games by defeating the Appling Explosion 7-4 and then dropping one to Team Zero by a score of 7-3. The Dirt Devils lost both of their games by scores of 10-0 to the Riverkatz and 14-6 to the Sandgnats.

In the age 8-Under Flea division, the Bears coached by Tony Walsh, Jaime Hodges, Jason White and Greg Carter defeated the Stingers of Wayne County in a scrimmage doubleheader by scores of 12-4 and 18-8.

These teams will compete again on Saturday, March 21 so come to the Recreation Department on Ware Street to support the youth and watch some great baseball action.

The evaluations for the 7-8 boys recreation baseball teams was postponed due to rain and have been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 17th @ 5:30 p.m. on Thompson Field at the Recreation Department Complex.

Pierce County’s two-day odyssey with top-ranked foes ended with a split in weekend action. For the first time in school history, the Bears faced back-to-back unbeaten teams ranked No. 1 in different classifications. PCHS handled Class AA Appling County Friday night in Baxley, 3-0, but fell to Class AAAA Effingham County in Springfield, 8-4.

Earlier in the week, Pierce County rallied from a 3-0 hole to beat region nemesis Brantley County, 5-3. The road (literally) doesn’t get any easier this week as PCHS traveled to Tattnall County Tuesday. The Bears finish the week against ninth-ranked Jeff Davis in Hazlehurst on Friday.

Pierce County head coach Greg Gay hoped to hear some good news Monday on Brett Deloach. The senior catcher felt a pop in his throwing should Friday night against Appling. “He’s going to have an MRI as a precautionary measure,” Gay said. “Brett said he felt something pop. It could have been some scar tissue breaking loose, but you hate to speculate. We’ll just have to wait and see what the doctors find out.”

Effingham 8, PCHS 4
Effingham County protected its Class AAAA No. 1 ranking and undefeated record using a seven-run sixth inning to rally and knock off Pierce Saturday afternoon.

The Rebels (5-0) trailed 3-1 entering the bottom of the sixth. Effingham County sent 10 guys to the plate against John Walsh (0-1) and Travis Dasher. The pair surrendered five hits, walk two batters and had a big defensive error committed allowing the six-run rally.

“They (Rebels) have a solid team,” said Gay, whose team dropped to 3-3. “I can see why they are No. 1 in 4-A. I really feel like we gave the game away with that one bad inning, though. The error really hurt us.”
Pierce left eight runners on base with several stranded on second with an out or less in having its three-game winning streak snapped.
“We swung the bats pretty good,” said Gay, “but we just didn’t get the clutch hits. We played a great team and did not take advantage of the situation.

“Playing back-to-back No. 1 teams did not mean anything to the guys. They really don’t pay attention to the rankings nor the opponent.”
Jayk Graham got the start for Pierce County and worked just an inning allowing a run on two hits. Walsh pitched the next four-plus innings before running into trouble in the sixth giving way to Dasher to finish up.

“I just wanted Jake to get some work in to be ready for Tuesday (at Tattnall County),” said Gay. “John, in his first outing of the season, pitched extremely well. He kept that explosive offense of the board and then started missing his spots in the sixth. He got a little tired, but he pitched well and that was a bright spot for us.”
Meanwhile, Effingham’s Evan Jarman, who had a 0.82 ERA last season, shut down PCHS through the first three innings. The Bears finally touched him up for two runs in the fourth.

Mikey Grant led off the inning with a single and moved up on a passed ball. Ethan Parker laced a one-out double with Dasher (two hits) coming through with a two-out run-scoring single for the 2-1 lead.
The Bears padded the margin to 3-1 in the top of the sixth as Dasher came through once again with his second two-out RBI single to score Grant, who had walked and moved up to second on a passed ball.

Effingham made its move in the bottom half of the inning spoiling the day.
Lucas Wrobel joined Dasher as the only Bears with two hits. Walsh, Parker, Grant and Andrew Cuneo each added a hit.

PCHS 3, Appling 0
Senior left-hander David O’Neal (2-0) scattered four hits in going the distance for the second straight Friday night in Region 2-AA play as the Bears handed Appling County its first loss of the year.

Appling County started the night with an 8-0 record that included a 3-1 win over pre-season No. 1 Cook High. The Pirates were 3-0 in region play.
“Appling has a great club,” said Gay. “They (Pirates) are very, very athletic with a great pitching staff. They are one of the better clubs in the state.”

O’Neal fanned 10 batters and did not walk anyone in helping the Bears to a third straight win after an 0-2 start. “That was one of the better games of his career,” said Gay of his senior ace. “It was the best game he actually ‘pitched’. He had a great change, his curve was hard and sharpe and he spotted his fastball. “He just totally dominated a great club. They (Pirates) got one base runner to second all night.”
Scoreless through three innings, the Bears scored the only run O’Neal needed in the fourth against Appling’s Josh Leggett.

Wrobel led off the fourth for Pierce with a single. He moved to third on a hit by Cuneo (two hits) and scored off an error by the Pirates left fielder. Grant lined a shot to left that was hit to hard to score Wrobel. The left fielder, in his haste to get the ball to the plate, launched a throw over the catcher’s head allowing Wrobel to trot home for a 1-0 lead.
The Bears scored two runs in the fifth after two outs. Dasher reached on a passed ball after striking out, moved up 90 feet on another passed ball and scored when O’Neal laced an opposite field double to left that landed on the foul line.

Xavier McGauley, who came on as a courtesy runner for O’Neal, raced to third on a wild pitch. The throw from the catcher glanced off the glove of the third baseman allowing McGauley to head for the plate. He slid under the tag of the catcher on the throw to the plate giving PCHS?a 3-0 advantage.

PCHS 5, Brantley 3
Pierce County overcame a 3-0 third inning hole to post a Region 2-AA victory Tuesday against Brantley County. Dasher, the second of three pitchers used by the Bears, picked up the win, his first of the year, with 2 2/3 innings of relief. O’Neal pitched a 1-2-3 seventh to record his first save of the season.

“Travis pitched extremely well,” said Gay of Dasher’s first appearance on the mound. “He had solid mechanics and pitched well enough to finish.
“David went down to the bullpen to loosen up in the bottom of the sixth and got about a half a session in. I decided to let him get the other half in the seventh”

Brantley County pushed across two runs in the top of the second against Graham for an early 2-0 lead. The Herons scratched out its final run in the third, chasing Graham.

“Jayk struggled with his mechanics,” said Gay. “He had some tough breaks with balls that found some holes and dropped in. We (coaches) were concerned about his pitch count getting high so I pulled him.”
Pierce pushed two runs across in the bottom of the third to close the margin to 3-2. O’Neal was hit by a pitch with Deloach (2-for-3) ripping a single. The runners moved up on a wild pitch and both scored on a two-out single by Graham (1-for-3).

The Bears took advantage of some wildness by the Brantley pitcher in the fourth scoring two runs without the benefit of a hit. John Walsh drew a walk and Ethan Parker reached. After Dasher sacrificed the runners up, O’Neal, Deloach (RBI) and Lucas Wrobel (RBI) followed with consecutive two-out walks giving PCHS a 4-3 lead.

Pierce County added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth. Deloach ripped a double off the left field wall and scampered to third on a wild pitch. He scored standing up on a perfectly executed suicide squeeze by Wrobel.

The Pierce County Middle School baseball squad continued on an unbeaten path beating up on both Waycross Middle School and Charlton County Middle School last week.

The Bears knocked off the Bulldogs 13-2 Tuesday afternoon and finished the week with a 17-6 win over the Braves on Friday.
Vince Elliott and Micah Larson teamed up to toss a four-hitter against Waycross.

The Bears (6-0) took control in the first inning scoring four runs after Waycross Middle reached Elliott (2-0) for a run in the top of the frame. Elliott worked the first three innings allowing two runs on three hits. He fanned three and walked one.

Hunter Skipper (2-for-3, three runs, RBI) had a RBI single in the four-run uprising.

PCMS blew the game open in the third after the Bulldogs cut the deficit to 4-2. Colby Shane Smith (3-for-3, double, two RBI, three runs) delivered a two-run double and scored when Elliott (2-for-4, double, home run, three RBI) blasted his first career homer, a two-run shot, finishing off the six-run rally.

Larson came on in relief in the fourth and kept Waycross Middle at bay allowing just a hit with two walks.

The Bears finished off the scoring plating three more runs in the bottom of the fourth.

Pierce Middle was the beneficiary of 11 walks issued by the Bulldogs’ pitching corp. The Bears managed just seven hits.

Over in Folkston on Friday, PCMS used an eight-run fifth to overcome a 4-3 deficit on the way to the 11-run decision.

Davis Lairsey (2-0) worked the final four innings in relief of Elliott to get the win. Lairsey allowed four hits, three runs and fanned three. Elliott yeilded four hits and three runs with four strikeouts. Neither pitcher issued a walk.

Elliott had a big day at the plate going 2-for-4 with four RBI, a double, three stolen bases and four runs scored. Skipper (three runs), Heath Highsmith (RBI) and Dakota Martin finished with two hits apiece.
Lairsey, Blake Aldridge, Jordan Woodard and Lane Dixon laced a hit each.

The two teams scored two runs apiece in the first and exchanged a run each over the next two innings fora 3-all tie after three. Charlton County pushed across a run in the bottom of the fourth to take a 4-3 advantage.

After an eight-run fifth by PCMS, Charlton scored once in the bottom of the sixth. The Bears added six in the seventh with the Braves scoring once in the bottom of the seventh.

Pierce Middle will travel to Brantley Middle on Friday.

Pierce County’s junior varsity baseball team used explosive innings against Brantley County and Effingham County to notch wins last week.
The Bears (6-1) scored 10 runs over the first two innings against Brantley County on Tuesday at home and then held on for an 11-9 win.


PCHS followed that up with a six-run first at Effingham County Saturday on the way to an 11-3 win and its second three-game winning streak of the season.

“We are continuing to get better at the little stuff,” said jayvee head coach Keith Mobley, “but we still have a lot of work to do. The guys are working hard in practice.”

In the first game of the week, Pierce County jumped out 4-0 after the first only to have the Herons cut the deficit in half in the top of the second. The Bears answered with a six-run rally in the bottom half of the frame to take a 10-2 lead.

Brantley responded by plating seven runs in the third to pull to within 10-9. PCHS added a run in the bottom of the fourth and held the Herons scoreless in the fifth to notch the win.

Xavier McGauley and Will Lowman led the Bears with two hits each. Drew Taylor added a hit.

PCHS took advantage of early inning wildness from the Effingham pitching staff to score six times in the opening inning on Saturday. The Bears would tack on five more runs the rest of the way to get the win over the Class AAAA foe.

Brandon Aldridge worked the first three innings allowing just one hit. Matthew Aldridge yielded just one hit in his three innings on the mound and hit a batter.

“Brandon continues to throw strike after strike,” said Mobley. “Matthew gave up three runs, but only one was earned. Those two are really doing a good job on the mound.”

Taylor had a double and a triple with Neal Hollis adding a triple and a single to lead PCHS at the plate. Brian Barefield (sac fly), Codi Dixon, Chastain Coleman and Terry Carter added a hit apiece. Carter’s was a bunt single that turned into a three-base throwing error.

The Bears will host Appling County and Jeff Davis in a jayvee tripleheader on Saturday. The Pirates and Yellow Jackets will also square off for the third game.

The youth travel teams from Pierce County competed again Saturday in the second week of the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Departments Spring Baseball League.

Competing in the age 12 & Under Midget boys division was the Blackshear Bandits. The Bandits were victorious in both of their games by defeating the Barracudas by a score of 7-6 and later defeating the Lugnuts by a score of 4-3.

Representing Pierce County in the age 10-Under Mite boys division are the Pierce County Cubs and the Dirt Devils.

The Cubs split their two games by defeating the Dirt Devils and then dropping one to the Yard Dogzz by a score of 11-7. The Dirt Devils were defeated in both of their games by the Cubs and the Extreme.

These teams will compete again on Saturday, April 11th so come to the Recreation Department on Ware Street to support the youth and watch some great baseball action.

Jayk Graham and David O’Neal combined on a three-hit shutout against McIntosh County Tuesday night as the Bears posted a 9-0 Region 2-AA victory.

The Bears got three innings of work from Graham with O’Neal pitching the final four frames to register his third save of the season.
Graham allowed one hit, fanned three, walked two and hit a batter. O’Neal surrendered two hits, had five strikeouts and walked two.

Offensively, Pierce County did its damage in two innings. The Bears scored four runs in the third and five more in the fifth. Five different players had multi-hit games as PCHS banged out 14 hits.

“Our goal tonight was to go out and have fun,” said head coach Greg Gay, “and that’s what we did. I was proud of the older kids being leaders in the dugout and on the field and proud of the younger players for stepping up to play.”

Lucas Wrobel (2-for-3) got things started in the third with a leadoff single. Ethan Parker (2-for-4) followed with a double and both scored on Trey Thompson’s (2-for-4) single. Following a Mikey Grant (2-for-4) base hit, Nate Gay (2-for-3) ripped a two-run double and the Bears were up 4-0.

PCHS did its damage in the fifth after one out. Drew Taylor (1-for-3) laced a double and scored on Graham’s (2-for-4) double. Gay followed with his second double of the evening and the Bears’ third straight of the inning for a 6-0 advantage.

Brian Barefield (1-for-2) lined a pinch-hit single to score Gay with the third run of the inning. O’Neal (1-for-3) followed with a single putting runners on first and second. A passed ball moved them up and a double steal scored Barefield. Wrobel knocked in O’Neal with a single.

Pierce County spotted Liberty County and early four-run lead before rallying for a 12-6 non-region victory here Monday night.

PCHS (5-4) trailed 5-1 after two innings before a three-run third inning closed the gap and an eight-run fourth gave the Bears the lead for good. As big as the uprising was, all the air left the ballpark when Brett DeLoach suffered an injury that ended the inning.

Pierce was leading 12-6 in the fourth when he collided with the Liberty County third baseman on a play at the bag. DeLoach went down in severe pain after the two met with an injury to his non-throwing arm.

After lying prone for nearly 20 minutes as medics worked on his arm (dislocated elbow), DeLoach was taken by ambulance to Satilla Regional.
PCHS Head Coach Greg Gay gathered the troops before they took the field in the fifth and told them, “we’re not going to quit because No.
10 (DeLoach) wouldn’t want that. He would want you to go out there and finish the job.”

The last three innings were about as uneventful as a game could be, especially under the circumstances. Pierce had a hit or two in their last two swings and the Panthers managed a couple of runners.

Liberty County jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in its half of the first putting together four hits (14 against three pitchers) and a walk against starter John Walsh. PCHS would get a run back in the home half of the inning.

DeLoach (2-for-3) hit a leadoff single, one of 13 hits on the night for the Bears, stole second and strolled home on an RBI single by Ethan Parker (1-for-4).

The Panthers picked up four more hits in the second scoring three more runs to take a 5-1 lead.

“John did a great job out there,” Gay said of his starter. “He would get in front 0-2 or 1-2, but he just couldn’t finish them off. He’s getting close to pitching extremely well and the more time he gets on the mound the better he’s going to be.”

DeLoach led off the bottom of the third with a solo homer the opposite way, his third round tripper of the season, to cut the deficit to 5-2.
After two outs, the Bears put together a mini rally.

“Brett is having a tremendous year,” said Gay. “He went to the dish with a game plan and that at bat was a perfect example. He took an outside pitch and hit it over the fence in right.”

Mikey Grant (3-for-4) singled with Drew Taylor (1-for-4) reaching via a hit by pitch. Jake Graham (2-for-4) hit the first of his two doubles on the night scoring Grant. Walsh was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Nate Gay (2-for-2) followed suit to force home a run.

Michael Walsh (1-0) came on to work the fourth giving up a run on two hits in his only inning of work to get the win.
The flood gates opened in the bottom of the fourth. DeLoach was hit by a pitch and stole second. Brian Barefield suffered a bruise as well.
Grant laced a run-scoring single to start the merry-go-round.

Taylor, Graham, David O’Neal (1-for-2), Jimmy Heatherly (1-for-1) added run-scoring hits. Lucas Wrobel’s walk ended the hitting streak, but not the run production. Heatherly would eventually score on a wild pitch and Wrobel crossed home plate for the final run on an error off the bat of DeLoach.

Grant came on to pitch the final three innings and record the save, his first of the year.

“It was nice to see us swing the bats,” said Gay. “The other bright spot was seeing four freshmen on the field tonight playing and taking their hacks at the plate.”

Pierce County Middle School pushed across the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and added an insurance run in the sixth to beat Ware County Middle School here Tuesday afternoon, 5-3.

The Gators threatened in the seventh getting runners on the corners with two outs. PCMS (8-1) third baseman Heath Highsmith’s snag of a hard hit grounder and throw to first ended the comback bid.

Down to its last out, Ware Middle got a double from Tyler Davis. Joshua Aspinwall reached on an infield hit deep into the hole at short putting runners on first and third. Highsmith was able to get the ball in his webbing on the next play and record the third out.

Tuesday’s game was totally different than the first encounter in which Pierce Middle posted a 17-12 win.

Vince Elliott (5-0) went the distance for the Bears out dueling Alex Stephenson and Kyle Valentine. The Bears’ right-hander allowed just three hits, three runs, one earned with six strikeouts and two walks.

Ware Middle plated a run in the first to grab the early lead. Aspinwall walked, stole second, raced to third and Elliott’s errant throw to second on a pickoff attempt, and trotted home when Highsmith was unable to corrall Elliott’s throw to third.

The Bears answered with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Micah Larson walked, moved up on a Blake Aldridge sacrifice bunt, and scored on Elliott’s double. Elliott sped the last 180 feet when Hunter Skipper’s grounder to second was booted.

WCMS re-took the lead in the third inning scoring two runs. Brent Cox doubled and moved to third on a bunt. After Aspinwall was hit by a pitch, Wesley Spradley followed with a grounder to third. Cox beat the throw to tie the score at 2-all.

Following an error to load the bases, Matthew McQuaig drew a walk to force home the go-ahead run.

The Bears would tie the score in the fourth. Highsmith doubled to start the inning and moved to third on Jordan Woodard’s bunt. Two outs later Aldridge lined a run scoring double.

Pierce Middle took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth. Lane Dixon walked and moved to second on a balk. Davis Lairsey’s hard grounder to second was booted allowing Dixon to score the eventual winning run.
In the sixth, the Bears’ Stetson Smith singled, stole second and scored on Elliott’s second RBI double of the afternoon.

Pierce Middle closes out the regular season on Friday with a date against Waycross Middle School at Andy Cuneo Field at 4:30 p.m.

Jayk Graham’s one-out bases loaded single in the fifth inning gave Pierce County the lead for good in the win Saturday.

John Walsh, in a bid to become the No. 3 starter, pitched masterfully for PCHS (8-4 overall) allowing just seven hits over the first six innings. He fanned two and walked one. “He (Walsh) pitched a great game,” said Gay. “He mixed up his speeds and kept them (Rebels) guessing all afternoon. He had great control of his offspeed pitch and had enough confidence to throw it behind in the count.”

PCHS had the Rebels (10-1 on the season) on the ropes 14 days ago in Springfield. The Bears led 3-1 in the sixth before a seven-run rally saved Effingham County.

The Rebels had grabbed a 2-1 lead with a run in the top of the fifth against Walsh. But Pierce fought back to score the eventual game-winning run. Trey Thompson (1-for-3, two runs) lined a out-out double to start the rally. Mikey Grant (2-for-3, two runs) walked and Drew Taylor (1-for-3) followed with a single to load the bases. Graham’s base hit scored Thompson and Grant giving Pierce County a 3-2 advantage. The next two batters went quietly leaving the Bears clinging to a one-run margin.

Another one-out rally in the bottom of the sixth broke Effingham County’s back. Lucas Wrobel (1-for-2) singled and moved up to second on Thompson’s walk. The pair would score on Grant’s three-run blast off the leftfield foul pole, his second homer in as many nights. “Mikey hit an inside fastball,” said Gay. “He hit it into a bit of a crosswind (from right to left) and just stayed inside the pitch. That’s the only way that ball stays fair. If he hit gets his hands outside the ball it hooks foul.”

David O’Neal came on to pitch the seventh. He surrendered a one-out double before blowing a fastball by one batter and breaking off a sharp curve to get the last out.

PCHS scored an unearned run in the bottom of the second to take a 1-0 lead. Graham drew a walk with one out and scored on Gay’s single to left when the ball was misplayed into a two-base error. After tying the game in the second, Effingham County took a short-lived lead in the fifth.

Former University of Georgia catcher Jim Carter will have a clinic during PE classes at Blackshear Elementary on Tuesday, April 14th.

The Pierce County Middle School Bears won the South Division title earlier this week. The Bears finished the season with 9 wins and 1 loss and will be the top seed from the Southeast Georgia Middle School Athletic Conference southern division.

The Championship Tournament will be held at Pierce County High School on Saturday, April 4th beginning at 10:00 a.m. Other teams playing have not been determined yet.

BEARVILLE — Aaron Palmer and Davis Townsend pitched back-to-back complete game shutouts as Martha Puckett of Jesup claimed the Southeast Georgia Middle School Athletic Conference baseball title here Saturday afternoon.
The Yellow Jackets (11-1) got a three-hitter from Palmer in an 8-0 win against Bacon Middle (8-3) in the semifinals. Townsend followed with a four-hitter against Pierce Middle (10-2) in an 8-0 win in the championship game.

For the Bears to reach the title game played at Pierce County High School, it took a miracle. PCMS trailed Appling County (8-3) 10-6 entering the bottom of the seventh.
A dramatic five-run rally was capped by a one-out, three-run walk-off homer by Vince Elliott for the 11-10 victory over the Rams. Elliott drove a 2-2 fastball over the left-center field wall for his second homer of the season.

Championship - Martha Puckett 8, PCMS 0
The Jackets scored the only run it would need in the opening inning and put the game away with five runs over the final two frames to capture the title.

Elliott, who won the first game for Pierce Middle with four innings of relief, allowed three runs over the first five innings before running out of gas.

A single and an error set up a sacrifice fly from Townsend for Martha Puckett’s first run. Palmer singled with one out in the third, stole second and scored on Delton Ognilla’s double. Townsend delivered a two-out single for the 3-0 lead.

In the sixth Townsend hit a two-run homer just inside the foul pole down the leftfield line off a tiring Elliott for a 5-0 cushion. The Yellow Jackets added three more runs in the seventh.

Meanwhile, Townsend allowed just two batters to reach second. He fanned seven, walked none and hit two batters in going the route.
Blake Aldridge had half the hits for Pierce Middle. Elliott and Colby Shane Smith added a hit each.

Semifinals - PCMS 11, Appling Middle 10
Pierce Middle let a 4-0 first inning lead evaporate into a 10-5 deficit before mounting the unbelievable comeback.

The Bears started the improbable rally against the fourth Appling Middle pitcher of the afternoon and trailing 10-6.

Colby Thornton drew a leadoff walk and moved to second on Jordan Woodard’s sacrifice bunt. Lane Dixon and Micah Larson (2-for-4) followed with back-to-back walks on 3-2 pitches to load the bases.

Aldridge (1-for-3) delivered a two-run single to cut the deficit in half. Elliott (1-for-2, three walks) fell behind in the count 0-2 and took two pitches for balls. After fouling off a pitch to stay alive, he took the sixth offering from Cole Simmons deep setting off a wild celebration at the plate.

The Bears scored four times in the first without the courtesy of a hit. Two errors and three consecutive walks helped PCMS.

Appling plated three in the top of the second followed by a run from Pierce Middle in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 5-3 after two.

The Rams chased PCMS starter Davis Lairsey in the fourth. The first four batters reached and would eventually score. Elliott was greeted with back-to-back hits before getting the final three batters.

Up 8-5 after the five-run uprising, Appling added two in the fifth to increase the margin to 10-5.

Pierce Middle loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth coming away with just one run and setting up the miracle rally.

Pierce County scored 11 runs over its final two at bats in hammering Dodge County here Friday night in non-region action, 12-2.
The win was the fifth in a row for the Bears and improved their season mark to 9-4 with a Region 2-AA tilt versus Benedictine in Savannah this afternoon. PCHS (6-1) was a half-game behind seventh-ranked Jeff Davis (7-1) in region play entering Friday night. The Cadets (4-10, 2-6) have dropped four of their last five games heading into today’s 1 p.m., start. The matchup was originally scheduled for Thursday.

“I’m glad we got this game in,” said PCHS head coach Greg Gay.
“Dodge County (8-3, 4-1) has a quality team that came in with just two losses. They are tied for first in their (Indians) region (3-AA) and there is some good baseball played in that region.”

Last night’s game didn’t come close to being cancelled despite over eight inches of rain falling in the area the past couple of days. “This field drains great,” Gay said. “The infield has a great surface and we could have played on it about noon. The outfield took some time and we had a bunch of dads that chipped in and helped us get it ready.”

Pierce would plate the first run when leadoff batter Ethan Parker (2- for-2, two runs) took the second pitch he saw in the home half of the first and hit an opposite field homer to left, his first of the year.
The routine flyball got up into the jet stream blowing out clearing the 320-foot sign by less than five feet.

The Indians tied the score in the second against starter Andrew Cuneo, who worked the first three innings, with a one-out double and an error in right on a diving attempt of a liner into the gap. They would take the lead in the third on a one-out single followed by a run-scoring double to the gap in left-center.

Meanwhile, Dodge County implemented “Johnny Wholestaff” to perfection. The Indians started a different pitcher in every inning keeping Pierce County at bay. It wasn’t until the fifth that the frequency of changes finally caught up with the Indians. The Bears roughed up three relievers in a five-run rally.

“It took a while for us to get going,” said Gay. “We were only seeing a pitcher for a couple of batters so it was hard to zero in on their release points. Our guys stuck to their game plans at the plate and got some quality at bats that resulted in us being able to score some runs.”
Cuneo drew a walk to start the fifth and moved to second when pinch- hitter John Walsh was hit with a one-out pitch. After Lucas Wrobel drew a walk to load the bases, Parker lined a ball towards short that hit Walsh in the foot for the second out of the inning.

Cuneo, who had scored on the play, was returned and Parker took first being credited with a hit. A balk three pitches later plated Cuneo with the tying run. Trey Thompson (2-for-3) walked to reload the bases and Mikey Grant (1-for-4) drove home a pair with a double giving PCHS the lead for good at 4-2. Following another walk to re-load the bases, Jayk Graham (1-for-2) doubled in the final runs of the inning.

The Bears put the game away in the sixth scoring six times against two pitchers. Freshman Drew Taylor’s two-run blast to straight-away center with just one out capped the scoring and gave PCHS a 10-run advantage.
Michael Walsh worked two effective innings to get the win. John Walsh threw the sixth.

“Andrew wasn’t going to work more than three innings,” Gay said.
“He has thrown a lot this week in the bullpen so that was about his limit. He hadn’t pitched in a game in a couple of weeks so I just wanted to get him some work.

“Michael came in and threw five pitches in the fourth to get three outs. He can’t break the speed limit throwing about 55 mph, but he throws strikes. And John Walsh comes in and does a good job for about the third game in a row.

“The other thing that was pleasing was the fact that we played better defensively after the second inning. We won’t win many games if we struggle in the field.”

SAVANNAH — Pierce County erupted for a school-record 15 runs in the fifth inning to win for the sixth straight time with an 18-4 Region 2- AA victory over Benedictine here Saturday afternoon.

PCHS (10-4, 7-1) trailed 4-3 entering the fifth against the Cadets (4-11, 2-7). The Bears sent 21 batters to the plate with the first 18 reaching base.

“They (Cadets) have a lot of talent,” said Bears’ head coach Greg Gay. “They have lost a lot of games by one or two runs to some good teams and were coming off a 5-4 loss to Long County Friday night.

“We just caught them on a day that also happened to be Prom Night. Once we started scoring in the fifth it just looked like they were ready to get it over with and put the tuxedoes on.” The first 18 batters combined for eight hits, including a homer by Ethan Parker (2-for-3), and 10 walks. For Parker it was his second homerun in as many games.

“We didn’t have a game plan at the plate early,” said Gay.
“Then we settled in and started hitting better pitches. Right now we’re on a tear hitting the baseball and I hope that continues over the second half of the season.”

Jayk Graham (2-for-2), who started and worked three-plus innings on the mound, helped his own cause in the second. He laced a one-out double and scored on Nate Gay’s two-out single. The Bears added a run in the third when Lucas Wrobel singled, moved to second on a passed ball and scored on Parker’s single. Graham’s run in the fourth upped the margin to 3-0.
After walking the first two batters in the bottom of the fourth, Graham gave way to David O’Neal. Benedictine’s Brian Parker greeted the left-hander with a “big fly” tying the score at 3-all.

The Cadets took advantage of walk to the next batter. After advancing the runner to second, Benedictine got a gift run. A throw to third on the attempted steal sailed into left and past the leftfielder on his rush to back up the play giving BC a 4-3 lead.

That set the stage for the incredible fifth. “Overall, for us to be 7-1 in region play and 10-4 right now,” said Gay, “with all the injuries we have had is really remarkable. I’m very pleased.

“We’re getting better defensively and we’re starting to swing the bats. My main concern over the second half of the season is to find some depth in the pitching staff.”

Three teams from Pierce County participated in the Saturday League held at the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department.

The Bandits played 3 games winning two of them and tying the third. Game 1 action ended in a 3 to 3 tie against the Lugnuts. Game 2 saw the Bandits win 2 to 1 against Red Sox. Game 3 ended in a win against Golden Isles Baseball 8 to 1.

The Pierce County Cubs defeated the Brantley Extreme in Game 1 by a score of 12-2. In Game 2, the Cubs won 16-11 against the Appling Explosion. Game 3 had the Cubs winning 9-0 against Yarddoggzz.

The Pierce Dirt Devils lost Game 1 by a score of 0-8 to the Brantley Extreme. The Dirt Devils lost Game 2 by a score of 2-5 to the Appling Explosion and also lost 3-11 to the Sandgnats in Game 3.

The starting time for the PCHS Varsity Bears vs the Long County Blue Tide has been changed from 6 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

As a reminder, look at the rest of this weeks schedules at the bottom of the Welcome Page and come out to support your Pierce County Bears.

CANEY BAY — Pierce County spotted host Brantley County a 1-0 first inning lead before rebounding for a 9-2 Region 2-AA victory here Friday night.

The Bears (11-6 overall, 8-2 region), ranked fifth in the latest Georgia Sports Writers Association poll, stopped a mini two-game skid finishing off the season sweep of Brantley (6-12, 4-6), which dropped its sixth straight game.

“It’s nice to get another region win,” said head coach Greg Gay, “against a big rival like Brantley County. They (Herons) are much improved from the past couple of seasons. They are scrappy and they play hard.”

David O’Neal got the win working the first four innings. He allowed two hits, an unearned run with nine strikeouts and two walks. He fanned eight of the final 11 batters he faced.

“David struggled early,” said Gay, “until he got used to the mound. We (coaches) had him on a pitch count and with the big lead we went ahead and got him out of there."

“John (Walsh) came in a pitched well in his two innings and Jayk (Graham) threw the best he has all year to finish up.”

The Herons plated their early run with a two-out error, a passed ball and a sinking liner to right that Tanner Clark turned into a hustling double getting under the tag at second.

Pierce took advantage of the wildness of Brantley left-hander Seth Hendrix to score six runs in the second. Hendrix issued four walks and allowed three hits in the frame.

Drew Taylor, Graham and Nate Gay drew consecutive walks to start the inning. Following a strikeout, pinch-hitter Jimmy Heatherly was issued a free pass bringing in the tying run.

Lucas Wrobel executed a perfect suicide squeeze to plate Graham giving PCHS the lead for good. Wrobel reached when no defender fielded the ball. Ethan Parker grounded out scoring Gay with Trey Thompson’s single scoring Heatherly and Lucas. Mikey Grant’s single chased home Thompson.

In the third Graham doubled and scored on Gay’s RBI single. A passed ball and wild pitch advanced Gay to third and he would score on an error. After O’Neal was hit by a pitch (one of three Bears hit on the night), Wrobel reached on another bunt single to load the bases. Parker drew a bases loaded walk for the final run.

“The backend of the lineup produced for us tonight,” said Gay. “We got great pitching and played pretty good defense. Offensively, we hit just enough to put up some runs.”

Brantley scored its final run in the bottom of the sixth. Gage Nettles doubled and Kelly Davis walked. Dustin Mallard hit into a fielder’s choice with the throw from second going wayward. Nettles scooted around third and crossed the plate when the throw home sailed wide.

Pierce County will host second-ranked Appling County (15-3, 8-2) Tuesday night in a rematch of a 3-0 Bears’ win earlier in the season. That was the first loss of the year for the Pirates, who were ranked first heading into the game. Both teams are tied for second in the region, one game behind Jeff Davis (11-4, 9-1).

Two teams from Pierce County were represented in Jeff Davis County at the recent SSAA Tournament today.

The 12-Under Pierce County Bear team proved victorious in taking the championship in their age division. The 8-Under Bears did not fare as well as they were only victorious in one of their three games throughout the day.

PIERCE COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL
BEAR ATHLETICS
www.pchsbears.com
4850 County Farm Road
Blackshear, Georgia 31516
Coach Mike Woodard, Athletic Director
mwoodard@pierce.k12.ga.us
(912) 449-2055 ext. 144
Fax (912) 449-2061

April 13, 2009

TO: Alvin Kicklighter, Patterson Recreation Department
Randy Bass, Blackshear/Pierce County Recreation Department
Volunteer Baseball Coaches

Thank You for the time, effort, energy and dedication you put into our community’s youth. Your leadership and knowledge is instrumental in the development of our student-athletes.

On Tuesday, April 21st, I would like to invite you and your team to be our guest at the Pierce County vs. Jeff Davis County baseball game at Pierce County High School’s Bear Field.

Youth baseball players and coaches will be admitted into the game FREE. Players and Coaches are asked to meet behind the Pierce County Dugout by 5:30 PM. Your team will take part in the pre-game activities and also take the field with the Bears for the playing of the National Anthem.
WE DO ASK THAT ALL BASEBALL PLAYERS WEAR THEIR UNIFORMS. No gloves or bats are needed.

Please e-mail (mwoodard@pierce.k12.ga.us) or fax (912-449-2061) your team’s roster with only the players and coaches who are to be admitted free by 3:00 pm on Monday, April 20th.

Again, Thank You for everything you do to promote athletics, sportsmanship, teamwork, discipline and FUN. I look forward to seeing you all at the game.

GO BEARS!!!


Mike Woodard, Athletic Director Greg Gay,Head Baseball Coach
Pierce County High School

Pierce County rebounded from a loss early in the week to finish with two straight wins as the baseball season starts down the homestretch. The 10th-ranked Bears (13-7 overall, 9-3 Region 2-AA) lost a heartbreaker to second-ranked Appling County at home last Tuesday night, 8-5. PCHS escaped with a 4-3 win over visiting Tattnall County on Friday night and finished with a come-from-behind 11-9 win over Aquinas of Augusta Saturday afternoon.

Pierce will host Region 2-AA co-leader and fifth-ranked Jeff Davis (12-6, 10-2) Tuesday night. The Yellow Jackets won the first game between the two schools, 8-7. Jeff Davis fell 4-2 to the Pirates Friday night giving Appling County the tie-breaker with the season sweep.

Bears 11, Aquinas 9
Pierce County overcame an 8-4 deficit in the fourth inning to get the win against an Irish squad that was playing its fourth game in less than 24 hours.

Aquinas played a Region 4-A doubleheader on Friday night against Twiggs County. The Irish faced off against Appling County on Saturday (14-3 loss) prior to meeting the Bears.

PCHS scored seven runs in a three-inning stretch to get the victory, it's second in a row. Will White worked three-plus innings in relief to get his first career victory and Lucas Wrobel got the final three outs for his first career save.

“Will came in and threw a lot of strikes early,” said head coach Greg Gay, “and then struggled in his third inning of work. Lucas is a well-liked kid so this was great for him.”

PCHS, which trailed 8-7 entering the fifth following a three-run rally in the bottom of the fourth, got a leadoff walk from Drew Taylor. After Wrobel (2-for-4) singled, Parker (1-for-3) hit into a fielder’s choice to get the lead runner. Trey Thompson (3-for-4) lined a run-scoring single to bring in Wrobel with Mikey Grant (1-for-2) getting hit by a pitch to load the bases. Jayk Graham (2-for-4) delivered a two-run single giving the Bears the lead for good at 10-8.

Both teams would score early in the game with two out rallies. Aquinas received back-to-back singles and an error after two outs in the top of the first to score against Graham, who worked the first three-plus innings.

PCHS retaliated in the bottom half of the inning. Grant lined a two- out single and moved the second when Graham reached after striking out. Nate Gay (1-for-3) singled home Grant and Graham scored on an error. Parker’s two-out walk in the bottom of the second started another two- run rally for the Bears and a 4-1 advantage. Thompson followed with a single and Grant walked to load the bases. Graham’s grounder to third was bobbled and thrown away allowing both Parker and Thompson to touch home.

The Irish tied the score in the third with a three-run outburst. Aquinas took the lead in the fourth, but not before chasing Graham with three consecutive walks to start the inning. Gay made the change with a 1-0 count to Sam Few, the cleanup hitter. White’s first offering landed just to the left of the centerfield sign for a grand slam and an 8-4 advantage.

The Bears would close the margin to 8-7 in the bottom half of the inning. Wrobel led off with a double and scored on Parker’s single. After a stolen base, Thompson delivered a RBI single. Following a groundout to advance Thompson, Graham ripped a run-scoring single pulling PCHS to within one.

Bears 4, Tattnall 3
A soft blooper off the bat of David O’Neal with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning scored the game-winning runs as the Bears finished off the season sweep. The hit also gave O’Neal the win in relief against the Region 2-AA Warriors. The senior left-hander worked the final three innings recording four strikeouts.

John Walsh got the start for Pierce County (12-7 overall, 9-3 region) and the two hurlers combined for a five-hitter. Walsh allowed three runs, two of which were earned, and fanned five over the first two innings.
“John pitched well,” said Gay. “He struggled in the third missing with location, but came back in the fourth and settled down. He did a really good job for us.”

Parker led off the bottom of the first for PCHS with a triple. He was awarded home when the relay throw to third sailed into the Bears’
dugout.

Tattnall, which had won two, tied the score in the top of the second.
PCHS recaptured the lead in the bottom half of the inning. Gay singled down the line at first and took second when the right fielder bobbled the ball. He advanced to third on a groundout and raced home when the throw from first sailed past the third baseman. Back-to-back run-scoring doubles in the third against Walsh gave the Battle Creek Warriors their first lead at 3-2.

Pierce would tie the score in the fourth. Brian Barefield drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a groundout and scored on Taylor’s RBI single.
In the sixth, Graham drew a walk and moved to second when Barefield was hit by a pitch. Gay sacrificed the runners up with Taylor walking to load the bases. Graham was thrown out at the plate while trying to score on a wild pitch. One out later O’Neal’s soft blooper over the mound fell out of the pitcher’s glove when he fell to the grass scoring pinch-runner Xavier McGauley from third.

Appling 8, Bears 5
Appling County pushed across five runs in the seventh inning overcoming a 5-3 deficit to beat Pierce County in a Top 10 battle Tuesday night.

O’Neal twirled a two-hitter through five innings on 65 pitches. Over the last 11 batters, though, he had to throw 49 pitches including 31 to get through the sixth. “His location was off throughout the game,” said Gay. “He got them (Pirates) to hit some pitches right at us early that kept his pitch count down. In the sixth they hit some good pitches that fell in for some bad breaks. “David just ran out of gas in the seventh.”

Down 5-3, leadoff batter Todd Hagen sparked the seventh inning rally taking the first pitch over the leftfield wall just inside the foul pole. From there, just like the rain that had fallen earlier, the bottom fell out. A couple of errors and some timely hits helped the Pirates plate four more runs and avenge a 3-0 setback earlier in the year when Appling was unbeaten and ranked first in Class AA.

Pierce County took advantage of the only miscues by the Pirates to take an early 3-0 lead with each of the first three batters swinging at the first pitch by Leggett. Parker (2-for-4) reached when his hard grounder to short that was bobbled. The throw on Thompson’s grounder to second to get the lead runner sailed into short left. Grant jumped on a hanging curveball hitting his third homer of the season to left-center.
The Pirates scored their initial run in the fourth. A run-scoring double by Zach Griffis closed the gap to 3-1.

PCHS added a run in the bottom of the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. Wrobel
(1-for-3) beat out an infield hit. Parker followed with a single in the hole at short on a hit-and-run. Thompson moved the runners up with a swinging bunt. After Grant was walked intentionally to load the bases, Taylor grounded to third with the infield in and the Pirates made the play at the plate for the second out. Graham (2-for-4) laced a single up the middle scoring Parker, but Grant was cut down at the plate on the relay throw home for the third out.

Appling scored two runs in the sixth to pull to within 4-3. A two-out bases loaded single did the damage. The bottom of the sixth got hairy. Gay walked and motored to third on Barefield’s single to left-center. Barefield was gunned down at second trying to stretch the hit into a double. Two batters later, Wrobel executed a safety squeeze. Wrobel collided with Powers, who was straddling first on the throw down from the catcher. Powers dropped the ball on the collision allowing Gay to score setting off an ensuing argument from the Pirates’ coaching staff.

The Varsity Scholar Athlete of the Week is John Walsh. John is a junior pitcher and has a 3.1 GPA and a 86% cumulative score. The Junior Varsity Scholar Athlete of the Week is Chastain Coleman. Chastain is a freshman firstbaseman and has a 4.00 GPA with a cumulative score of 96%.

Congratulations to these two athletes for their performance in the classroom as well as on the field.

April 15, 2009 - Varsity player was David O'Neal & Junior Varsity player was Michael D'Ambrosio
April 8, 2009 - Varsity player was Jayk Graham & Junior Varsity player was Will Lowman
March 24, 2009 - Varsity player was Trey Thompson & Junior Varsity player was Terry Carter
March 10, 2009 - Varsity player was Xavier McGauley & Junior Varsity Player was Nate Gay
March 3, 2009 - Varsity player was Lucas Wrobel & Junior Varsity player was Neal Hollis
February 24, 2009 - Varsity player was Brett DeLoach & Junior Varsity player was Brian Barefield

Tuesday night’s Recreation Night turned out special for the youngsters here in the local program.

The 10th-ranked Pierce County Bears (Georgia Sports Writers Association) scored all the runs they would need in the opening three frames to knock off fifth-ranked Jeff Davis in a big Region 2-AA showdown, 9-3. It was the fourth win in five games for PCHS (14-7 overall, 10-3 region). Jeff Davis (12-7, 10-3) has dropped three of its last four games including back-to-back region losses.

The two teams combined for three homers and 17 hits, 16 strikeouts and seven errors. The youth had several opportunities to see the keystone cops at work on what not to do. Pierce County received great production from the top four spots in the lineup. John Walsh and David O’Neal combined on a four-hitter against the Yellow Jackets.

Ethan Parker (2-for-4, RBI), Trey Thompson (1-for-4, RBI), Mikey Grant (3-for-4, double, homer, RBI) and Jayk Graham (3-for-3, double, homer, two RBI) combined to go 9-for-15. Grant hit his fourth homer of the season, a solo blast in the first, and Graham belted his first, a two-run shot to center, in the third.

“Jayk and Mikey really came through for us,” said assistant coach Brett Brooker. “Those two sparked us tonight. I thought the rest of the guys went up there and swung the bats the way we have the past two years. This was the way we (coaches) thought we would swing the bats all year.”

The Bears jumped on Jeff Davis ace Stephen Farris for two runs in the bottom of the first. Parker led off with a double and scored on Thompson’s RBI single. Following a pickoff, Farris surrendered the homer to Grant to left. Graham laced a double giving PCHS four consecutive hits to start the game, but he would be stranded leaving the score at 2-0.
Walsh, meanwhile, pitched the first two innings to get the win. He allowed a hit with a walk and a strikeout. O’Neal worked in long relief. The senior southpaw fanned nine and allowed three runs on three hits, with one run being earned.

“John did a good job in those first two innings,” said assistant coach Keith Mobley. “That allowed us to use David later and keep his pitch count down which was evident because he was strong at the end. “His curveball was devastating. It had a lot of bite on it and it’s just a nasty pitch.”

O'Neal came in to pitch the third inning and Skylar Clark hit a one-out solo homer off the scoreboard in the third inning to pull the Jackets to within 2-1. That would be as close as the score would be the rest of the night. A two-run homer by Graham with one out in the bottom of the third put the Bears up 4-1. They would add three more in the fourth.

Brian Barefield (1-for-3) started the inning with a single. O’Neal, after fouling off two pitches on bunt attempts, executed a fake bunt and swing to the hole between short and third. The shortstop’s throw to second was bobbled as Barefield slid in.

Farris tried to pick off courtesy runner Jimmy Heatherly at first and threw the ball down the right field line allowing both runners to move up 90 feet. Lucas Wrobel (1-for-2) lined a single to center over the drawn-in infield plating Barefield and Heatherly. Wrobel scooted to second on the throw to the plate and scored on Parker’s single to right-center for a 7-1 advantage.

The Pierce defense failed O’Neal in the fifth. A passed ball on a strikeout was followed by consecutive throwing errors. The first came on a grounder to third with Graham’s throw splitting the bag as the two middle infielders looked at each other. Parker, who was backing up the play in right, unleashed a throw that short-hopped Graham and bounded into the PCHS dugout.

With the lead runner scoring and the batter-runner taking third, a sacrifice fly from Clark pushed across the final Jeff Davis run. Pierce got the runs right back in the bottom of the inning against reliever Chase Cabaniss. Graham and Taylor greeted the right-hander with back-to-back singles. One out later the fun began for the Bears. A pop out to the catcher was followed by a soft liner just over first with the second baseman making a diving catch in foul territory for the second out. Both runners tagged on the play. The throw to third was late to Graham. The third baseman, in his haste, threw wildly to second to try and nail a lumbering Taylor. The ball went into short right allowing both runners to score the final runs of the night.

DARIEN — Pierce County secured a third consecutive Class AA playoff berth here Friday night with a 16-7 win over Region 2-AA foe McIntosh County. The Bears (15-7 overall, 11-3 region) remained in a tie for second with Jeff Davis (13-7, 11-3) and one game behind region leader Appling County (20-3, 12-2). Should PCHS (Charlton County, Benedictine) and the Yellow Jackets (Charlton County, Brantley County) win out, the Bears own the tie-breaker by virtue of splitting with the Pirates. Jeff Davis was lost twice to their next door neighbors.

Freshman Drew Taylor (3-for-4) led the 14-hit offensive outburst with a career-high two homers and four RBI. Codi Dixon, another freshman, added a career-high three RBI on one hit and classmate Nate Gay went 3-for-3 with two RBI. Eight different players had at least one hit for the Bears. Four PCHS pitchers combined on a six hitter. John Walsh worked the first two innings, David O’Neal got the win with three innings of work, Jayk Graham pitched the sixth and started the seventh and Will White came on to get the last three outs.

“Offensively, I thought we did a pretty good job in the later stages of the game,” said head coach Greg Gay. “We struggled after the first for a few innings and then made some adjustments later on. We also ran the bases very aggressively. “It was a sloppy defensive game on both sides. Our defense was poor and we did not pitch good. I think our kids were more worried about the swarming sand gnats than playing.”

Pierce scored five times in the first and was leading 7-5 entering the fifth when the Bears broke the game open. Graham’s two-run double and Ethan Parker’s (2-for-4) run-scoring double highlighted the first. Taylor’s RBI single in the third scored Parker, who had doubled. Trey Thompson doubled in the fourth and came around to score on an error.
MCA scored two in the first off Walsh and added two in the third and one in the fourth against O’Neal to pull to within 7-5.

Taylor led off the fifth with his second homer of the season. Dixon later delivered a two-run single to up the lead to 10-5. Grant’s homer in the sixth, his fourth of the year, was followed by a walk to Parker and Taylor’s second round-tripper of the night. Dixon drew a bases loaded walk forcing home a run and Jimmy Heatherly scored the final run on a foul pop behind third. Pierce’s final run came on a bases loaded walk to Lucas Wrobel in the seventh.

The Bears travel to Charlton County Tuesday night on Senior Night for the Indians.

Three teams from Pierce County were represented in the Peach State Diamond Sports’ Team Appreciation Tournament this past Saturday in Brunswick. Representing the 10 & under age division was the Pierce County Cubs, representing the 12 & under division and the 14 & under division were the Pierce County Bears.

The Cubs played a total of six games and winning four of them before being eliminated from the double elimination tournament. The Cubs defeated the Young Guns from Jesup in game one. The Cubs then lost game two to Glenville putting the Cubs in the loser’s bracket. The Cubs then defeated the Bobcats and Vidalia in games three and four before being eliminated in game five by the eventual tournament winners, the Straydogs.

The 12 & under boys finished second in their age division playing a total of six games throughout the day Saturday and finishing up at 3:00 a.m. on Sunday morning. Game one saw the Bears lose to the Seminoles putting the Bears in the loser’s bracket. The Bears fought back defeating Camden County, Vidalia and the Lightening before being defeated by the Spikes in the championship game.

The Junior Boys (14 & under)team went undeafeated in their bracket winning the tournament championship in their division finishing up at about 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning by defeating Liberty County.

PSDS Tournament Director Jerry Moore stated that "our (Pierce County teams) teams were all a class act and we really enjoyed having them. I was really impressed with the 10u group. I realize they finished 4th but that team has really improved. I believe that team is mostly 9U kids. The future is bright for the Bears."

Emmanuel Baptist Church will host a "Good News" baseball camp on Saturday, April 25th from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department and is open to ages 6-12. There is no cost to the camp. Participants are asked to bring a bat and glove but equipment will also be provided.

The event is sponsored by the church but members of the PCHS baseball team and youth and recreation coaches have volunteered to teach fundamentals of the game. Participants will be taught about team work and will have a short gospel message. Snacks and drinks will be provided.

For more information, call Will Higginson at 288-2234 or Brantley Crosby at 288-2253.

The Pierce County Athletic Boosters' Club will conduct its monthly business meeting on Monday, April 27th at 6:00 pm in the PCHS Gymnasium. Nominations and elections of officers for the next term will highlight the agenda for this meeting. All boosters, parents and supporters of PCHS and PCMS Athletics are encouraged to attend.

FOLKSTON — Pierce County scored three runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back in beating Region 2-AA foe Charlton County here Tuesday and spoiling Senior Night, 14-3.

The Bears (16-7 overall, 12-3 region) banged out 12 hits, all from the first six batters, and hit two homers in the five-inning contest. The top three batters were a combined 6-for-7 with 10 runs scored and five RBI. “Really, the first six batters hit the ball well,” said head coach Greg Gay. “They got all the hits and they came through with runners in scoring position.

“John (Walsh) and David (O’Neal) did a good job on the mound. Defensively, we made a couple of careless errors that we’ll address.”

Mikey Grant’s (2-for-3, three runs, three RBI) sixth homer of the season, a two-run blast, highlighted the three-run first. Trey Thompson (3-for-3, three runs, two RBI) also had a run-scoring single. Four consecutive run-scoring hits in the second produced a five-run second. Grant, Jayk Graham (2-for-4, three RBI), Ethan Parker (1-for-2) and Drew Taylor (3-for-3) had the RBI hits. Deloach delivered again in the third inning when the Bears plated two more runs to build a 10-2 advantage. His steal of second following a RBI single allowed Brett Deloach (1-for-1, four runs) to get a delayed steal of home for the second run.

Taylor led off the fourth inning with his fourth homer of the season and third in two games to push the margin to 11-2. Deloach scored again in the fifth from third when an errant throw on a pickoff attempt got away from the Charlton first baseman. Xavier McGauley, pinch-running for Thompson, scored a couple of wild pitches later and Graham delivered the final run with a run-scoring double.

Walsh and O’Neal combined on a two-hitter for the Bears.

PCHS travels to Hinesville on Thursday to face Liberty County and closes out the regular season against Benedictine on Friday with Senior Night at 6 p.m. A win over the Cadets clinches no worse than second-place in the region standings for the Bears and homefield in the opening round of the Class AA playoffs.

The PCHS Athletic Department will again sponsor Summer Sports Kids' Camps for our youth. A flyer has been uploaded to the "Handout" section of the website for you to download. For more information, please feel free to contact PCHS Athletic Director Mike Woodard at 449-2055, ext. 144 or by email at mwoodard@pierce.k12.ga.us.

Pierce County made short work of visiting Benedictine here Friday night in the regular season finale with a 15-0 Region 2-AA win. The victory for the Bears (18-7 overall, 13-3 region) secured homefield advantage in the opening round of the Class AA state tournament with their seventh straight win. PCHS, which won back-to- back region crowns in 2007-08, finished a game behind fifth-ranked Appling County this season.

“I am very pleased with this team,” said fourth-year head coach Greg Gay, “for what they have accomplished this year. With all the adversities and injuries and to play as many young kids as we have and have the record we have is pretty remarkable. “This team is so different from the past couple of seasons. We are younger and inexperienced, but they are fun to watch play. They will battle and scrap for everything.”

Five seniors have had their leadership roles put to the test this year and Friday night they were honored in pre-game ceremonies. This year’s senior class is led by Brett Deloach, David O’Neal, Mikey Grant, Lucas Wrobel and Michael Walsh. The five have helped lead PCHS to a 71-18 record the past three years after a 7-13 beginning their freshmen season. “This is the winningest senior class in school history,” said Gay. “In the last three years we’ve won two region championships and finished runnerup. It has been really fun watching them grow up. “To see where they came from to where they are now shows what a hard-working group of guys they are.” They really didn’t have to work to hard Friday night. A 12-run second inning after a three-run first did in the Cadets.

Pierce registered 10 hits in two innings, seven of which were extra bases. The Bears hit three doubles, two triples and two homers in 17 official trips to the plate. Deloach (three runs, double, grandslam homer), Trey Thompson (three runs, double), Jayk Graham (run, double, two-run homer) and Ethan Parker (two runs, two triples) all had multiple hit games. Codi Dixon, a courtesy runner, scored twice and had three steals in one inning including one of home. Parker had a straight steal of home as well and Wrobel, who was hit by a pitch and drew a walk, added two steals. PCHS recorded seven steals on the night.

“What a fun night,” said Gay. “It was just fitting for our seniors to play well. It’s unfortunate for them that we did not win another region title, but they get to play at home in the first round of the state tournament.” Pierce County will host Berrien High next Friday. Game 1 is set for 4:30 p.m., with Game 2 to follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener. The “if” game will be played Saturday.

“I would love for the community to come out and show some support for these kids,” said Gay. “Our crowds have not been as big as in the past couple of seasons and I honestly believe that is what pulled us through some tough playoff series the past couple of years. “This team needs all the support it can get as they strive for a state title.”

Three teams from Pierce County participated in tourney play this past weekend. The 8-Under boys played in a double round-robin against the Wayne Stingers and the Jeff Davis Stingers in Hazlehurst while the 14-Under age division was represented by Pierce 1 & Pierce 2 in Blackshear.

Pierce 1 started and ended the day early as they were defeated by Charlton County & the Sand Gnats before noon. Pierce 2 suffered their defeats later in the day after sunset by losing both of their games as well. The 8-Under Bears fared better as they defeated the Wayne Stingers twice before being swept by the Jeff Davis Stingers twice.

These teams as well as the 10-Under Cubs will be playing in the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department Spring League action on Saturday, May 9th so please come out to the recreation department on Ware Street and support these teams.

CONGRATULATIONS to Coaches Greg Gay, Brett Brooker, & Keith Mobley and the PCHS Baseball Team - 2009 Region 2AA Runner-Ups!!!!!!

PCHS will host Berrien County on Friday, May 8th at 4:30 pm in the first round of the State AA Playoffs. Game 2 will be held approximately 30-45 minutes after Game 1 on Friday. If a third game is necessary, it will be played on Saturday, May 9th at 2:00 pm.

Maddox Broadcasting (WWUF 97.7 FM) will broadcast the Bears throughout the State Playoffs. If anyone would like to help with radio sponsorships, please call Troy Maddox at 449-3391.

BEARVILLE — Senior left-hander David O’Neal pitched a complete game in the opener and tossed three innings of no-hit relief in the second game to lead Pierce County to a Class AA first round sweep here Friday of Berrien High. With O’Neal (10-2) getting the win in both games of the doubleheader with 7-2 and 6-4 decisions, PCHS (20-7) advances to play Bleckley County (15-12) in second round action next Wednesday. No game times have been released.

The Royals, a fourth-seed from Region 3-AA, upset Region 4-AA champion Howard in Macon. Bleckley swept the Huskies, who had won 16 of 17 to finish the season, by the scores of 10-0 and 6-5.

O’Neal threw 93 pitches in the opener allowing just three hits in the route going performance. He came back in the second game for another 45 pitches helping the Bears stretch their winning streak to nine games. “David did not have a lot of velocity in the first game,” said head coach Greg Gay, “but he pitched well and spotted his fastball. He told me he could go in the second game and after throwing some in the (bull)pen he wanted the ball. “This was the first time in my 12 years of coaching I’ve ever thrown a pitcher twice in one day. He just did a great job.” The southpaw fanned 16 and walked four during his 10-inning performance while lowering his ERA to 0.97.

“The second game was close,” said O’Neal, “so I went to throw to see if my arm was hurting. It felt fine and my velocity was better so I told coach (Gay) I wanted to finish.”

Game 1
PCHS took charge in the opener with a three-run first and added three more in the second to build a 6-0 lead. That was more than enough for O’Neal, who retired nine of the first 10 batters and didn’t allow a hit until a leadoff single in the fourth.

Mikey Grant, Jayk Graham and Ethan Parker led a 12-hit attack combining to go 8-for-10 with two homers and five RBI and five runs scored against starter and loser Michael Connell. Grant (3-for-4) singled home Brett Deloach (leadoff double, 1-for-4) for the first run. Parker (3-for-3, three RBI) hit the first of his two two-run homers on the day with a blast to right-center. The homer was his third of the season and came on a 3-2 curveball on the seventh pitch of the at bat.

“Mikey and Ethan played a big part of that first inning uprising,” said Gay. “They have done a good job at the plate all year and that was no different in the first game.” Grant and Graham led off the third with back-to-back singles. After a wild pitch moved the runners up, Parker delivered a single to left plating Grant. One out later, Brian Barefield (1-for-3) delivered a check swing single through a drawn in infield scoring both Graham and Parker for the 6-0 lead.

The Rebels scratched out a run in the fourth and had another potential run thrown out at the plate. Barefield’s throw from left to Grant, who then threw to the plate to Nate Gay nailed Larry Greene for the third out. Grant lined a 2-0 fastball over the leftfield wall leading off the fifth, his seventh of the year, to put the margin back at six at 7-1. Greene, a sophomore, took O’Neal deep in the sixth inning with a mammoth shot over the rightfield fence on a 1-2 fastball for the final run.

“That kid is impressive,” said Gay of Greene. “He’s a big-time prospect and he hit that ball a long way. We were trying to throw a fastball in on his hands and David just missed with his location.”

Game 2
The Bears had to battle back from an early deficit to complete the sweep. Berrien jumped out to a 2-0 lead after two innings against Graham scoring single runs in each frame. “Jayk did a good job out there,” Gay said, “but they (Rebels) hit the ball well. They didn’t quit. Berrien has a very fine club that’s going to be tough to beat next year.”

Lefty Tyler Count (complete game, 123 pitches) handcuffed PCHS for two innings before roughing him up with a three-run third.

Deloach (1-for-2) led off with a single between short and third. He stole second and moved to third on a one-out groundout by Grant.
Graham fisted an 0-2 pitch into right-center to cut the margin in half. Parker followed with his fourth homer of the season, riding a 1-0 fastball over the wall in center giving Pierce County a 3-2 advantage. “Ethan’s homer was a big boost for us,” said Gay, “because we were struggling. It really sparked us. “That left-hander (Count) had a little more velocity than what we expected. He had a great curve and kept the ball down in the strike zone.” The Bears plated a run in the fourth and had a runner thrown out at third and one at the plate. Lucas Wrobel, who reached on a fielder’s choice, stole second and tagged up on Deloach’s fly to right. The throw to third from the right fielder bounced past Greene allowing Wrobel to trot home for a 4-2 advantage.

Berrien, the home team in Game 2, tied the score in the bottom half of the frame. The Rebels forced Graham to throw 35 pitches in the inning before he was able to escape with runners on second and third.

It wasn’t until the seventh that the Bears were able to break the tie against a tiring Count. Grant (2-for-4) dropped a bloop single over the outstretched glove of the shortstop in short left to start the inning. Parker delivered a one-out single and both moved up on a wild pitch.
With the infield in, freshman Drew Taylor hit a shot to third. Codi Dixon, who was inserted as a pinch-runner for Grant, broke on contact and Greene’s throw to the plate short-hopped the catcher allowing Dixon to score. Parker never slowed down as he rounded third and scored standing up giving PCHS?a 6-4 lead.

O’Neal, after issuing a leadoff walk, fanned two in a row and got a fly to center for the final out with Greene on deck. “I’ve played ball with him the past couple of summers,” O’Neal said of Greene. “I knew he could hit and he just crushed that pitch in the first game. I knew he was on deck and I really didn’t care if I had had to face him again.”

The Bears swept the Berrien County Rebels in the first round of the GHSA AA playoffs. The Bears will host Bleckley County next Wednesday for a best two out of three series.

David O'Neal was the winning pitcher in both games as he went the distance pitching seven innings in game one and winning by a score of 7-2. In Game 2, David O'Neal relieved started Jayk Graham in the fourth inning 4-4 tie with the Bears winning by a score of 6-4.

The 7-8 year old Bears travelled to Brunswick today for a double header to defeat the Brunswick team by scores of 12-10 and 18-8.

Congratulations to the PCHS Baseball team and their 1st round win over Berrien County 7-2 and 6-4. The Bears will host Bleckley County in the 2nd Round of the State AA Playoffs on Wednesday, May 13th. Game 1 is at 4:30; Game 2 will follow at 7:15. If a 3rd game is necessary, it will be played Thursday at 5:00 pm. All games can be heard on WWUF 97.7 FM.

BEARVILLE — There is no joy in Bearville as Pierce County’s quest for a Class AA state title ended here last night. Bleckley County (17-12), the fourth seed from Region 3-AA, ousted the Bears (20-9) with a sweep in second round action by the scores of 5-3 and 2-1 in eight innings.

Game 1 was played in 2:20 while Game 2 took 3:07, which included a 15- minute delay when a breaker tripped shutting down the lights on the left side of the field. The winning run scored at 10:48 p.m.

BCHS will await the winner of Westminster and Banks County in the Elite Eight after the two teams split in Homer. Westminster won the opener 3-2 before dropping a 2-1 decision in the nightcap. Game 3 is this afternoon.

The Royals used a pair of aces to flush PCHS out of the playoffs. Tucker Darsey and Brennan Ethridge both went the distance for Bleckley County. Darsey, the staff ace, threw 131 pitches in the opener scattering nine hits with six strikeouts and two walks. Ethridge threw 127 pitches over his eight innings of work, allowing just five hits with five strikeouts and six walks.

“They (Royals) got some tremendous pitching tonight,” said PCHS head coach Greg Gay. “That was probably the two best pitchers we have faced all year. Darsey was tough in the first game and Ethridge was sneaky fast and hides the ball well.

“Bleckley County is the best fourth seed I’ve ever faced as a coach. They’re coming out of a tough region, so they are battle tested. “I wouldn’t be surprised to see them make a deep run in the playoffs ... maybe all the way to the championship round. They are one of the better clubs left.”

Pierce County outhit the Royals in Game 1, but the difference was the long ball. Bleckley County blasted three home runs against David O’Neal with two coming in the first inning. The Royals would finally chase the senior left-hander in the fifth inning with a 5-3 lead.

Meanwhile, PCHS had trouble putting hits together for a big inning.
The Bears left 11 runners on base and struggled with runners in scoring position going 1-for-8. “That’s horrible,” Gay responded after hearing his team left 11 runners on. “That’s something we haven’t done all year. We just didn’t string the hits together. We just weren’t in the game for whatever reason.”

Twice in the last three innings of the second game the Bears had runners on second and third and failed to push across the go-ahead run. Senior Brett Deloach launched a monsterous home run leading off the sixth to tie the score at 1-all. Not a single fielder for Bleckley County moved when the ball left the bat. Pierce stranded eight runners in Game 2 and was 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position.

“They (Royals) just made the plays,” said Gay. “They got great pitching and made the plays defensively.” The Royals scored the winning run in the second game off an infield hit. Chase Young’s sinking liner in the infield bounded just far enough away allowing Ashton Cody to score from second beating the throw to the plate and the diving tag attempt of catcher Nate Gay.

Game 1
Bleckley County’s three-run first inning silenced the home crowd, especially when two of the three hits in the frame left the yard.
After O’Neal fanned the first two batters on seven pitches, Chase Raffield (2-for-4) lifted a 1-1 pitch over the right-centerfield fence for a 1-0 lead. Young (3-for-3) singled and Ethridge (1-for-3) went deep the other way over the right-centerfield fence for a quick 3-0 advantage.

The Bears got one back in the bottom of the inning. Mikey Grant (1-for-3) and Jayk Graham (1-for-4) lined back-to-back two out hits. Ethan Parker’s (1-for-4) routine grounder to first took a bad hop over the shoulder of Bleckley’s first baseman allowing Grant to race home from second. Darsey escaped a bases loaded jam two batters later. Three consecutive one-out singles in the second by Lucas Wrobel (1- for-2), Deloach (1-for-4) and Trey Thompson (2-for-4) plated a run closing the margin to 3-2. The Bears could not register another hit.

O’Neal surrendered consecutive hits to start the third with a sacrifice fly by Young pushing the lead to 4-2.

Wrobel drew a leadoff walk to start the fourth, stole second and moved to third on Thompson’s one-out single. Grant executed a perfect suicide squeeze to score Wrobel as the Bears pulled to within 4-3.

A one-out solo homer on the first pitch to Young in the fifth proved to be the final run of the game. Michael Walsh relieved O’Neal and worked the final 2 1/3 innings giving up just two hits.

Darsey retired 11 of the final 14 batters and stranded runners on first and second in the seventh to get the win.

Game 2
In the nightcap, Graham matched Ethridge pitch-for-pitch for four innings with only difference being a leadoff homer in the second by Darsey. Graham allowed just three hits as he and O’Neal combined on a four- hitter. Graham fanned five and walked one with O’Neal working the final 3 1/3 innings allowing just one hit with seven strikeouts.

PCHS had a runner on third twice in the first four innings against Ethridge, but went 0-for-3 in trying to get the runner home. O’Neal’s return to the mound seemed to give PCHS some life. After Deloach’s homer on an 0-1 pitch to start the sixth, the Bears got runners to second and third with one out. A 1-5-2-5-1 (pitcher-to-third-to-catcher-to-third-to-pitcher) tag out on a ball hit back to the mound for the second out cooled the rally.

PCHS had runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh with Thompson at the plate. The runner on second broke for third on a wild pitch and had the base when he pulled up and decided to go back to second. A 2-5-4 rundown killed the inning.

The Bears had runners on second and third with two outs in the eighth and, as the night would have it, could not get the clutch hit setting the stage for the bottom of the eighth.

The 8-Under Pierce County Bears competed in the SSAA tournament held today at the Jeff Davis County Recreation Complex. The Bears tied with Coffee County for second place as the tourney was shortened by a rainstorm which flooded the complex making the fields unplayable. The Bears started the day off with a win over Bacon County by a score of 12 to 6, lost to Jeff Davis and was leading over Coffee County in the top of the third inning by a score of 5-3 with Bear runners on third and first with two outs when the tournament was called.

The 10-Under Pierce County Cubs defeated Team Zero to win the Peach State Diamond Sports tournament in Brunswick. The Cubs played Team Zero three times throughout the tourney with Pierce winning two of the three games. The kids played hard and remained in the winners bracket all the way. Team Zero actually defeated the Cubs in the championship game 24-7, but the had to beat Pierce twice since that was Pierce's first loss but Pierce prevailed and turned around to defeat Team Zero 13-0 to win the 10-Under Gold Championship.

The Patterson Recreation Department will hold its 1st Annual Rumble in the Pines Wheel Pitch Tournament on May 16th. There is a $150.00 entry fee with trophies and t-shirts to the winners.

For more information, call Alvin Kicklighter at (912) 288-2277 or Mitch Hall at (912)722-0466.

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Athletic Director Mike Woodard has announced that PCHS will recognize all spring sports' student athletes on Monday, May 18th in the gymnasium and everyone is invited to attend. A social with light refreshments will begin at 6:00 pm and the awards presentation will begin at 6:30 pm. A copy of the program for the evening's festivities is located in the "Handout" section of this website.

Patterson, Ga. (May 19, 2009) — The City of Patterson’s Recreation Department is once again seeking teams for its annual Spirit of Liberty Youth Softball and Baseball Tournament, to be held June 26-27 as part of the city’s annual Spirit of Liberty celebration. The tournament will begin on Friday afternoon at 6 p.m. with Saturday’s event getting underway at 9 a.m. and lasting all day.

Team and individual prizes will be awarded to first and second place teams. The entry fee is $150 per team and all entries must be received on or before June 24 at 7 p.m. To enter, contact Alvin Kicklighter at (912) 288-2277 or akick@bellsouth.net.

The tournament will host teams in the following divisions: boys eight and under (with pitching machine), boys 10 and under (with pitching machine), girls 10 and under (with pitching machine) and boys 12 and under (live pitch.)

The admission fee for the tournament is $2 for adults and $1 for students. All proceeds will benefit the Patterson Recreation Department’s youth programs.

“Last year we had teams from as far north as Atlanta participate in our tournament. We hope to attract even more teams from throughout Georgia and northeast Florida,” said Kicklighter. “This event is one of the department’s biggest fundraisers and it helps monetize our sports programs throughout the year for area children.”

The Spirit of Liberty Festival, which will be held at the Patterson Lion’s Park, will feature a fireworks display, live entertainment by Benny Anderson and The Drifters, The Blues Factor, the Orlando Outlaws Dance Team and the Country Kickers, along with the city’s famous annual barbecue dinner and activities for the entire family, including rides, talent shows and vendor displays.

For additional information on the Spirit of Liberty festival or the youth tournament, contact Wendy Kicklighter at Patterson City Hall, (912) 647-5776 or e-mail cityofpatt@accessatc.net

PCHS varsity baseball coach Greg Gay has announced the following players as award winners during the recent PCHS Spring Sports Banquet last week.

Awards from the banquet include:
Academic Award - Brett Deloach
Coach's Award - Michael Walsh
Best Hitting Award - Lucas Wrobel
Best Pitcher Award - David O'Neal
Best Hitter Award - Mikey Grant

Region 2-AA awards include:
Region Player of the Year - Mikey Grant
Region Pitcher of the Year - David O'Neal
1st Team All Region Player - Ethan Parker
2nd Team All Region 3rd Baseman - Jayk Graham

Honorable Mention:
Trey Thompson - DH
Lucas Wrobel - Outfielder
John Walsh - Pitcher

Also, Mikey and David have been selected to represent the southeast allstar team this weekend in Statesboro. Thier first game will be on Saturday, May 23rd at 8:00 p.m. at Mill Creek Park. Games will also be played on Sunday and Monday.

Freddy and the Lord stood by to observe a baseball game. The Lord's team was playing Satan's team.

The Lord's team was at bat, the score was tied zero to zero, and it was the bottom of the 9th inning with two outs. They continued to watch as a batter stepped up to the plate named 'Love.' Love swung at the first pitch and hit a single, because "Love never fails."

The next batter was named Faith, who also got a single because Faith works with Love.

The next batter up was named Godly Wisdom. Satan wound up and threw the first pitch. Godly Wisdom looked it over and let it pass: Ball one. Three more pitches and Godly Wisdom walked because he never swings at what Satan throws.

The bases were now loaded. The Lord then turned to Freddy and told him He was now going to bring in His star player. Up to the plate stepped Grace. Freddy said, "He sure doesn't look like much!"

Satan's whole team relaxed when they saw Grace. Thinking he had won the game, Satan wound up and fired his first pitch. To the shock of everyone, Grace hit the ball harder than anyone had ever seen! But Satan was not worried; his center fielder let very few get by. He went up for the ball, but it went right through his glove, hit him on the head and sent him crashing on the ground; the roaring crowds went wild as the ball continued over the fence . . . for a home run!

The Lord's team won! The Lord then asked Freddy if he knew why Love, Faith and Godly Wisdom could get on base but couldn't win the game. Freddy answered that he didn't know why.

The Lord explained, "If your love, faith and wisdom had won the game, you would think you had done it by yourself. Love, Faith and Wisdom will get you on base but only My Grace can get you Home: 'For by Grace you are saved, it is a gift of God; not of works, lest any man should boast."

Psalm 84:11, "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly."

The Pierce County Athletic Bosters' Club will conduct its monthly business meeting on Tuesday, June 9th at 7:00 pm in the PCHS Gymnasium. All interested parties are urged to attend.

The Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department 7&8 boys all-stars are playing the Jeff Davis all-stars for the District Championship today at the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department complex on Ware Street. Game time is set for high noon.

To get to the championship game, Pierce County has defeated the teams from Hendrix Park, Long County, Richmond Hill and Telfair County. Pierce had lost earlier in the week to Richmond Hill putting Pierce in the loser's bracket but Pierce beat Richmond Hill early yesterday to battle back. With Jeff Davis in the winner's bracket, Pierce had to defeat Jeff Davis yesterday afternoon to force a Game 2 and Pierce did that by winning 9-3.

Team members for the 7 & 8 all stars include: Mason Bennett, Bryce Bowen, Todd Carter, Austin Hodges, Austin Jernigan, Avery Jernigan, Parker Peagler, Matt Simmons, Walker Sinclair, Sergey Steedley, Andrew Walsh and Jordan White. The head coach is Brandon Jernigan and the assistant coaches are Jamie Hodges, Tony Walsh and Jason White.

Please go out and support these boys for the district championship today.

The Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department Junior Boys all-star baseball team finished second in the Georgia Recreation & Parks Association District 2 Class C tournament held at the Jeff Davis County Recreation Complex.

The district championship game pitted the Bears of Pierce County against the Yellow Jackets of Jeff Davis. Pierce won the coin toss and started the game as the home team. Jordan Handley was the starting pitcher for the Bears.

The Yellow Jackets batted first scoring two runs off of a homerun with two outs before Handley could get the fifth batter to ground out to Heath Highsmith playing second base for the Bears. Leading off for the Bears in the bottom of the first was Micah Larson who hit a solid double out to centerfield. Will Lowman batted second trying to bunt and was out at first but was successful in moving Larson over to third base when Cole Dowling came in and hit his first homerun of the night tying the game at two apiece. With one out for Pierce, Vince Elliott and Hunter Skipper both struck out to end the first inning of play.

Handley’s third pitch of the second inning was driven over the centerfield fence giving Jeff Davis the lead back. The next batter reached on a Pierce error when the third batter came up hitting a solid double to left field scoring another run. With no outs, Pierce Head Coach Wade Skipper then lifted Handley and turned the game over to Cole Dowling to finish.

Dowling gave up a double putting a Jeff Davis runner on second and third with no outs. Dowling’s second batter flew out to left field for the first out when the runner on third scoring on the fly ball. Dowling quickly stepped on the mound appealing the run and the home plate umpire called the Jeff Davis runner out for leaving the base early for the second out. Dowling walked the next batter before striking out the seventh batter to end the top half of the second. Trailing by a run, the Bears went down quietly in the bottom of the second on strikeouts by Highsmith and Jacob Woodard and a fly ball to left field by Davis Lairsey.

Jeff Davis again sent seven batters to the plate in the third inning scoring three more runs on four hits giving the Yellow Jackets a commanding eight to two lead. Pierce got things cranked up a little scoring four runs by sending ten batters to the plate in the bottom of the third inning. Handley struck out leading off the inning; Larson and Lowman were both walked when Dowling came up and hit his second homer of the night giving Dowling his fifth RBI of the night. Elliott was then hit by a pitch placing him on first for when Hunter Skipper drew a walk. During Highsmith’s at bat both Elliott and Skipper stole bases when the Jeff Davis catcher throwing the ball into left field allowing Elliott to score giving Pierce its sixth run of the game. Highsmith hit a single moving Skipper to third bringing Lairsey to plate who flew out to the third baseman. With two outs, Woodard came up to bat hitting a blooper loading the bases for Blake Aldridge pinch hitting for Handley. Aldridge struck out to end the inning.

Leading Pierce by two runs in the top of the fourth, Jeff Davis sent six batters to the plate scoring two more runs giving them a ten to six lead off of three hits and Dowling struck out the other three. Larson led off the Pierce half by getting hit in the foot earning a free trip to first base. Lowman hit a liner to left field for the first out. With a runner on first and Dowling at bat, the Yellow Jackets were not going to put anything over the plate so Dowling could drive it over the fence; instead, Dowling received outside pitches causing him to fly out to the right fielder for the second out. Elliott came up to bat striking out ending the inning and stranding Larson at first base.

With Dowling still pitching for the Bears in the top of the fifth, the Yellow Jackets sent four batters to the plate unsuccessfully scoring any runs giving the Bears some hope as that was the first time in this game the Yellow Jackets couldn’t score during an inning. However, the Bears also were unsuccessful in plating any runs in the bottom half as Skipper, Highsmith and Layne Dixon were shut down in their plate appearances.

With Dowling on a roll on the mound, he set the Yellow Jacket batters down with a fly ball to left field and two ground outs to Elliott at shortstop. The Bears came roaring back sending eight batters to the plate scoring three runs bring the score to ten to nine in favor of Jeff Davis.

The seventh and final inning was uneventful as both pitchers shut down their opponents giving Jeff Davis the win and District Championship.

Because Jeff Davis and Pierce were the top two teams, both of them have earned a trip to the GRPA state playoffs that begin July 8th in Baxley at the Appling County Recreation Department.

Recreation Director Randy Bass has announced that 3 teams representing the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department will be playing in tournaments across the state next week.

The Junior Boys (13 & 14 year olds) will be playing in Baxley next week starting Wednesday, July 8th.

The Mite Boys (9 & 10 year olds) will be playing in Blackshear starting next Thursday, July 9th. This is the first time that a GRPA state play-off tournament will be hosted in Blackshear.

The Flea Boys (7 & 8 year olds) will be playing in Sylvania next week starting Thursday, July 9th.

The coach and team rosters for the Junior Boys and Flea Boys is listed on the website. As soon as we can get a roster for the Mite Boys, it will be posted.

Keeping watching the website for details as to game times for each team and if at all possible, go out and support these players.

Playoff action for the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation all-star teams have begun.

The Junior Boys (13-14) started Pierce County off with a win yesterday (Wednesday) over Morgan County by a score of 10-5 in the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association State Baseball Championship Series. The Junior Boys play again today against Berrien County. The Junior Boys tournament is being hosted by the Appling County Recreation Department.

The Mite Boys (9-10) start their championship series today at 5:30 p.m. against Berrien County. The Mite Boys tournament is being hosted by the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department and Recreation Director Randy Bass asks that everyone come to the ballfield to support the local team.

The Flea Boys (7-8) begin their championship series today at 7 p.m. against Berrien County. The Flea Boys tournament is being hosted by the Screven County Recreation Department.

The Junior Boys (13-14) started the day off in Baxley by defeating the Berrien County All-stars by a score of 11-3. The Mite Boys (9-10) continued the winning streak by defeating Berrien County by a score of 12-4. The Flea Boys (7-8) however suffered a defeat at the hands of Berrien by a score of 8-4.

The Junior Boys play again Friday morning in Baxley against Glennville at 10 a.m. The Mite Boys play Friday in Blackshear against Jeff Davis at 12:45 p.m. The Flea Boys play in Sylvania against the loser of the Dodge County vs Trion game at 11:15 a.m.

The season for the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department all-stars have come to an end.

The Junior Boys (13-14) and Flea Boys (7-8) were eliminated in their tournament rounds yesterday in Baxley and Sylvania.

The Mite Boys (9-10) however made it the the championship game. The Mite Boys suffered a defeat to the Jeff Davis all-stars yesterday (Friday) forcing Pierce County to come through the loser's bracket which they successfully did.

Pierce soundly defeated the Appling County all-stars Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m. by a score of 20-5 to set up the championship game between Pierce and Jeff Davis. Pierce led the early part of the game but it was not meant to be as the ever tough Jeff Davis squad defeated Pierce County to win the GRPA Class "C" state championship by a score of 11-7.

The Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department Mite Boys (9-10) all-stars defeated the Appling County all-stars this morning by a score of 20-5 to advance to the Championship Game vs Jeff Davis. Game time is at 11:30 a.m. Recreation Director Randy Bass asks that everyone come to the ball field in Blackshear and support our local team.

PCHS Athletic Director Mike Woodard has announced that the Pierce County Athletic Boosters' Club will conduct its monthly business meeting Tuesday, July 14th at 7:00 pm in the PCHS Cafeteria. The Board of Directors and Officers will meet prior to the meeting at 6:30 pm.

The Ware County Recreation Department has announced it Fall Baseball League. Team sign ups (no individuals) are throughout the month of August. Games will be played every other Saturday from September through November with a tournament at the end.

The ages of the players must be between 7 & 17 and players cannot turn 18 prior to May 1, 2010. The registration fee is $350.00.

The coaches meeting is on August 17th @ 7:00 p.m. at the Ware County Recreation Department located at 1507 Grove Avenue. For more information, call 287-4488.

Pierce County Baseball's 8-Under team dominated the rain-shortened SSAA Invitational held today at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross.

The boys won the opening game of the day by defeating Wheeler County by a score of 9-4. Pierce had led the game 4-0 until Wheeler tied it up in the bottom of the sixth inning. Pierce battled back in the top of the seventh by putting 5 runs on the board re-taking the lead and then held Wheeler County scoreless in the bottom half giving Pierce the win.

Playing back to back games, Pierce then played the Black Creek Warriors from Pembroke. Black Creek won the coin toss allowing them to be the home team and forcing Pierce to be the visiting team and batting first.

Pierce opened up a 4 run lead in the first, an 11-1 lead in the second and then ended the game early in the third inning by scoring three more and holding Black Creek scoreless giving Pierce the win by a score of 14-1.

Wheeler County was defeating Black Creek by a score of 11-7 when the rains came down ending the tournament giving Pierce the championship trophy due to being the only undefeated team.

Playing for Pierce was Mason Bennett, Nathan Carter, Todd Carter, Zane Goble, Austin Jernigan, Avery Jernigan, Walker Sinclair, Seth Taylor, Andrew Walsh and Jordan White.

Coaches were Ray Goble, Brandon Jernigan and Tony Walsh.

The 8-Under Pierce County boys will play in the SSAA Invitational on Saturday, August 1, 2009 at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross. Pierce's first game will be against Bacon County at 10:00 a.m. Other teams in the tournament include Pembroke and Wheeler County.

A called meeting of the Pierce County Athletic Boosters' Club will be held Tuesday, August 18th at 6:00 pm at PCHS. All Executive Officers and Board of Directors are urged to attend.

The Pierce County Athletic Boosters' Club will conduct its monthly business meeting on Tuesday, September 8th at 7:00 pm in the PCHS Cafeteria. All booster members, parents, and interested parties should attend.

ATHENS-----The University of Georgia baseball team is conducting fall practice. Along with the workouts, the team will have had 12 scrimmages before starting the Dogs-Pups series. Georgia head coach David Perno said he likes the competitive mentality and concentration he has seen in practice thus far, but the Bulldogs still have a ways to go.

“The good news is that we’re healthy for the most part compared to last year when Rich Poythress and Michael Demperio were out and it was tough to get a read on the squad,” said Perno. “The bad news is our inexperience shows on a regular basis. The last couple of years we’ve had a lot of veterans, and this year we’ve got a lot of young guys out there. We’ve got a lot of pitchers on the fall roster and part of that is because we like to play around 27 games, and I like the competition on the pitching staff. Some of our older guys are not throwing that well right now while some of the younger guys are making a move.”

The 2010 Georgia squad likely will count on as many as eight freshmen regularly. These newcomers include infielder Kyle Farmer (Marist, Atlanta, Ga.), outfielder Zach Taylor (Statesboro HS, Statesboro, Ga.), catcher Brett DeLoach (Pierce County HS, Blackshear, Ga.) and infielder Chance Veazey (Tift County HS, Tifton, Ga.) along with right-handed pitchers Malcolm Clapsaddle (Oviedo HS, Oviedo, Fla.) and Cooper Mosley (Success Unlimited Academy, Montgomery, Ala.) plus left-handers Blake Dieterich (West Orange HS, Winter Garden, Fla.) and Patrick Boling (Cartersville HS, Cartersville, Ga.).

Two more talented pitchers are sidelined with injuries. Freshman left-hander Alex Wood (Ardey Kell HS, Charlotte, N.C.) will miss the 2010 season due to elbow surgery that he underwent in June. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs are hopeful that junior right-hander Ben Cornwell (Georgia Perimeter College, Atlanta, Ga.) can begin throwing on the mound by December and be ready by February. Cornwell is coming back from elbow surgery performed last spring.

One thing that is apparent from the early scrimmages is the 2010 Bulldogs will have a different offensive approach. A majority of the pieces of the power-hitting teams of the past two seasons are now playing professional baseball. Georgia combined to hit 205 home runs during this stretch including blasting a school record 109 last year. In 2008, the Bulldogs advanced to the College World Series Finals with a 45-25-1 mark, and in 2009, they posted a 38-24 record including a 2-2 showing at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional.

“We didn’t really bunt or steal a lot of bases the last few years because we could outslug teams,” said Perno. “This team is going to be more athletic and should do more on the bases, we’ll play more little ball. On one hand, you look at our offense and say it’s tough because we lost around 80 home runs from the 2009 team but the good news is we lost about 400 strikeouts too. It’s a trade-off, this team should be able to work more pitch counts and hopefully steal twice as many bases as last year.”

Further evidence that points to a youthful bunch around the diamond this coming season is the fact that Georgia’s top returning position players are all sophomores. Two of these six Bulldogs were regulars in 2009: infielder Colby May (.339 BA, 11 HR, 42 RBI) started all 62 games while infielder Levi Hyams (.263-5-24) made 56 starts. The other four “veterans” Georgia will be counting on more include outfielders Zach Cone (.323-4-18), Peter Verdin (.316-2-8) and Jonathan Taylor (.309-0-10, 23 SB) plus outfielder/first baseman Chase Davidson (.231-3-19). Taylor and Davidson made 31 starts apiece last year while Verdin started 26 games and Cone 20.

“Peter, Zach, J.T. and Chase were not full-time starters for us last season like Colby and Levi, but we’ll be counting all of them to make great strides this year,” said Perno. “Experience definitely helps, and we’re looking for them to have a strong finish. In high school you play 25 to 30 games in a season and that’s doubled when you get to college so you see guys hit a wall sometimes in their first season.”

The Pierce County Outlaws fall baseball team won their final two games of the fall schedule by defeating Citizens Christian Academy (CCA) from Douglas and winning the second regularly scheduled game of the day by forfeit as the South Georgia Panthers cancelled out.

The Outlaws won the coin toss choosing to be the home team and batting last. Taking the mound for Pierce County was Will White. CCA sent six batters to the plate scoring two runs on two walks, a hit and three strikeouts by White. With the CCA pitcher struggling to find the strike zone, the Outlaws batted around the line up sending 13 batters to the plate scoring eight runs. Getting hits were Cole Dowling, Ethan Parker (2 hits), Tim Huff and White. Getting walks were Neal Hollis, Dave Madray, Brandon Aldridge and Dowling. John Walsh was hit by the CCA pitcher getting a trip to first base. Getting RBI’s were Madray, Huff (2), White (2), Dowling, Hollis and Parker.

White again took the mound in the second inning seeing only three batters and getting two strikeouts. With the CCA pitcher still struggling and trailing by a score of 8-2, the Outlaws sent eight batters to the plate again only scoring two runs being conservative by not running up the score. Getting hits were Huff and Walsh while Dowling reached first on an error by the CCA third baseman. Getting walks were White and Matthew Aldridge with Aldridge getting an RBI as the bases were loaded when he walked.

White again took the mound for the top of the third getting a strikeout and then giving up two walks before being replaced by Dowling as the Outlaw pitcher. With one out and runners on first and second, Dowling got a strikeout and then got the CCA batter to line out to White at shortstop to end the inning. With time running out, Pierce again took to the plate sending three batters before the umpires called the game. Madray was hit by a pitch, Huff drove one to deep left field but was caught and Walsh was walked again as time ran out on the clock ending the game.

The Outlaws finished second in the fall league behind the AAAAA Camden County Wildcats and will play in a single elimination tournament tournament at Trembling Earth in Waycross on Saturday, November 7th. Stay tuned to this website for tournament bracket and game time announcement.

The Ware County Recreation Department has scheduled it's fall season tournament for November 7, 2009 at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross.

Pierce County's first game is at 12:00 p.m. against Lanier County. Pierce County defeated Lanier County earlier in the season by a score of 12-3.

Randy “Ernest T.” Bass, age 44, of Blackshear, died Thursday, December 10, 2009 at Hospice of the Golden Isles in Brunswick.

The Appling Co. native was born July 12, 1965 to the late William R. “Dub” Bass and the late Eucu Lee Smith Bass and lived in Hazlehurst most of his life but had lived in Blackshear for the past year. He was a member of the Hazlehurst Church of God and was the Recreation Director in Pierce County. He was very active as an umpire and refereed throughout the State of Georgia and was a member of the GHSA.

Survivors include his wife, Mariann Bass of Blackshear; sons, Brad Collins of Blackshear and Jonathan Collins of Whidbey Island Naval Station in Oak Harbor, WA; sisters, Diana Leggett, Martha Feller, Marie Davis all of Hazlehurst and Connie Dixon of Ladson, SC; and several nieces & nephews.

Visitation will be Saturday, Dec. 12th from 6 to 8pm at Wainright-Parlor Funeral Home.

Funeral services will be held Sunday, December 13th at 3:00pm from the Hazlehurst Church of God with Rev. David Deen, Rev. Nathan Smith, & Rev. Virginia Herrington officiating. Interment will follow in the Satilla Free Will Baptist Church Cemetery.

Mr. Bass will be taken to the church to lie in state one hour prior to the funeral service.

Active pallbearers will be Hugh Thompson, Randy Smith, Jerry Boatright, Randy Dixon, Roy Waters, Scott Teston, Loran Tuten, Mike Lynn, Scottie Graham, Wilton McCall, Wayne Murphy, & Jeremy Smith.

Honorary pallbearers will be All Past & Present Employees of the Recreation Departments of all surrounding counties, Members of GHSA, and all former teammates.

A memorial service will be held Monday, December 14th at 11:00 AM from First Baptist Church of Blackshear with Rev. Ricky Baldwin and Rev. Bill Young officiating.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of the Golden Isles (1692 Glynco Pkwy Brunswick, GA 31525) or The Randy Bass Benefit Fund (c/o The Heritage Bank 228 Main St. Blackshear, GA 31516).

The family will assemble at the home of Edward & Diana Leggett, 111 Jefferson St. Hazlehurst.

Funeral arrangements for Randy “Ernest T.” Bass, age 44, are under the direction of Wainright-Parlor Funeral Home of Hazlehurst.

The 2010 roster and schedule for both PCHS Varsity & Junior Varsity Bears is posted on the website. It can be viewed by clicking the schedule tab at the left side of this page or scrolling down this page to review both schedules together.

Full team practices are scheduled to start on February 1st.

Five youth baseball teams started their practice this past week. Randy King will be coaching the 12 & Under Blackshear Bandits; Loren Tuten will be coaching the 10 & Under Pierce County Cubs; Jason White & Ray Goble will be coaching the 10 & Under Pierce County Bears; Tony Walsh & Jamie Hodges will be coaching the 8 & Under Pierce County Bears and Scott Ruger will be coaching the 8 & Under Timber Rattlers.

Stay tuned to this website for future updates and game schedules for these teams.

Jerry Moore from Peach State Diamond Sports announces another first for PSDS as we will be offering a spring Recreation level league in partnership with the Pierce County Recreation Department. For more information, Jerry can be contacted at (912) 230-6034 or by visiting psdstournaments.com. The series of games will start on February 27th continuing until May 14th.

The 10 & Under Pierce County Bears and Pierce County Cubs along with the 8 & Under Pierce County Bears have already entered along with teams from Alma, Brunswick, Douglas, Folkston, Jesup and Waycross.

The will be a Pierce County Bear Booster Club meeting for all members at 7 p.m. Tuesday, February 2, at Pierce County High School.

Final preparations for the 2010 baseball season begin Friday as Georgia resumes practice at Foley Field. The Bulldogs check in at No. 22 in the Baseball America Preseason Top 25 poll while Georgia is No. 31 in Collegiate Baseball newspaper’s Fabulous 40 preseason poll.

The 2010 college baseball season kicks off on Feb. 19. The Bulldogs will be in Waco, Texas at the QTI Apparel Opening Weekend Classic. Georgia will face host Baylor at 6 p.m. The Bulldogs will play four games in Waco that weekend, two against the Bears and two against Duke.

Here now is a season preview on the 2010 Bulldogs:

Armed And Ready

It starts on the hill, and that’s one place the Bulldogs have an assortment of veterans. Georgia’s starting nine in 2010 will be a collection of freshmen and sophomores, but most games there will be a seasoned Bulldog on the mound.

Georgia returns 19 lettermen this season including 10 pitchers off the 2009 squad that finished the year at the NCAA Tallahassee Regional with a 38-24 record. The team was ranked as high as No. 1 during the year and wound up No. 24 in the final ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.

“We have excellent pitching depth, I feel very good about our defense as a whole and our lineup has a good balance,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “We won’t have the power like last year, but we won’t have all the strikeouts either.”

In 2009, Georgia set school records with 109 home runs and 522 strikeouts. Eighty-four of those home runs are gone along with 341 strikeouts. Georgia’s 2010 probable lineup includes six sophomores and three freshmen.

“Being young is somewhat overrated because we’re not that young,” said Perno. “The six sophomores played their roles in 2009, got experience and some confidence and now will have much bigger roles in 2010. We’re not starting from scratch. They understand they’re going to be everyday players now. It may take a little time, but I like the way our lineup shapes up.”

VETERAN PITCHING

Georgia’s 2010 rotation features a trio of right-handers in junior Justin Grimm, senior Jeff Walters and sophomore Michael Palazzone. Grimm is a potential first round draft pick after an impressive end to his sophomore season and summer in the Cape Cod League against the nation’s top talent. Walters has been drafted four times in his career, including by Baltimore in the 17th round in 2009. Palazzone, an 18th-round pick by Atlanta coming out of high school in 2008, is draft-eligible too this year.

“Justin was our best guy towards the end of the season and performed well in the postseason,” said Bulldog pitching coach Brady Wiederhold. “Jeff had an outstanding fall to earn a starting role and Michael has continued to develop in to a stronger, more durable pitcher. Jeff and Michael are ready to be starters.”

Georgia’s midweek starters look to be sophomore Chase Hawkins (LHP) along with freshmen Blake Dieterich (LHP) and Malcolm Clapsaddle (RHP). The middle to long relievers expected to see a majority of the action are seniors Justin Earls (LHP) and Steve Esmonde (RHP) along with newcomers Patrick Boling (LHP), Eric Swegman (RHP) and Ben Cornwell (RHP).

Georgia has a trio of options to close out games this year in senior Alex McRee (LHP), sophomore Cecil Tanner (RHP) and freshman Cooper Moseley (RHP). McRee looks to regain the top form he displayed in 2008 when he went 7-1 after fighting mononucleosis last year and ended up 4-4. Tanner was impressive this past fall, touching 99 miles per hour in several scrimmages. Moseley is a future closer who likely will be in a setup role in his first season.

“We kept a few pitchers who were drafted among our veterans and newcomers, and that gives us a nice staff that showed in the fall the ability to blend together,” Wiederhold added. “We expect the seniors to lead this staff and our newcomers to be able to contribute immediately to complete a talented group.”

YOUTHFUL LINEUP

Georgia’s infield will be headlined by third baseman Colby May who earned Freshman All-America honors last year after hitting .339-11-42. He is a part of the super six sophomores that are the nucleus of the lineup. With the arrival of freshman shortstop Kyle Farmer, sophomore Levi Hyams slides over to second base this year and sophomore Chase Davidson becomes the top option at first base.

Redshirt freshman Kevin Ruiz will provide depth at the corner infield spots and see time as the designated hitter. Also, freshman Robert Shipman and junior Robbie O'Bryan will get action at first base and freshmen Todd Hankins and Moseley should see time at second base.

At catcher, Georgia likely will platoon freshman Brett DeLoach and sophomores Christian Glisson and Carson Schilling to begin the year. All three are capable receivers with DeLoach providing the best offensive potential and Glisson giving the Bulldogs another left-handed hitter in the lineup.

Georgia should have one of the best outfields in the Southeastern Conference, and it consists of sophomores Johnathan Taylor (LF), Zach Cone (CF) and Peter Verdin (RF).

“Our outfield has a chance to be the best we’ve ever had because of their athleticism and ability to cover ground,” said Perno.

Freshman Zach Taylor, sophomore Lance Martin and Ruiz round out this talented group who will see action in 2010.

The PCHS baseball team began practice this week as the Bears look to make a 4th consecutive state play-off run. Pierce is coming off a 2009 season where they finished with a 20-9 record while finishing behind the Pirates of Appling County as region runner-ups. Last season the Bears failed to finish in the top 10 in the state’s final ranking, for the 1st time in 3 seasons after receiving a #3 final ranking in 2008 and a #7 ranking in 2007. Last year the Bears lost in round two of the state play-offs in extra innings to a veteran heavy Bleckley County Team.

The 2010 season escorts in a new era for Pierce County Baseball. Senior Trey Thompson is the only returning player who was a part of the back-to-back region titles. Players such as Brett Deloach, Mikey Grant, David O’Neal, Michael Walsh, and Lucas Wrobel will be greatly missed from last years roster. “The ’08 & ’09 graduates really left their mark on this program. Over the span off 3 years they won 73 games and put this program on the map state-wide,” said Head Coach Greg Gay. Gay added, “their talent and leadership are going to be missed and will be hard to replace. The only player still with us off those teams is Trey Thompson. So it’s time for this group of kids to leave their mark.”

However, with a wealth of talent returning the future may not be as bad as Coach Gay may make it sound. The Bears return six spots in the batting order led by seniors Trey Thompson and Ethan Parker. Thompson comes off consecutive seasons hitting at or above the .400 mark with a .482 on base percentage while Parker finished last season with a .375 batting average, earning a 1st team all-region honor as an outfielder. Junior Jayk Graham also made an impact with the Bears during his sophomore campaign batting .358 in the five hole. Several sophmores gained valuable experience starting as freshman last season led by Drew Taylor who belted 4 HR’s and batted .290, while playing several different positions in the infield. Nate Gay anchored the duties behind the plate, batting .315 in 24 games. Brian Barefield contributed significantly posting a .250 batting average in the play-offs while starting most of the season in left field. Codi Dixon also played a valuable role seeing significant playing as a starter and a role player in the middle infield. “We ended up playing more freshman then we wanted too last year. Looking back it was really remarkable with how much poise they played”, said Coach Gay.

With the end of the ’09 season we also saw the end of a brilliant high school pitching career in David O’Neal. David caped off the season with a 1.31 ERA and being named the 2-AA pitcher of the year. This years staff will be led by Graham and Senior John Walsh. Graham pitched 42 innings last year with a 3 & 0 record and an ERA of 3.05. Walsh pitched 32 innings with a 2 & 2 record with a 3.54 ERA. “Jayk and John will have to carry the load for us this season. Our pitching staff is young and honestly not real deep. If we don’t get better in a hurry we’re going to have to outscore people,” said Gay. Others that will hopefully contribute are Parker who had success this fall pitching and sophmores Will White and Will Lowman who saw a few innings last year. Top new comer, Cole Dowling, should play a pivotal role on the mound for us. “Cole is a talented freshman. He’s got a great arm and is going to help us several places to include the mound,” said Gay.

Others who should have an impact on the season include junior Xavier McGauley who saw playing time in the outfield and sophomore Holt Rowland who is being counted on to play 1st base and hit in the middle of the order. Junior Matthew Aldridge and senior Jimmy Heatherly should also battle for playing time.

Once again the Bears will compete in a tough Region 2-AA that include perennial powers Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets and Appling County Pirates. Jeff Davis returns all but two starters off a team that finished a close 3rd in the region final standings last year. Appling also returns most of their key starters from last years region championship team. “It is going to be difficult to win a region title. It is every year. Jeff Davis and Appling have great programs but we’ll work hard, go and compete and see what happens in the end,” Said Gay. Upcoming programs such as Tattnall, Long and McIntosh Counties will also present a challenge. Charlton County, Brantley County, and Benedictine of Savannah also capable of beating anyone on a given day.

When asked what has been a major contributor to the program’s success the last three years Gay responded, “Three things. One, great talent. We have been fortunate to have good players that have come through a quality feeder system at the recreation department and through our middle school baseball program. These guys have been successful coming up through every level because of time and commitment from their parents and Coach Lanier’s program at the middle school. Second, I have two great assistant coaches. This will be the fourth season that Brett Brooker, Keith Mobley, and I have coached together. These guys are very knowledgeable about the game, have earned the respect of the kids, and play an important role in the decision making process of the program. More importantly they are good people and it is great to have them influencing these kids. Lastly, we have great community support. One of the reasons our kids work hard is they want to make our community proud. Over the last few years the community has rewarded them for it. When we’re on the road playing, it is not uncommon for us to have more fans at the game than our opponents.”

Pierce will scrimmage Berrien County on February 15th at 2:00 in Nashville and opens the season hosting Ware County on February 23rd.

The 8 & Under Pierce County Bears and Timber Rattlers will travel to Jesup on Saturday, February 6th to play in the Jesup Jamboree at the Wayne County Recreation Department.

Other teams in the tourney include the Wayne County Stingers and Jeff Davis County Stingers. Each team will play a minimum of four games to decide who plays in the championship.

The Pierce County Recreation Department is currently registering for:

TeeBall age 5-6 (age 5 by Dec 31, 2010)
Baseball ages 7-14 (7/8, 9/10, 11/12, 13/14)
Softball ages 7-14 (same as BB)
**ages 11-14 live pitch

The registration deadline has been extended and the office hours are 9-5, Mon-Fri. You may request a registration form via email at recreation@piercecountyga.org (must have Microsoft Word to open) or call 449-4791.

Evaluations for the 7 & 8 year old boys will be on Tuesday, March 9th @ 5 pm.
Evaluations for the 9 & 10 year old boys will be on Tuesday, March 9th @ 5 pm.
Evaluations for the 11 & 12 year old boys will be on Tuesday March 11th @ 5 pm.
All girls softball evaulations will be on Thursday, March 4th @ 5 pm.

Also, don't forget to register for the Good News Baseball Camp, additional information is listed below.

Emmanuel Baptist Church along with the Pierce County Recreation Department will be holding the 2nd Annual Good News Baseball Camp on Saturday, March 20th from 9:00 a.m. until 12 noon. The camp will be for boys and girls from 6 - 12 years of age with any skill level. The campers will need a glove and bat but extra equipment will be available for those that don't have any. A snack and drink will also be provided.

Kids will have fun learning the fundamentals of the game of baseball from volunteers of our very own PCHS Bears baseball team, local coaches and Recreation Department.

Kids will also be taught about the concept of TEAM in which a short gospel presentation of the Good News of Jesus Christ will be shared.

For more information, please contact Jordan Sasser at 449-4791 or by email at the Pierce County Recreation Department.

Friday, February 26th was not a good night to be playing baseball against the Pierce County Bears. The afternoon started by the Middle School Bears defeating the Red Raiders of Bacon County by a score of 13-4. The 8 & Under Bears then defeated the Jeff Davis County Stingers and the Wayne County Stingers by scores of 9-8 and 14-4. The Varsity Bears ended the night by defeating the Liberty County Panthers by a score of 9-4.

The 12 & Under Blackshear Bandits play in Douglas, the PCHS Junior Varsity plays a double header in Appling and both the 10 & Under Bears and Cubs play in Blackshear so there is plenty of baseball to go watch and support on Saturday.

Go Bears!

BEARVILLE — Pierce County scored in each of the first five innings to beat Liberty County here Friday night in non-region action, 9-4.
The Bears evened their season slate at 1-1 and handed the Class AAA Panthers (1-2) their second straight loss.

As was the case in the season opening loss to Ware County, PCHS made things interesting with defensive miscues. “We’re making far too many mistakes,” said head coach Greg Gay, who is in his fifth year at the helm. “I’m very disappointed with our defense (five errors). We’re just not staying focused and being mentally ready to make a play on every pitch.”

There were some positives for the Bears. The team showed patience at the plate and when they got a pitch they hit it hard for a base hit (seven) or right at a defender that bobbled it (Liberty five errors).

Pitching-wise, John Walsh worked four innings in his first start of the year to get the win. Jayk Graham pitched three innings for the second straight game and picked up his first save of the season.

“We hit the ball decent,” Gay said. “I was more impressed with the way we ran the bases. We ran hard taking that extra base and scored twice from first on base hits.

“John battled in his four innings. Jayk did an excellent job to get out of bases loaded, no out jam in the fourth. It’s a win and I’ll take it against a 3-A school but I’m really looking forward to next week." The Bears scored three runs in the first. Nate Gay (2-for-2, three RBI) and Brian Barefield (1-for-4, RBI) connected for back-to-back two- out run-scoring hits. PCHS scored its third run courtesy of a fielding error.

After Liberty pushed across a run in the top of the second, the Bears added three more in the second. Matthew Aldridge would score on a throwing error by the Panthers’ catcher and Gay would slice a second two-out hit to left scoring Trey Thompson and Drew Taylor for a 6-1 advantage. Once again Liberty would answer plating two runs in the third on three Pierce County errors. The Bears got one run back in the bottom of the inning when Graham was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded forcing home a run. PCHS upped the lead to 8-3 in the bottom of the fourth. Will Lowman (2- for-4, RBI) lined a run-scoring single to bring in Gay.

Walsh was removed after allowing just two hits to go along with four strikeouts and two walks as the game entered the fifth. Will White came on and faced four batters. He allowed two hits and walked two to force home a run before being lifted for Graham. The junior righty fanned the next three to get Pierce County out of the bases loaded jam. He finished with six strikeouts, a walk, and surrendered just one hit.

PCHS got the run back in the bottom half of the inning when Graham (1 for 2) ripped a run-scoring double with Thompson racing around the bases from first to cross the plate.

The Bears play three games next week - all on the road. Pierce goes to Toombs County on Tuesday, Liberty County on Thursday and opens Region 2-AA play at Long County on Friday.

The SGC Tigers added to their already-impressive winning streak by taking two games from Lake Michigan Community College Wednesday afternoon, winning game one game one 6-4 and game two 16-1. Four Tigers – Logan Gaines (3), Andrew Anderson (4), DJ Hines (1) and Jeremy Donaldson (2) homered in the second game.

In game one, SGC trailed 4-3 late in the game. In the bottom of the sixth, Stuart Drew got things going after leading off with a single. He advanced to second on a bunt by David Reid-Foley, then promptly stole third. The throw went into left field, allowing Drew to score. After a strikeout by Andrew Anderson, Josh Palmer singled to left. He moved to third on another single by Logan Gaines. Chris Thompson lifted a drive to left, which was mishandled by Tim Moon. Palmer and Gaines scored on the error, giving the Tigers a 6-4 lead. The inning ended with a Zach Bennett strikeout. Greg Fietsam, SGC’s third pitcher of the day, came in for the top of the seventh and gave up a pair of two-out hits before retiring DJ Wolnik to end the game.

David O’Neal (2-0, 2.00) earned the win. Fietsam (1) picked up the save. Josh Palmer was 3-4 with a run scored. Drew went 2-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Thompson and Reid-Foley had two RBI.

In game two, the Tigers jumped out to a 7-0 lead after nine total over the first two innings, including a second-inning two-run home run by Andrew Anderson, the first of four SGC homers on the day. In the bottom of the fifth, the Tigers erupted for eight more runs, this time on seven hits and three errors. Donaldson and Hines homered in the fifth.

Lake Michigan got on the board with one run in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the frame, Gaines answered with a solo home run of his own, his third of the year.

Four SGC pitchers – Justin Fordham, Bray Bishop, Scott Groover and Caleb Lairsey – combined to give up just one run on three hits. Fordham (2-0, 5.41) took the win. Andrew Anderson drove in four of SGC’s runs, while Donaldson had three RBI of his own. Seven Tigers had multiple hits.

Pierce County opened up Region 2-AA play with a win over Long County one night after falling to Liberty County giving the Bears a split for the week. PCHS lost one game to inclimate weather when Tuesday’s non-region game at Toombs County was postponed. The two teams played Monday night in the rescheduled affair. Pierce will play three more times this week with two being region affairs. PCHS traveles to Brantley County on Tuesday, will host Appling County on Friday and go to Effingham County on Saturday.

The Bears used a nine-run fourth inning uprising to take care of business in Ludowici on Friday, 11-2. This came on the heels of a 5-3 setback in Hinesville a day earlier giving Pierce and the Panthers a split for the season.

PCHS 11, Long 2
The Bears (2-2 overall, 1-0 region) got three RBIs each from freshman Cole Dowling (2-for-5, double, run) and sophomore Drew Taylor (2- for-3), and two more from junior Jayk Graham (1-for-4) and sophomore Brian Barefield (1-for-3, homer, two runs).

“This was a great start to region play,” said head coach Greg Gay. “We hit the ball well after working the count to get good pitches. We played good defense with just one error and got good pitching.
“Tonight was a total team effort (16 players played) and really showed how good a team we are capable of being.” Dowling picked up his first ribbie in the third inning scoring Barefield, who had reached on an error.

PCHS scored eight runs after two outs in the fourth to break open the game. Graham was hit by a pitch to start the inning and stole second.
He scored one out later on Taylor’s single. After a strikeout, Barefield launched his first career homer, a two- run blast, to push the lead out to 4-0. Holt Rowland (2-for-3) was hit by a pitch and moved up on a passed ball.

Will Lowman walked and Dowling laced a run-scoring double plating Rowland. After Trey Thompson (0-for-2, three walks) drew a free pass to load the bases, Graham ripped a two-run single as the margin grew to 7-0.
Ethan Parker (2-for-5) singled home Thompson and Taylor laced a two- run double to bring in Graham and Parker. Taylor was thrown out at third to end the inning.

The Blue Tide finally scratched out their only runs of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Graham, who came on in relief of Lowman with one out in the frame, allowed a one-out two-run double before fanning the last two batters.

PCHS scored its final run in the seventh. Rowland led off with a double, moved to third on an infield hit by Codi Dixon and scored on Dowling’s base hit.

Lowman (1-1) picked up his first varsity win pitching 4.1 innings. He allowed just three hits, one run, earned, with four strikeouts and four walks. He was charged with a wild pitch. Graham worked the final 2.2 innings with the double being the only hit allowed. He fanned five and walked two.

“Lowman pitched well,” said Gay, “except for the walks. Jayk came in and shut them (Blue Tide) down and fanned five in less than three innings.
“Offensively, Barefield hit his first career homer and had a couple of other hard hits. Cole got three RBIs from the leadoff spot.
“It is just great to get that first win in region play.”

Liberty 5, PCHS 3
The Panthers got three runs in the first inning and then had to hang on in the seventh to pick up the win on Thursday. Pierce County managed just four hits on the cold night. The Bears scored twice in the seventh and had the bases loaded with one out failing to hit the ball out of the infield in the next two at bats.

“We had a chance in the last inning,” said Gay, “but we just could not come up with the big hit. We had to battle through adversity over there.
“They (Panthers) threw their ace and he did a good job. His fastball was sneaky (mid 80s) and he had a pretty good curveball.”

Liberty got its runs in the first on a three-run homer by the fifth- place batter off starter and loser John Walsh (1-1). Walsh worked just
1.1 innings giving up four runs, three earned. He allowed two hits, walked two and fanned one.

The Bears got one run back in the second when Taylor reached on an error, stole second and scored on Barefield’s (1-for-3) single.
Liberty countered with another run in the bottom half of the inning.
The Panthers scored their final run in the fifth on a two-out walk and a base hit against Will White (3.2 innings, five hits, five strikeouts, four walks). White had his longest outing of the season in three appearances.

In the seventh, Lowman (1-for-3) singled and raced to third on Dowling’s (1-for-2) double. The pair scored on Thompson’s (1-for-4) double.
PCHS would load the bases with one out before a strikeout and a pop up on the infield ended the rally.

The SGC Tigers used steady and consistent offense coupled with serviceable work by the bullpen to keep the Florida State College – Jacksonville Stars at bay Thursday afternoon. The Tigers won the 29-hit slugfest 12-7.

The Tigers scored early and often in an effort to thwart any offensive attack the Stars might attempt to launch. SGC scored in six of the nine innings, including four in the top of the first, to hold on to a lead throughout the entire game. The Stars didn’t score more than a single run in any inning until the bottom of the ninth. Trailing 12-4, FSCJ loaded the bases with no outs. Bryant Gibson cleared the bases with a double off reliever Zack Hula to make the score 12-7. Coach Sims didn’t panic and left Hula in. Hula responded and promptly retired the next three batters to end the game.

After getting off to a slow start, Stuart Drew’s bat is starting to heat up. He was 2-4 with two runs scored and two RBI on Thursday. Kenny Sanderson (3-5, one RBI, two runs), Seth Foster (2-3, three RBI, two runs) and DJ Hines (2-4, two RBI, one run) were the leading hitters for SGC. Andrew Anderson and Wesley Morris also had two hits on the day.

Starter Tony Albritton picked up the win after lasting six innings and giving up two runs on five hits. Albritton is the only Tiger pitcher with two wins; he is 2-1 with a 5.93 ERA on the young season. Other pitchers seeing action against the Stars were David O’Neal and Greg Fietsam. Both gave up one run and one hit in one inning of work apiece.

The Tigers play a double header today in Douglas at 1 p.m. against St. Johns River Community College. The game was originally scheduled for Friday, but was postponed due to poor weather.

The South Georgia College Tigers evened their season record at 8-8 with three important wins in weekend play at home. SGC took a pair of games from Chattanooga State Community College and one game from USC-Salkehatchie during the three-game home-stand. The Tigers showed a little bit of everything during the three games: They fought back from a deficit, overcame sloppy defense (SGC had five errors in the first two games), got a little timely pitching when they needed it and, in the final game, played great defense and used the long ball to score runs.

Game one, which took place against Chattanooga State on Friday afternoon, was a slugfest that saw both teams score runs in bunches throughout the game. SGC won 12-10. Neither team played particularly well defensively; both had three errors each on the day. The Tigers used six pitchers, with Dylan Wall (1-0, 7.36 ERA), the fifth pitcher used by head coach Scott Sims, getting the win. David O’Neal, who threw one scoreless inning, earned the save. Cole Anderson’s 4-5 performance at the plate was tops for SGC. Lead-off man Kenny Sanderson had three RBI, while Logan Gaines and Seth Foster each drove in a pair.

Saturday afternoon, the Tigers faced Chattanooga State in a re-match from the day before. This game followed a similar pattern as Friday’s contest. Both teams had strong offensive performances coupled with more poor defense (three errors by Chattanooga, two by SGC). Josh Palmer (1-1, 4.05 ERA), who pitched 1 2/3 innings in relief of starter Greg Fietsam, earned the win. Andrew Anderson was 2-3 with 3 runs and 3 RBI. Chris Thompson also had 3 RBI.

After a one-game break, the Tigers took the field against USC-Salkehatchie. SGC plated runs at a steady pace, scoring in every inning but the second. Meanwhile, starter Zack Hula (1-1, 5.11) kept the Salkehatchie offense off balance all afternoon. He surrendered just 1 run on 3 hits in 6 innings of work. Bray Bishop closed things out for SGC with a scoreless inning of work. The Tiger offense flexed a little muscle early in the game. Stuart Drew (1), batting second in the line-up, homered to left in the first inning to give the Tigers a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless second inning, SGC used the long ball again in the third when Cole Anderson (1) hit a solo shot to lead-off the inning. Drew ended up 2-3 with an RBI and 2 runs scored. Jeremy Donaldson also had 2 hits and 2 RBI for SGC.

The Tigers travel to Allendale, S.C., on Feb. 24 for a double-header against USC-Salkehatchie. They return home for two weekend games. On Saturday, Feb. 27, SGC faces rival ABAC in Douglas at 1 p.m. The following day, Georgia Perimeter comes to town for one game. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

The rains yesterday (03-11) and the chance of rain this evening have caused some schedule changes which have been updated on this website.

The PCHS Varsity Bears game against the Appling County Pirates has been moved from Friday night to Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at PCHS. Also, the game against the Effingham County Rebels has been relocated from Effingham County to PCHS so the Bears will play Effingham at 6:00 or approximately 30 minutes after the end of the Appling County game so come out to Pierce County High School to cheer for our Bears.

If you would like to be added to our e-mail list to receive information regarding Pierce County Recreation Department, you can send a request to the Pierce County Recreation Department.

The Pierce County High School Varsity Bears are currently leading the Region 2-AA standings after a victory over the Appling County Pirates in Bearville last Saturday afternoon.

The Bears currently are 3-0 in region play. Jeff Davis is ranked second with a 2-0 region record and Appling holds third with a 3-1 record. Tattnall, Brantley and Benedictine are all tied for fourth with 1-1 region records.

The Bears host region foes from Tattnall on Tuesday and Jeff Davis on Friday with both games scheduled to start at 6:00 p.m. so come out and support your 2010 Bears.

The Bears will also travel to Effingham County for a non-region match-up on Saturday to seek revenge on a heart-breaking 10-8 loss this past Saturday with the game time scheduled for 5:00 p.m.

BEARVILLE — Effingham County scored five times in the seventh inning here Saturday night to rally past Pierce County for a 10-8 victory in non-region action.

The game was the second of the day for the Bears (4-4 overall, 3-0 Region 2-AA) and came on the heels of a big region win over Appling County earlier. This contest was originally scheduled to be played in Springfield before the two programs agreed to swap weekends.

Effingham County (3-4) trailed 7-5 entering the seventh. A two-run homer off freshman starter and loser Cole Dowling tied the game. A two- out, two-run error was followed by a run-scoring double as the Rebels rallied.
“We gave this one away,” said head coach Greg Gay, whose team dropped to 1-4 against non-region competition. “After an emotional win against Appling County, we went out and laid an egg. We gave up two earned runs out of 10 total to a very good team.

“We kicked the ball around on the infield, dropped fly balls in the outfield and had way too many passed balls at the plate. That, coupled with a some bad coaching decisions, was a bad recipe for disaster.”
Pierce scored single runs in the second and third innings. Obie Foreman, running for Brian Barefield (1-for-4) after his double in the second, moved to third on a passed ball. He would score when Terry Carter, who was running for Nate Gay, stole second and the throw from the catcher sailed into center.

Jayk Graham (2-for-4, two runs, two RBI, stolen base) hit his third homer of the season in the third inning for a 2-0 lead.

Effingham plated two runs in the fourth against Dowling to tie the game. Two errors, two walks, a hit batter, sacrifice bunt and passed ball led to the unraveling.

PCHS responded with three in the bottom half of the inning. Designated hitter Tim Huff (1-for-3) doubled home Carter and Holt Rowland (1- for-3). Huff would score on Graham’s double for a 5-2 advantage.
The Rebels tied the score in the sixth against John Walsh, who pitched two innings. Two walks, two errors and a two-run double evened the score at 5-apiece.

Once again the Bears had an answer. Graham walked, stole second and moved to third when Ethan Parker’s (1-for-4) grounder to third was thrown wildly to first. Parker took second on the play.

Graham scored on a passed ball with Parker eventually getting home on Dowling’s (1-for-2) suicide squeeze.

Dowling, who worked the first four innings, came back in in relief of Walsh with two outs in the sixth. He would get the final out of that frame and one out in the seventh before being relieved by Parker.
“Cole showed some guts out there,” Gay said of his young pitcher. “He pitched fairly well and has a bright future.

“Overall, I’m proud of the kids. We’re 4-4 and more importantly 3-0 in the region. We’ve had a chance to win three of the four games we’ve lost in the last inning.

“We’re playing a very competitive non-region schedule and I think that is going to help us in region play.”

Pierce plated a final run in the seventh and had one on with one out before two fly balls ended the rally. Rowland reached on a fielders’
choice and continued around the bases when Huff’s grounder to third was thrown away into right. The throw from the outfield to third bounced away into the PCHS dugout allowing Rowland to trot home.

A group of thrown together players from Jeff Davis, Pierce and Wayne Counties travelled to McDonough this past Saturday and Sunday to play in the Georgia USSSA Atlanta Super Regional NIT tournament.

The team was known as the Team Stingers (from Jeff Davis & Wayne team names) but wore Pierce County Royal Blue and Silver and was represented by Todd Carter, Austin Hodges, Austin Jernigan and Andrew Walsh.

Team Stingers dropped both pool play games Saturday going into Sunday's single elimination games as the underdogs from South Georgia. Coach Roger Metts gave a Sunday morning pep talk that rallied the players who then won two games before losing in the semi-finals.

This tournament was the first time these boys have ever played in a coach pitch (it was tough on the coaches too) tournament so we are pleased and congratulate these players for the willingness to try something different and proud of their ability to battle back when the chips were down.

Congratulations, Todd, Austin, Austin and Andrew.

Pierce County’s junior varsity used a 10-run seventh inning in Game 1 to rally for a 14-5 win on Saturday before dropping a slugfest in Game 2 at Effingham County, 11-9.

PCHS (4-5) trailed 5-4 after after the Rebels plated two runs in the bottom of the sixth of the opener. Heath Highsmith, Davis Lairsey, Harrison Hart (two doubles) and Michael D’Ambrosio supplied run-scoring hits in the big rally. Brandon Aldridge picked up the win working 1.1 innings in relief of starter Jordan Woodard. Aldridge allowed a hit, one run, walked two and fanned one. Woodard yielded just three hits in 5.2 innings. Only one of the four runs he surrendered was earned. He recorded two strikeouts, walked four and hit two batters.

The Bears took a 1-0 lead in the second with Effingham scoring twice in the third for a 2-1 advantage. PCHS pushed across three runs in the fourth to recapture the lead at 4-2. Rod Kennedy knocked in Hunter Skipper (single) to tie the score and Hart delivered a two-out, two-run double scoring Chastain Coleman (single) and Kennedy for a two-run cushion.

The Rebels picked up a run in the bottom of the fifth and scored twice in the sixth to take a short-lived 5-4 lead. Four walks and two hit batters in the first eight at bats of the inning led to the big uprising.

“Both games were pretty good,” said head coach Keith Mobley. “We didn’t get started until the seventh inning of the opener.

In the second game we started early and let them (Rebels) get right back in the game.” The second game turned in the bottom of the sixth when an error helped plate the eventual game-winning run breaking a 9-all tie.

PCHS scored four times in the top of the first with the Rebels answering with a five spot in its half of the inning. The Bears tied the score at 5-apiece in the second. After Effingham scored four runs in the bottom of the third, the Bears retaliated with a four-run fourth to knot the score at 9-all.

D’Ambrosio worked the first three innings with Aldridge pitching the final three and taking the loss. D’Ambrosio was charged with nine runs, seven earned in his stint on the mound. He was roughed up for seven hits. Aldridge allowed four hits and neither run in the sixth was earned. The two combined for four strikeouts and three walks.

Skipper had three his including a triple and three RBI to lead PCHS. Neal Hollis had two hits and two RBI. Vince Elliott and Kennedy each knocked in two runs and had a double apiece.
Highsmith, Lairsey and Hart added a hit apiece. Colby Shane Smith was hit twice by pitches.

PCHS traveled to Ware County Tuesday afternoon. The Bears will play Friday and Saturday as part of jayvee-varsity doubleheader at Charlton County and at home against Toombs County.

The unbeaten Pierce County Middle School baseball Bears captured four home wins last week rolling over the opposition in dominating fashion. PCMS (10-0 overall, 8-0 conference) posted back-to-back 11-1 “mercy rule” wins over Walker Middle School of Ludowici and Bacon County Middle School on Monday and Tuesday. The Bears followed that up with a 7-0 blanking against Charlton County Middle School on Wednesday and capped the week with a 10-4 win over Brantley County Middle School on Friday.

PCMS 11, Walker Middle 1
Pierce Middle spotted the visiting Wildcats a 1-0 second inning lead before scoring the next 11 runs to end the game in the fifth. Lane Dixon pitched four innings for the Bears to get the win yielding two hits. He fanned six and walked two. Blake Aldridge came on in the fifth to get three outs. Daniel Smith and Caleb Turner each went 2-for-3 for PCMS. Weston Sapp, Kyler Allen, Micah Larson, Dixon and Aldridge all added base hits.

Sapp’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the second gave Pierce Middle the lead for good at 2-1. The Bears would blow the game open in the fourth scoring five times. Stetson Smith scored on a wild pitch with the bases loaded, Aldridge delivered a two-run base hit and Larson blasted his first career homer, a two-run shot, over the fence in right-center. PCMS added four runs in the fifth ending the game with the “mercy rule.”

PCMS 11, Bacon Middle 1
The Bears scored four times in the first inning and never looked back in taking down Bacon Middle. The unbeaten Bears were led by Austin Allen’s 3-for-4 performance with four ribbies and two doubles. Smith, Aldridge, Zack Goble, Madison Tuten and Brandon Popham contributed a hit each. Goble went the distance on the mound pitching five innings, yielding four hits, recording four strikeouts and walking two. A. Allen doubled home two runs in the first, Goble lifted a sac fl y and Tuten knocked in the final run on a ground out. Larson scored a run in the third. He was hit by a pitch, stole second and, after reaching third, scored on a wild pitch
for a 5-1 lead.

A. Allen singled home a run in the fourth and Goble followed with a two-run double as the lead grew to 8-1. PCMS ended the game in the fifth scoring three more times. Aldridge delivered a run scoring single and A. Allen finished the game with a two-run double.

PCMS 7, Charlton Middle 0
Smith pitched a three-hit shutout as the Bears scored late to beat Charlton Middle School 7-0 on a soggy field. Smith allowed just three hits in his route-going performance with fi ve strikeouts and three walks. Dakota Martin went 3-for- 3 with two RBI to lead PCMS at the plate. A. Allen, Tuten and Smith banged out two hits apiece. Larson, K. Allen and Dixon contributed a hit apiece.

The Bears and Braves matched goose eggs until the bottom of the fifth inning. Larson’s bases loaded triple gave Pierce Middle a 3-0 lead. Smith got the rally started with a double, Aldridge
drew a walk and A. Allen laced a single ahead of Larson’s big hit.

PCMS tacked on four more runs in the sixth inning. Smith walked and stole second. Aldridge drew another walk and A. Allen was hit by a pitch to load the bases. A wild pitch scored Smith and moved the other two runners up 90 feet. After Larson drew a walk to reload the bases, Goble was hit by a pitch forcing home Aldridge. Martin ripped a two-run single for the final two runs.

PCMS 10, Brantley Middle 4
The Bears broke open a close game with back-to-back four run innings to beat the Herons on Friday. Tuten worked six innings before being relieved in the seventh after facing one batter. He scattered six hits to go along with six strikeouts and three walks. Tuten was charged with all four runs.

Smith (2-for-5) singled home a run in the second and the Bears capitalized on an error for the second to open up a 2-0 lead. After Brantley Middle tied the score in the third, the PCMS took the lead for good. Goble (1-for-3) doubled and Martin drew a walk. Following a passed ball that moved the runners up, Tuten (1-for-2) singled home a run. K. Allen (3-for-4) doubled home two and Smith followed with a double for a 6-2 lead.

Up 6-3 going to the bottom of the fourth, the Bears plated four more runs. Two walks, two errors and a base hit led to the rally and a 10-3 advantage. Blaine Paul pitched the seventh inning retiring all three batters he faced. He fanned two.

The Bears will close out the regular season at home against Waycross Middle on Friday.

All tell you that pitching and defense wins games and championships. Pierce County has struggled most of the season with defensive miscues and the pitching has had its bright spots. When both are going good the Bears are hard to beat.

PCHS (5-6 overall, 4-1 Region 2-AA) went 1-2 last week being outscored 32-17. Following a 5-4 come-from-behind win over Tattnall County to start the week, the Bears fell 11-3 to Jeff Davis and 17-9 to Effingham County.

In five of the six losses opponents have scored 10 runs or more. The other setback came in a 5-3 loss leaving the Bears with an 0-6 mark when opponents score five runs or more. “We may have a losing record right now,” said head coach Greg Gay, “but our plan was to play a very tough non-region schedule with the likes of Effingham County. Losing to a program like that is not as bad when you understand the youth of our program. This is a great experience and will help us in the future.”

PCHS 5, Tattnall Co. 4
Terry Carter raced home from third base on a wild pitch in the bottom of the eighth inning lifting Pierce over Tattnall County last Tuesday. Carter (four steals, three runs), a pinch-runner, stole second and third before the 1-1 wild pitch with one out was uncorked with the bases loaded.

“This was a great team win,” said Gay afterwards. “Our defense is still pretty bad (five errors), but we made the plays in the end. It was ugly, but we battled and competed and we’re unbeaten in region play and that’s all that matters. “Offensively, Terry did a great job on the base paths. To come back and score the winning run after being caught in the seventh inning was big.” The Battle Creek Warriors scored two unearned runs in the first against starter Will Lowman.

PCHS finally got on the board with a two-run fourth to tie the score. Holt Rowland (1-for-3)was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Nate Gay (2-for-2, two doubles) doubled pinch-runner Obie Foreman to third. Drew Taylor (1-for-4) singled home Foreman and Carter, a courtesy runner for
Gay, to tie the score at 2-apiece.

Tattnall County went back in front in the top of the fifth scoring twice against Jayk Graham (6 IP, 4 H, 3Ks, 1 BB), who picked up his third win in as many relief outings. Pierce County plated the game-tying runs in the sixth. Rowland singled and Gay followed with another double down the right field line. After a strikeout, Tim Huff was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Trey Thompson (twice hit by a pitch, walk) drew a four-pitch walk to force home Rowland. Graham laced a double to right center scoring Carter.

In the bottom half of the eighth, Taylor’s high pop just on the outfield grass was misplayed by the Tattnall second baseman. Carter was inserted and stole on the first pitch to get into scoring position. After a strikeout, Thompson was hit by a pitch. Carter stole third and one pitch later Thompson stole second. Graham then drew a four-pitch walk loading the bases.


Jeff Davis 11, PCHS 3

Jeff Davis took advantage of PCHS miscues early on and blew the game open late to win on Friday. The Yellow Jackets handed PCHS its first region loss after taking the lead for good in the fourth against Graham (3-). “I take 100 percent responsibility for us not being ready to play tonight,” said Gay afterwards. “We’re still making errors and we’re not ready to make a play w when a pitch is being delivered. We’re also not watching the ball into our glove so we must be doing an awful job of coaching the kids in that area.”

Jeff Davis grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third inning. Lowman (2.1 IP, 0 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 Ks, 2 BB), who retired the first seven batters, walked the eighth-place batter and was 2-0 on the ninth when Gay inserted Cole Dowling on the mound. Dowling (.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 Ks, 0 BB) eventually walked the batter and gave up a single to leadoff hitter Kody Waters (2-for-4). The hit to center rolled under the glove of Ethan Parker all the way to the fence allowing all three runners to speed around the bases and cross the plate. Dowling fanned the last two batters to get out of the inning.

Parker would atone for his mistake in the bottom half of the inning. Thompson (2-for-4) and Graham (2-for-3) laced one out singles and trotted home on Parker’s (2-for-4) opposite field blast, his second of the year, over the left-centerfield fence tying the score at 3-all.

Stephen Ferris reached on an error to start the fourth against Graham (3.2 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 3 Ks, 0 BB) and raced around the bases on Alan Browning’s (3-for-4, two doubles, homer) double that was misplayed down the left field line. The Yellow Jackets would pad the lead with a two-out, two-run homer in the sixth. Jeff Davis produced a five run uprising in the seventh after two outs chasing Graham from the mound.

Rowland and Taylor had the only other hits for the Bears.

Effingham 17, PCHS 8
Effingham County scored in every inning and banged out 14 hits to beat Pierce County 17-8 here Saturday afternoon in non-region action.

The Rebels finished off the season sweep of PCHS. Effingham County rallied last Saturday in Bearville to post a 10-8 come-from-behind win. “We got beat by a good team,” said Gay, “that is solid and older with a lineup dominated with juniors and seniors. I thought we competed. Our defense was better, but not great. “Offensively, we pounded the ball with 12 hits. We just didn’t get the pitching today.” Sophomore Will White (losing pitcher) and Dowling pitched three innings each. Both fought control problems. White allowed seven earned runs on four hits, four walks, one hit batter and three strikeouts. Dowling surrendered 10 earned runs on 10 hits with three walks and three hit batters. He fanned one. “In defense of those two,” Gay said, “they are very young and inexperienced at the high school level. This was a great opportunity to get them some innings in against a quality opponent.”

Graham (2-for-4) gave PCHS the early first inning lead blasting a two-run homer, his fourth of the year, to score Trey Thompson (2-for-3). The Rebels bounced right back hitting a grand slam in the bottom of the first off White for a 4-2 lead. Thompson singled and scored in the third on a Dowling (1-for-3) sacrifice fl y to cut the margin to 6-3. After Effingham scored once in the third and five in the fourth (three singles, three doubles), the Bears responded with a four-run rally to cut the margin to 12-7. Thompson singled, moved to second on a passed ball, advanced to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on a second passed ball. Dowling then singled, followed by a Rowland (2-for-4) single with freshman Vince Elliott (2-for-2) connecting for his first career varsity homer, a three-run blast to right. Effingham got the runs right back with the big blast being a three-run homer of its own. The Rebels cranked out another round tripper in the sixth to push the lead out to 17-7.

PCHS picked up its final run in the seventh. Rowland singled and sped to second on an error. Elliott singled and Brian Barefield (2-for-4) doubled home Rowland.

The Bears travel to Charlton County on Friday for a jayvee varsity doubleheader. They return home on Saturday to face second-ranked Toombs County.

The South Georgia College Tigers refuse to slow down. Thursday afternoon, they made the short trip to Mount Vernon to face the Brewton-Parker junior varsity squad and returned home with a pair of wins, including an 18-13, extra innings slobberknocker in game two.

Jake Gower stepped things up in the first game, an uneventful 8-1 win, with a three-hit, four-RBI performance that included a two-run home run in the fifth inning, his first of the year. Chris Thompson, Josh Palmer and David Reid-Foley also had multiple hits for SGC. A trio of pitchers — Bray Bishop, Dylan Wall and Bryan Petree — combined for a three-hit, one-run outing. Bishop (2-0, 7.20), who went four innings and allowed the only Brewton-Parker run, earned the win.

Game two didn’t go quite as easily as did the first contest. Brewton-Parker decided enough was enough and touched the first to SGC pitchers, starter Caleb Lairsey and Phillip Summers, for 13 runs in the first four innings. While Brewton Parker was scoring in droves, the Tigers weren’t exactly sitting back and watching helplessly. They were scoring as well, just not at the same clip as their opponents. SGC plated 10 runs in that same time frame and headed into the fifth inning trailing by just three runs, 13-10. Head coach Scott Sims sent reliever Tyler Ross in with one out in the fourth inning, who stopped Brewton-Parker’s rally. In the fifth, Zach Bennett entered the game and threw four scoreless innings, which allowed the Tigers to get back in the game.

SGC tied the score in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by Logan Gaines and a double by Jake Gower, who was pinch hitting for Jeremy Donaldson, which forced the game into extra innings. In the top of the eighth, Cole Anderson led off with a single, followed by a base-hit bunt by Chris Thompson. Stuart Drew singled to load the bases. Andrew Anderson hit a single, which scored Cole Anderson and Thompson. Drew scored on a sacrifice fly to center by David Reid-Foley. With Andrew Anderson on third, Gaines hit a big two-run home run, his second of the game and sixth of the year, to put the Tigers ahead 18-13. In the bottom of the frame, Bennett gave up a lead-off walk but then retired the next three two batters, two on strikeouts, to end the game.

Gaines launched a pair of two-run homers to cap his 3-5, five-RBI performance. He and Andrew Anderson are now tied for the team lead in home runs with six each. Gaines, Andrew Anderson, Stuart Drew and Seth Foster all scored three runs each. Bennett (1-1, 1.69) took the win.

The Tigers’ next six games, all of which are conference games, are on the road. This weekend, SGC faces Darton in a three-game series in Albany. Next week, the Tigers travel to Tifton twice to play ABAC before returning home for a non-conference double-header against East Georgia College on April 6 at 3 p.m. SGC is now 25-12 on the season.

Mar. 30 - The Barons, ranked 24th in the first national poll of the season, were in action tonight against the Sharks from the University of South Carolina - Beaufort. Jacob Gore took the mound for Brewton-Parker, and went the distance, surrendering only 1 unearned run, and scattering 5 hits. It was Gore's 5th win of the season, and his longest outing of the year.

The Barons were led offensively by fellow ABAC transfer Jacob Evors, who was 2-4 on the day with 2 homeruns, and 3 RBI. Evors missed a 3rd homerun by just a couple of feet, as he sent a ball deep to the warning track in left in his second at bat. Evors first homerun came in the sixth inning, and tied the score at 1, and his second came in the eigth, to give the Barons a 3-1 lead. The Barons added another run in the eighth on Randall Shepherd's two out single to score Brian Hobbs.

In the ninth, Jacob Gore got RJ Neal to ground into a double play, and struck out Spencer Jackson to finish the game, and give the Barons a 4-1 victory.

The Barons, now 26-10 on the season, are in action again tomorrow against DII Georgia Southwestern State University. First pitch is scheduled for 5:00.

The undefeated PCMS Bears will play for the Southeast Georgia Middle School Athletic Confence Championship tournament on Saturday, April 3rd along with teams from Arthur Williams Middle School, Jeff Davis and Ware Middle.

Jeff Davis and Ware play at 10:00 am with Pierce and Arthur Williams squaring off at 12:30. The championship game time is set for 3:30 p.m.

If you are around Hazlehurst this Saturday, go out and show our support for these athletes that our representing our community.

Three Pierce County youth teams dominated today's action at the Pierce County Recreation Department by going undefeated in all age brackets.

The 8-Under Bears run-ruled all four of their opponents outscoring them by a total score of 68 to 16. The Bears first opponent to fall by mercy rule in three innings was the Red Raiders from Bacon County by a score of 14-2. Next were the Stingers of Wayne County also falling in three innings by a score of 12-0. The Bears then defeated the Black Raiders from Bacon County in four innings by a score of 31-11. The final game of the day for the young Bears had them facing the Stingers from Jeff Davis. After trailing 1-0 in the second inning, the Bears cranked up the bats and came out swinging ending the game in five innings by a score of 11-3.

The 10-Under Pierce County Cubs also showed their ability by outscoring their opponents by a total score of 46-14. The Cubs first opponent was the Explosion from Appling County which fell in three innings to the mercy rule by a score of 16-2. The next opponent was the Buckwild from Douglas also going down in three innings by a score of 14-3. The Sand Gnats from Folkston proved to be a little tougher for the Cubs but it was to no avail as the Cubs defeated them by a final score of 16-9.

The 12-Under Blackshear Bandits continued the winning ways of Pierce County by outscoring their opponents by a total score of 18-6. The Bandits won their first game by a score of 7-5 and their second game by a score of 11-1.

The monthly meeting of the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Board will be Monday, April 5th @ 7:15 p.m. upstairs at the BPC Complex. The meeting is open to the public.

For the second week in a row, the Brewton-Parker baseball team earned a spot in the NAIA Baseball Coaches Top 25 Poll. After going 3-2 on the week, the Barons (29-12, 10-5 SSAC) are ranked 24th. The rest of the poll can be found at the NAIA website.

The Barons are in action this weekend (Apr. 9 & 10) at home against conference foe Shorter College in a 3 game series. Game 1 is scheduled for Friday at 7:00, and the two teams will square off in a double header on Saturday beginning at 1:00.

The 16th-ranked Clemson Tigers built a 9-0 lead after two innings and cruised to a 15-5 win over Georgia Tuesday in front of a crowd of 3,783 at Foley Field.

Georgia junior right-hander Eric Swegman, who was making his first appearance since March 9, failed to retire a batter before being replaced by senior Steve Esmonde. The first four Tigers reached on a single, two walks and a two-run double by Jeff Schaus (3-for-4, 3 RBI) . Esmonde allowed just a sacrifice fly before putting an end to the Tiger outburst but not before they had a 3-0 lead. Clemson (21-8) went right back to work in the second, adding six runs on eight hits to build a 9-0 advantage and chase Esmonde. He allowed five runs in the frame and then senior Justin Earls was the next Bulldog hurler.

Georgia (10-18) scratched for a run in the third courtesy of a two-out, RBI-double from sophomore Peter Verdin. It scored Kevin Ruiz (2-for-4) who notched a leadoff single. In the fourth, Bulldog sophomore Zach Cone collected his team-leading fifth triple, and it extended his hitting streak to 18 games. Freshman Robert Shipman drove him in with a groundout to second that Clemson senior Mike Freeman made a nifty play on for the first out.

Clemson added a run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly by John Hinson (2-for-3, 5 RBI) to make it 10-2. It was plenty of support for freshman Dominic Leone who notched the win to move his record to 2-0. He went six innings and surrendered just two runs on four hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. Swegman allowed three runs on two hits in the first and got the loss to fall to 0-2. Earls provided a strong relief outing, pitching four innings and giving up just one unearned run with no walks and five strikeouts.

Hinson connected for a grand slam in the eighth to put the Tigers ahead 15-2. The Bulldogs managed to score three runs in the ninth for the final margin. Freshman Todd Hankins had a pinch-hit, two-run single to highlight the frame.

“We just don’t understand the value of getting ahead in the count,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “When you don’t get ahead, the little hits start falling in and Clemson had that happen tonight. The toughest thing about this team is the uncertainty and not knowing what you’re going to get this late in the season is demoralizing. I really want to see how we respond tomorrow. We’re going to turn the corner on this pitching staff and I will be right there monitoring our progress. Hopefully we’ll feed off of some of our better performances tonight and get back at it tomorrow.”

Clemson’s victory snapped Georgia’s four-game winning streak in the series. The annual two-game set concludes Wednesday when the Bulldogs travel to Clemson. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m.

The 16th-ranked Clemson Tigers erased an early 4-0 deficit to post a 14-6 win over Georgia Wednesday in front of 6,346 at Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
Coupled with Tuesday's victory in Athens, Clemson (22-8) registered a two-game sweep in the series after the Bulldogs (10-19) had posted sweeps in 2008 and 2009.

The Bulldogs struck for a run in the first as sophomore right fielder Peter Verdin made his debut in the leadoff spot and promptly drew a walk. It was just his fifth of the year in 131 plate appearances. Two batters later, he scored on an RBI-groundout by freshman Robert Shipman (1-for-4, 4 RBI). In the third, Shipman made it 4-0 when he crushed his fourth home run of the season, a three-run shot to right off freshman Mike Kent. It scored Levi Hyams and Zach Cone who reached on a single and a walk to bring up the freshman.

After two perfect innings from sophomore left-hander Chase Hawkins, the Tigers (22-8) roared to life in the third to make it a 4-3 contest. The first run scored on a bases-loaded balk while senior second baseman Mike Freeman (3-for-5, 6 RBI) added a two-run single. It was a team-high fourth balk for Hawkins.

Freshman Jonathan Meyer came on for Kent to start the fourth after the Tiger freshman allowed four runs on three hits with three walks and did not figure in the decision. Kent, who got the win to improve to 2-1, set the Bulldogs down in order and the Tigers went back to work offensively. They grabbed a 7-4 lead as Georgia used three pitchers to finish the frame. Hawkins, who dropped to 0-2, left with two on and one out. After a double steal, junior Ben Cornwell struck out Phil Pohl for the second out. First baseman Will Lamb ignited the rally with a two-run triple as the Tigers surged ahead 5-4. After a walk to Chris Epps, Cornwell was lifted for freshman Blake Dieterich. He surrendered a two-run single to Freeman who later tried to advance to second on a pitch in the dirt and was thrown out by Carson Schilling to end the inning. In the fifth, the Tigers sent nine to the plate, scoring five runs off Dieterich, getting three hits, a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded hit by pitch to take a comfortable 12-4 lead.

Georgia freshman shortstop Kyle Farmer led off the sixth with a single and freshman left fielder Zach Taylor (2-for-4, 1 RBI) drove him in with his first career triple. On the play, Freeman's relay throw went in the Bulldog dugout, allowing Taylor to score to make it 12-6. The Tigers got the runs right back in their half of the sixth off sophomore Cecil Tanner. John Hinson blasted a two-out, two-run home run to make it 14-6. Bulldog senior Alex McRee provided 1.1 innings of scoreless relief with two strikeouts. Cone saw his career-best 18-game hitting streak come to an end after going 0-for-4 with a walk.

"The walks again tonight are disappointing as five of the seven ended up scoring, but I was encouraged from what I saw out of Cecil Tanner and Alex McRee," said Georgia coach David Perno. "Cecil was upset about giving up the home run, but they both didn't have their normal zip tonight because we've been working hard with them to get them going and they both were around the plate tonight and throwing strikes. They executed their pitches and that's encouraging. We need those guys this weekend and the rest of the season to be successful."

The Bulldogs return to Southeastern Conference action Friday when it plays host to #15 Ole Miss (21-8, 5-4 SEC) in a game televised live by ESPNU. First pitch at Foley Field is slated for 8:03 p.m.

Logan Gaines, Andrew Anderson, Josh Palmer and Zach Bennett each homered in the South Georgia College Tigers’ weekend double-header against the ABAC Stallions in Tifton. The Stallions countered with four home runs of their own, including three by right fielder Ikaika Anderson, to sweep the two games by scores of 11-9 and 8-4.

SGC only led once in game one – by a 2-1 margin after the first inning. ABAC scored five runs in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the seventh. Trailing 11-5, the Tigers made a little noise, scoring four runs in the top of the eighth to get within two runs of the Stallions. With one out and Phillip Culpepper on third in the eighth, ABAC reliever Ryne Powers struck out two Tigers to end the rally. Neither team scored the remainder of the game.

Justin Fordham (3-3, 5.83) took the loss. Andrew Anderson led the way offensively with a 3-5 day at the plate, including three RBI and three runs scored. His home run, a two-run shot in the sixth, was his team-leading seventh of the year. He held the lead for one batter. Then Logan Gaines stepped in and launched a solo shot for his seventh home run of the season. Gaines’ homer capped a 2-4, two-run, two RBI day. The Tigers committed six errors in the contest.

Things didn’t go much better for SGC in game two. ABAC jumped out to an 8-0 lead before SGC decided to start hitting. The Tigers scored one in the fifth and three in the seventh, including a two-run homer by Bennett (4). SGC managed just four hits, two of which came off the bat of Bennett. Starter Frank Ambrosino (5-3, 4.97) was credited with the loss.

The Tigers are now 27-16 on the season and 7-5 in conference play. SGC is tied for third in the conference with two other teams – Young Harris and Georgia Perimeter. Sitting atop the rankings are Middle Georgia and Gordon, both of whom are 9-3. Tuesday, the Tigers played East Georgia in a non-conference match-up. Results were unavailable at press time.

This weekend, SGC begins the final push to the post-season with a three-game set against Young Harris in Douglas. Friday, the Tigers and Mountain Lions play one game, beginning at 6 p.m. On Saturday, the two teams face each other in a double-header. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. SGC then hits the road for conference games against Gordon and Georgia Perimeter before finishing the season at home against Darton (April 21 at 5 p.m.) and Middle Georgia (April 22 at 6 p.m. and April 24 at 2 p.m.).

With graduating test on the docket for the first three days of last week, Pierce County played just one game on the diamond. The Bears were able to hang on during Friday’s non-region game against Deerfield Beach, Fla., escaping with an 8-6 win before the spring break. The Bucs were in the last day of a week-long spring break themselves having played all over south Georgia.

“The kids were ready for spring break,” head coach Greg Gay said afterwards. “It was a good win and a chance to get some of the younger players some game experience. “We’ve really been going hard for six weeks and they (Bears) are ready for a little break.”

Pierce County jumped on the travel-weary Bucs with a three-run first. Jayk Graham (1-for-3) doubled home Vince Elliott and Terry Carter (courtesy runner for Trey Thompson) to get things going. Graham was eventually score for a 3-0 lead.

Thompson, making his second start of the season, pitched two shutout innings allowing just a hit and retired the side on seven pitches in the opening frame.

Deerfield Beach would tie the score in the third against winner Cole Dowling (3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 Ks, 2 BB). The freshman right hander surrendered a two-run double and an RBI single as the Bucs evened the score at 3-all.

Pierce took the lead for good in the fourth. Will Lowman (3-for-3) singled, stole second and scored on Dowling’s (1-for-2) single. The Bears took control of the game with a four-run fifth to open up an 8-3 advantage. All the damage was done with two outs.

Graham reached on a fielder’s choice after Thompson drew a one-out walk. Drew Taylor (2-for-2) doubled putting runners on second and third. Holt Rowland (1-for-3) singled home Graham with Nate Gay (1-for-3) doubling in Taylor. Lowman followed with a two-run single seemingly breaking the game open.

Deerfield Beach responded against Graham (2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 Ks, 0 BB). The Bucs plated two runs in the sixth on four hits and two costly errors and left two in scoring position. A one-out single was followed by a run-scoring double in the seventh before Graham got the final two outs.

“They (Bucs) swung the bats well,” said Gay, “and we did not receive great pitching. This was good experience for us because every time this young kids get a chance to play they’re going to get better.” Pierce County hosted Long County Tuesday at 6 p.m., and will host Brantley County on Friday at 6 p.m.

For the second time in as many games against Charlton County, the Pierce County junior varsity run-ruled the Indians. In the first encounter a week earlier, the Bears thumped Charlton County 17-1 in Folkston. Friday afternoon, it was more of the same as PCHS posted a 14-4 victory.

Will White got the start for the Bears and had to come back in the fifth the close out the game. The Indians scored a first inning run for their only lead of the game. Pierce scored three times in the first and steadily pulled away from there. The Bears scored in every inning of this one.

Charlton’s pitching was erratic at best in its four-plus innings issuing 10 walks, hitting four batters and surrendering eight hits. Heath Highsmith went 3-for-3 to lead PCHS at the plate. Hunter Skipper, Tim Huff, Chastain Coleman, Rod Kennedy and Neal Hollis each added a hit. Highsmith and Hollis were the only starters not to draw a walk. Skipper and Coleman each walked twice and Kennedy was hit twice.

Pierce County will have four games remaining on the season when the team returns from spring break. The Bears will travel to Bacon County Saturday, April 10, for an 11 a.m., date with the Red Raiders. They will finish the regular season Monday, April 12, at home when Vidalia rolls into town at 5 p.m.

PCHS will participate in the Jeff Davis Jayvee Invitational on Wednesday and Thursday. The Bears travel to Lyons April 14, to meet Toombs County at 5 p.m., and finish at Jeff Davis with a 7 p.m., first pitch on April 15.

The Pierce County Bears defeated the Brantley County Herons in a Region 2-AA match up Friday night in Bearville by a score of 11-1 in 5 innings. Jayk Graham pitched a complete game for the win and Trey Thompson had big day at the plate for the Bears going 2 for 3 (single and triple) with 3 RBI's.

The Brewton-Parker Baseball team earned a big conference win Friday night 7-2 against Shorter College. Brewton-Parker ace Joey Delgado continues to keep hitters off balance, and threw his 5th complete game of the season. On the evening, Delgado gave up only 2 runs, and struck out 13. Delgado now has 86 punch outs on the year, which is the most for any pitcher in the NAIA. He is also second in the NAIA in wins, with 8.

The Barons got on the board early, and never relenquished the lead scoring a run in each of the first two innings, and then 3 in the 4th, with 2 runs coming on Ryan Hewitt's bases loaded double to left. The Barons capped off the scoring in the 7th with 2 runs on Todd Alls' 4th home run of the season. The 2 run shot gave the Barons a 7-2 lead. Alls was 2-2 on the evening, with a home run, 3 RBI, and 3 walks.

The Barons and Hawks are in action again tomorrow as the series concludes with a double header beginning at 1:00. The Barons are now 30-12 on the season, and 11-5 in the conference, which is good for 2nd place in the SSAC.

Wesley Morris drove in six runs and Logan Gaines doubled twice in the first game of the South Georgia Tigers’ sweep over the East Georgia Bobcats Tuesday afternoon in Douglas. SGC won the first game 13-5 then took game two 13-2.

The Tigers used a consistent, steady offensive attack to subdue the Bobcats. SGC scored runs in every inning and never trailed in the first game of the double-header. After scoring two runs each in the first and second inning and one in the third, SGC erupted for four runs in the fourth, followed by three in the fifth and one in the sixth. East Georgia showed some signs of life, plating five in the fifth. All of the Bobcats’ runs – which were unearned -- came off starter Bray Bishop (3-0, 5.68). Kenny Sanderson and Wesley Morris had four hits each, while Philip Culpepper had three hits.

The Tigers used a little different strategy in their game two win. The Bobcats scored two runs in the first and held a 2-1 lead until the bottom of the third. Jake Gower led off the third with a single. He scored on a triple by Andrew Anderson, which sparked a 10-hit, 12-run rally that effectively ended any chance East Georgia had of leaving Douglas with a win. Gower and Andrew Anderson would also double later in the inning, while Zach Bennett would hit a three-run home run, his fifth of the year.

SGC’s top performers in the game were Gower (2-4, two runs, one RBI), Andrew Anderson (2-3, two runs, three RBI), Logan Gaines (2-3, three runs, one RBI) and DJ Hines (3-3, one RBI, one run). Dylan Wall (3-0, 4.97), SGC’s second pitcher of the day, earned the win.

After the brief break from conference play, the Tigers face Young Harris this weekend in a very important conference series in Douglas. SGC and Young Harris played at 6 p.m. Friday afternoon. Results were unavailable at press time. Today, the two teams face off with a double-header at 2 p.m. The Tigers next play at home on April 16 against Georgia Perimeter at 6 p.m. SGC is 29-16 overall and 7-5 in conference.

# # # #

Ole Miss left-hander Drew Pomeranz struck out 15 and shortstop Kevin Mort drove in two runs to lead the 15th-ranked Rebels past Georgia 4-1 Friday at Foley Field.

Pomeranz and Georgia junior right-hander Justin Grimm were locked in a pitcher's duel that was a 1-1 game until the eighth when Mort smacked his second career home run, a solo shot to left field. Grimm pitched a career-high eight innings and was the tough luck loser on this night, allowing two runs on four hits with one walk and six strikeouts to fall 2-4. Pomeranz, a projected first round draft pick and top pitcher in the Southeastern Conference, allowed one run on four hits to improve to 6-0.

Ole Miss (22-9, 6-4 SEC) added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth off senior Justin Earls to pick up the victory while Georgia dropped to 10-20 overall, 2-8 in the SEC.

Bulldog freshman Kyle Farmer (2-for-4) registered two extra base hits off Pomeranz including a run-scoring triple in the fourth to put Georgia in front 1-0.

Ole Miss notched only its second hit off Grim to lead off the seventh when Matt Smith singled to center and then Matt Snyder reached on a four-pitch walk. After a visit to the mound, Grimm's first pitch to Zach Miller hit him in the back to load the bases. On a 2-0 count, Miles Hamblin tied the game with a sacrifice fly, scoring Smith to make it 1-1. Grimm avoided any further damage by retiring the next two Rebels.

In the bottom of the frame, Farmer tried to get the Bulldogs going with a leadoff double. He had the only hits off Pomeranz at that point. The Rebel left-hander got designated hitter Brett Deloach to ground out as Farmer took third where he was stranded. Pomeranz battled back to strike out sophomore Colby May and first baseman Kevin Ruiz.

"If we had made it through the 9th inning clean, we would have been in it and it would have been a different story," said Georgia coach David Perno. "Our guys were going down passively tonight. We need to get more aggressive with our approach and not allow these pitchers to get easy outs. However, Drew Pomeranz is a future big leaguer and it's only a matter of time before he's pitching in the big leagues. You've got to give credit to him because he elevated his game tonight. Justin pitched great too but Drew came out on top."

"It's a hard loss to swallow, but I knew their guy was good and he wasn't going to give up much so I had to stay sharp," said Grimm. "It was good competition, and I was pumped up."

The series continues Saturday at 4 p.m. and will feature Bulldog freshman infielder Chance Veazey throwing out the first pitch. Veazey is now paralyzed from the waist down following an on campus scooter accident in late October. He was projected to start at second base by the end of fall practice.

The Brewton-Parker Baseball team took over 1st place in the SSAC with a Double Header split on Saturday with Shorter College.

The Barons won game 1 easily by a score of 11-1 in a run rule shortened game. Drew Parker got the win for the Barons, throwing 5 innings, giving up 1 unearned run, and striking out 4. Barons opened up the game in the 3rd inning with 5 runs in the inning, highlighted by Randall Shepherds 2 run single to right. Todd Alls scored a third run on the play, when the Shorter firstbaseman Shannon Houston threw the ball away trying to throw Alls out at 3rd. The Barons added 4 more runs in the fourth, and a single run in the fifth to complete the run rule victory.

The Hawks got the better of the Barons in game 2, as the Brewton-Parker bats were held in check by Shorter ace Tim Day. Day threw a complete game, allowing only 4 hits and striking out 7. The Barons didn't make things any easier on themselves, commiting 3 errors, and 3 balks. The game was within reach, with the score 3-1 going into the seventh, but Shorter was able to put 5 runs on the board, and put the game out of reach. The Hawks took game 3 of the series 8-1.

The Barons travel to Carrollton, GA on Tuesday to take on the University of West Georgia in a double header scheduled for 2:00.

The baseball/softball game schedules for the week of April 12th through the 16th is available in the "Handout" section of this website for downloading.

Georgia defeated 15th-ranked Ole Miss 6-3 Sunday, and it marked head coach David Perno’s 300th career win.

The Bulldogs (11-21, 3-9 SEC) salvaged the final game of the series with the Rebels (23-10, 7-5 SEC) and snapped a five-game losing streak in the process. Sunday was a must win for the Bulldogs who dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker in 13 innings Saturday for their fifth one-run loss in conference play.

“We have got a good lineup and can do some things, and we’re coming together,” said Perno. “I still feel very good about what we have and we can do. The 300th win is not a big deal to me. If I was worried about wins, I wouldn’t play the schedule we play every year.”

Perno becomes only the third coach in Georgia baseball history to reach that milestone, joining Steve Webber (500-403-1 from 1981-1996) and Jim Whatley (336-237-3 from 1950, ’52-75).

On Sunday, Ole Miss grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first on three consecutive singles, capped by Zach Miller driving in shortstop Kyle Mort. Bulldog sophomore right-hander Michael Palazzone cruised through the next four frames, allowing just one hit until the Rebels got a leadoff single from Mort. Then with one out, Miller notched his second hit of the afternoon. After a mound visit by pitching coach Brady Wiederhold, Palazzone battled back to retire the next two Rebels to maintain the lead.

The Bulldogs tied the game in the second. Freshman shortstop Kyle Farmer (2-for-4) had a one-out single, took second on a passed ball, went to third on a base hit by sophomore catcher Christian Glisson (3-for-4) and scored on a sacrifice fly by sophomore Colby May (1-3, 3 RBI). In the third, Georgia used a three-run outburst to take a 4-1 lead. Sophomore centerfielder Zach Cone (1-for-4, 2 RBI) delivered a two-run triple to highlight the scoring. It was his team-leading sixth triple on the year.

In the seventh, left fielder David Phillips made it 4-2 when he led off with a solo home run, his fifth of the year. Taylor Hightower followed with a base hit and Tim Ferguson reached on a bunt single, ending Palazzone’s outing as the Bulldogs turned it over to sophomore Cecil Tanner who put an end to the rally.

The bullpen would come through for Palazzone (4-3), who had another quality start, going 6.1 innings, scattering two runs on nine hits with no walks and seven strikeouts to pick up his fourth win on the year. Goforth got the loss to fall to 1-2.

In the eighth, Tanner issued a leadoff walk to Miller, then a balk moved him to second and he scored on a base hit by Alex Yarbrough to close the gap to 4-3. Tanner was lifted in favor of senior Justin Earls. He squashed the rally and got the first out of the ninth before freshman Cooper Moseley closed it out for his second save.

Georgia got a couple of insurance runs in the eighth courtesy of a two-run blast from May. It was his fifth of the year and first since March 24 against Furman.

“I think if our pitching can hold up the rest of the way then we will be a factor,” Perno added. “It’s just a matter of guys gaining confidence and realizing what they are capable of because we can make a run when we get the offense going with this solid pitching we got in this series. It’s unfortunate that it has taken this long but we plan to finish strong.”

Georgia’s pitching staff posted a 3.19 ERA in the series and all three starters pitched into the seventh inning. Georgia’s staff registered 32 strikeouts and only seven walks on the weekend and limited Ole Miss to 11 runs and a .231 batting average.

The Bulldogs will be back in action Wednesday at Foley Field when they play host to second-ranked Georgia Tech (27-5). This past weekend, Georgia Tech dropped an ACC series at fourth-ranked Virginia. First pitch Wednesday will be at 7:06 p.m., and CSS will televise the game. On March 16 in Atlanta, the Yellow Jackets edged Georgia 6-5. This will be second game of a three-game set against Tech. The final game will be April 27 at Turner Field in the eighth annual “Spring Baseball Classic For Kids.”

The Barons went on the road Tuesday afternoon, and took 2 games from NCAA Div. II opponent University of West Georgia. The Barons starting pitching continues to be the key to their success, as Jacob Gore and Delgis Soto each threw complete games, neither of them allowing an earned run.

The Barons took the first game 3-2, giving Soto his 6th win of the season. Both of the runs given up were unearned, and Soto struck out 5 and walked none. Jacob Evors led the Barons at the plate, going 2-3 with 2 doubles, and an RBI.

Game 2 went to the Barons 7-1 as Jacob Gore earned his 7th win of the season, also striking out 5 and walking 1. The Wolves lone run in this one was the result of 2 Baron errors in the second inning. Gary Stauff provided the majority of the offense for the Barons in this one. He was only 1-2 on the day with a walk, but his hit was a big one. With the bases loaded, he sent the first pitch he saw from Wolves reliever Alex Wilson over the left field fence for a grand slam homerun that gave the Barons a 7-1 lead. Errick Fox also had a nice day, going 1-2 with 2 walks, an RBI, and 3 runs scored.

The Barons are now 33-13 (12-6 SSAC) on the year, and ranked 16th in the latest NAIA National Coaches Poll. Southern Polytechnic State University comes to town this weekend, for a showdown between two of the best teams in the country. The series stands to have major implications in how the final SSAC standings turn out. First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 7:00. The series will conclude with a double header Saturday beginning at 1:00.

Baseball can be a cruel game. Just ask South Georgia College starting pitcher Frank Ambrosino. In the second game of a three-game weekend series against the perennial powerhouse Young Harris Mountain Lions (and the first in a Saturday double-header), Ambrosino (5-3, 4.86) turned in one of the best performances of any SGC pitcher all year. The Tigers needed a win badly; they had lost four out of the last six conference games yet remained tied with Young Harris in third place. Taking two out of three from the Mountain Lions would be a big boost for SGC heading into the final fortnight of the season.

The Tigers had lost the first game Friday night 13-7 after starter Tony Albritton (4-4, 5.96) ran into trouble early and exited the game without recording an out. Ambrosino knew what was at stake. The Young Harris series was the most important to date for SGC and Ambrosino wanted to show he was up to the task. He didn’t disappoint. After a scoreless first inning, the Mountain Lions plated one run in the top of the second. Catcher Brett Armour hit a one-out single then scored on a double by Matt Lobacz. Ambrosino pitched his way out of the jam and then hit cruise control for next six innings.

While their pitcher was dealing, the rest of the Tigers showed they were ready for the Young Harris challenge as well. SGC played lights-out defense and didn’t commit a miscue for the entire game. The offense went to work in the bottom of the second when Logan Gaines scored on a Chris Thompson ground-out to tie the game at one. In the sixth, catcher DJ Hines broke the tie with an RBI double that scored Josh Palmer, who had also hit his fourth homer of the season in the Friday night loss. Thompson followed with a single that once again drove in Gaines. The Tigers rolled from there, scoring three in the seventh and one in the eighth to take a 7-1 lead into the ninth inning.

In the ninth, the Mountain Lions showed they weren’t ready to give up just yet. Centerfielder Matt Lowery led off with a single. Third baseman Michael Squires followed with another single. Then Ambrosino settled down and coerced Will Callaway and Brett Armour to fly out. With two outs, Lobacz singled to score Callaway. With runners on first and second and two outs, head coach Scott Sims decided that Ambrosino had gone as far as he could. After 8 2/3 innings and 112 pitches, Ambrosino’s day was done. Ambrosino wanted the complete game and wasn’t very happy with the decision. However, he turned the ball over to reliever Justin Fordham and exited the game to a loud round of applause. Then the wheels started to come off. Fordham walked Brandon Curson to load the bases. Then he hit Daniel Marsh, which scored Squires. Singles by Chris Holloway and Ethan Herron scored two more runs to get the Mountain Lions to within two. After Herron’s hit, Coach Sims pulled Fordham and sent in Zack Hula. Hula gave up a pair of singles that plated three runs before a pop-out by Callaway ended the inning. The damage, however, had been done. Young Harris plated seven runs on seven hits to take an 8-7 lead over the Tigers.

SGC came into the dugout for the bottom of the ninth obviously very frustrated but not ready to quit. David Reid-Foley led off with a walk. After Reid-Foley reached first, Jake Gower entered the game to pinch run. Chris Thompson bunted and reached base, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Cole Anderson followed with a bunt and also made it to first safely. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Zach Bennett hit a grounder to Callaway, who threw home to force Gower at the plate. However, the bases remained loaded with just one out. Second baseman Stuart Drew was up next. The biggest thing he was concerned with was putting the ball in play. He found a pitch he liked and guided a single through the infield to left, scoring Thompson and Cole Anderson to win the game 9-8. Ambrosino, who threw well enough to earn his sixth win of the season, had to settle for a no-decision. Hula (3-1, 5.12) picked up the win with one-third of an inning of work.

The Tigers didn’t have long to dwell on their good fortune. They still had one more game to play that afternoon. This time, Coach Sims sent righty Greg Fietsam to the mound. He had apparently been paying attention to Ambrosino’s performance in the previous game and picked up where he left off. Fietsam threw a complete-game, four-hit shutout as the Tigers won 8-0. Young Harris didn’t get a hit after the second inning. SGC scored one each in the third and fourth before opening things up with four runs on four hits in the bottom of the fifth. The Tigers added two more insurance runs in the sixth to cement the victory. Fietsam earned his third win of the season and lowered his ERA to 4.53. Gaines and Zach Bennett each doubled in the game.

The Tigers are 31-17 overall and 9-6 in conference play, and are tied in third place with Darton and Georgia Perimeter. Tuesday, SGC traveled to Barnesville for a game against Gordon. After a three-game series against Georgia Perimeter in Covington, SGC returns home on April 21 for one game against Darton at 5 p.m. On April 22, the Tigers begin a three-game series at home against first-place Middle Georgia. Game one begins at 6 p.m. On April 24, SGC and Middle Georgia play a double-header beginning at 2 p.m. to wrap up the regular season.

The PCHS Bears dropped a Region 2-AA game to the 4th ranked Appling County Pirates in Baxley by a score of 15-5 in six innings.

The Bears will host the Bendictine Cadets in Bearvile of Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. and will travel to Tatnall County on Friday for a 7:00 p.m. start; both games will be region games so go out and support these young men if possible.

The Jayvee Bears travel to Toombs County on Wednesday and Hazlehurst Thursday for their games as well.

Fifth-ranked Georgia Tech defeated Georgia 25-6 Wednesday in front of a Foley Field crowd of 3,176. The Yellow Jackets (28-5) registered 25 hits including four home runs and were aided by 14 walks as the Bulldogs (11-22) employed 10 pitchers. It was the most earned runs and hits allowed by Georgia in school history and the largest margin of defeat in the series history.

"We are so inconsistent with our pitching this late in the year and that's frustrating," said Georgia coach David Perno. "I'm very disappointed. We have to throw strikes and that's where it starts. We're still in good shape for the weekend because most of the guys that pitched tonight won't be on the trip, and we've got to rebound from this. Our hitting was there and we were solid defensively. We just need to start pitching better.

"On the bright side, both freshmen Alex Wood and Zach Taylor were very good for us tonight. Wood was very strong and did a great job coming back from Tommy John surgery. Zach Cone and Kyle Farmer continue to produce and should be very good for us in the future. We just have to get better on the mound."

Wood made his Bulldog debut while Taylor went a career-best 3-for-4. Cone went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run and Farmer had two RBI as Georgia had 13 hits overall. Down 6-0 in the third, Cone's two-run blast off Mark Pope in was part of a four-run rally that cut the deficit to two. However, Tech responded with a seven-run outburst in the fourth. In the sixth, third baseman Matt Skole added a grand slam that made it 19-5. The Yellow Jackets added six more runs in the eighth. Jeff Rowland and Tony Plagman had four hits apiece for Tech.

Bulldog junior Eric Swegman gave up two runs in the first with three walks and two strikeouts to fall to 0-3. Pope (5-0) picked up the win for Tech, allowing five runs on 10 hits over six innings.

Georgia returns to SEC action Friday for the first of a three-game series against ninth-ranked Arkansas (28-6, 9-3 SEC) in Fayetteville, Ark. First pitch Friday is slated for 7:04 p.m. ET, and the game will be televised live on ESPN2.

Pierce County seems to have shaken out of a mid-season slump in which the Bears dropped five of seven outings. PCHS has won a season-best three games in a row, which includes two Region 2-AA wins last week, to climb above the .500 mark. Pierce “run ruled” both Long County and Brantley County by the scores of 12-2 and 11-1 respectively.

The Bears, who are 9-8 on the season and 7-2 in region play, have a three-game region schedule this week. Pierce is currently third in the region standings behind Appling County (10-1 region) and Jeff Davis (8-2 region). PCHS opened this week with a date against the fourth-ranked Pirates (16-3 on the season) in Baxley on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Bears handed Appling County its lone region loss on March 13 with a 5-4 win. The Pirates are rolling having won seven
consecutive games, five by the “mercy rule.” Appling County is averaging 11 runs a game in the winning streak and allowing just 1.4 runs an outing during that time.

“We’ve got a big game in Appling,” Gay said. “We’re going to give the guys a couple of days off to enjoy the rest of the spring break. They have practiced all week and never complained. “We’re starting to turn the corner right now. I believe there are good things ahead for us if we continue to play this way.”

Benedictine (6-8, 3-5) visits today (Wednesday) for a 5:30 p.m., start in the first meeting of the year between the two schools. Pierce goes to Tattnall County on Friday for a 6 p.m., start. PCHS rallied to beat the Battle Creek Warriors 5-4 on March 16.

Bears 12, Long County 2
A six-run fourth, highlighted by three homers in four at bats, broke open a close game last Tuesday. The Bears battered two Long County pitchers for 10 hits and took advantage of seven fielding errors which included two dropped fl y balls in left, to complete the season sweep.

Junior right-hander Jayk Graham allowed five hits in his five-inning, complete game performance. He fanned five, walked one and gave up single runs in the second and third innings. “Jayk did a great job,” head coach Greg Gay said. “We (coaches) asked him to be efficient and he got out of the first inning on six pitches. He only had one inning where
he wasn’t (efficient), but he kept his pitch count (73 pitches) down.”

Pierce County broke open a close game blasting three solo homers in four at bats during a six-run fourth in beating Long County 12-2 here Tuesday night in Region 2-AA action. If not for a couple of base running mistakes in the first two innings, PCHS may have blown this one open quicker. The Bears finally took control of the game in the third. Down 2-1, Pierce scored three times taking advantage of three Blue Tide errors. Dave Barefield’s (1-for-2) two-out, two-run single in the inning was the only hit by PCHS in the frame and gave the Bears the lead for good at 4-2.

In the fourth, freshman Vince Elliot (1-for-3) launched a 2-2 fastball to left-center for his second homer of the season. Senior Trey Thompson (1-for-4) followed three pitches later hitting the first round tripper of his career off the light standard in right on a 2-0 fastball. One out later, senior Ethan Parker (1-for-4) took a 1-1 curveball out to center for his third of the season.

“Early in the game we were out in front of the pitches,” Gay said. “Their (Tide) pitcher did not throw hard. In the fourth we started getting our timing down. “Vince has unbelievable hands. It was nice to see Ethan throw his hips and hit that curve and it was very fitting for Trey to get his first. He has meant so much to this program so that was pretty awesome.”

Holt Rowland (2-for-3) added a run scoring single and Will Lowman capped the inning with a two-run base hit giving the Bears a 10-2 advantage. Parker’s grounder to second in the bottom of the fifth was misplayed allowed the final two runs to cross the plate and end the game.

Bears 11, Brantley County 1
Pierce County scored in every inning and Graham tossed his second straight complete game of the week with a two-hit
performance on Friday. “This was fun,” said Gay. “We had a great week of practice and we came ready to play.” Despite just nine hits, the Bears were able to come through in the clutch against Brantley County’s wildness on the mound. Two Heron pitchers combined to walk nine batters and hit three more in just over four innings of work.

“We’re (coaches) starting to see the younger players make adjustments at practice and at the plate during the game,” Gay said. “The kids are really starting to listen and we’re hitting the ball through the lineup consistently.” Drew Taylor’s sac fl y in the first produced the first run of the game for the Bears. The next three innings produced “crooked
numbers.” Thompson’s two-out single plated a run and a wild pitch scored another as Pierce opened up a 3-0 lead after two.

The Bears broke the game open in the third with a five-run rally. Three consecutive one-out walks loaded the bases. After a force out at the plate, PCHS did its damage. Back-to-back walks, followed by a wild pitch pushed across
three runs. Thompson ripped a triple into the right field corner for two more runs and an 8-0 lead.

Brantley scored its lone run in the top of the fourth with PCHS adding two in the bottom half of the inning after two outs for a 10-1 advantage. Obie Foreman, a courtesy runner for catcher Nate Gay, stole third and came home on a throwing error by the catcher. Cole Dowling knocked in the other run.

Pierce ended the game in the fifth. Terry Carter, a courtesy runner for Graham, scored from second on Parker’s line drive to left-center.

All kinds of information about the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department will soon be available online as the department prepares to re-launch its web presence with a new Web site. The department’s new Web site, www.pierceparksandrec.org will be fully operational in a few weeks.

New recreation director Scottie Graham made the announcement about the coming online site at last Monday’s meeting of the recreation board. “We are working very hard on getting the site up and running,” says Graham. “We are about 50-60 percent complete.” The director says interest in the site is already high even before the site is even fully operational.

“We have already had over 300 visitors and we haven’t even spread the word that it is available,” he said. The new site will be provided by Hometeamz.com for an annual fee of $130. Graham says he is excited about the possibilities for the Web site. “It will give the community a quick place to obtain a lot of information about our department and our programming,” he says. The site will offer registration information and will feature the latest schedules, scores, stats and standings for all of the department’s athletic programs.

Plans call for the site to offer online registration beginning in 2011. Graham also says photos of the action taking place at the parks will be posted on a weekly basis. In addition, the site will contain links to other local and sports/fitness Web sites as well as periodic articles on health and fitness.

“I encourage the community to utilize this new Web site and please give us any suggestions that they feel would improve the website,” Graham says. The new Web site replaces the old www.bprecreation.com site first launched in 2006. The old Web site was set-up by former director Bryan Taylor, but has not been maintained or updated since that time.

The recreation department is scaling back its building program, but still intends to pursue a batting facility. Recreation Director Scottie Graham updated recreation board members on the status of the department’s future plans during their regular meeting last Monday. “We need to improve our facilities and I feel we certainly need to pursue at least the hitting facility,” said Graham. “We can try for the rest of it down the road.” The recreation department received a $20,000 grant for a new hitting facility in 2007, to be built at the current recreation complex on Ware Street.

Original plans had called for the 5,000 square foot hitting facility to be built next to H.M. Thompson Field at the current complex. The facility would provide a place for youths to work on their hitting skills and would be under constant supervision.

In late 2008, Graham’s predecessor, the late Randy Bass, had proposed combining the hitting facility into a new administration building, to aid in the department’s compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The current two-story recreation administration building is aging, cramped and not ADA compliant. The proposal called
for the administration building/hitting facility to be built on Yeomans Street, across the road from the current complex.

The administration building would be an additional 2,500 square feet of office space built on to the front of the hitting facility. The administration area would include three offices, a large conference room, restrooms and a storage facility.
At the time, estimated cost of the entire project was $99,000. Those plans were delayed, however, when the economy
soured and were shelved completely after Bass was diagnosed with cancer.

Board members Steven Paul and Moose Jowers expressed support for moving forward with the plan to construct the batting facility. “We need to do it and I am in favor of doing what we need to do,” said Paul. Graham will begin drafting a presentation for the county commission’s May meeting.

In other improvements, the director noted numbers were up in the spring sports program and t-ball fields are especially
needed. The department will also do more fencing and electrical work to prepare for overhauling the lights at the fields.

Ninth-ranked Arkansas won its ninth straight, cruising to a 10-2 win over Georgia Friday in front of a crowd of 8,273 at Baum Stadium.
The Razorbacks (29-6, 10-3 SEC) entered the game as the Southeastern Conference leader as well as top hitting team in the league at .339. They finished with 16 hits. Georgia dropped to 11-23 overall and 3-10 in the SEC.

The Bulldog offense staked junior right-hander Justin Grimm to a 2-0 lead in the first with a two-out rally off left-hander Drew Smyly. Sophomore centerfielder Zach Cone notched his team-leading 35th RBI with a base hit, driving in Peter Verdin (2-for-4) who was on after a one-out double. Cone made his way to third with a couple of stolen bases to make it nine-for-nine on the year for him. Then, sophomore Levi Hyams (3-for-4, 1 RBI) made it 2-0 when he a drilled 3-2 offering into centerfield for a run-scoring single. The lead was short-lived as first baseman and cleanup hitter Andy Wilkins (2-for-5, 4 RBI) crushed his team-leading 11th home run in the bottom of the frame to put the Razorbacks in front 3-2. Leadoff hitter Collin Kuhn had reached on a bad-hop single to get things started for Arkansas and Bo Bigham (3-for-3) followed with a walk.

In the fourth, Arkansas added a couple of two-out runs to extend its lead to 5-2. Wilkins and Zack Cox collected run-scoring singles off Grimm in the frame after Bigham reached on a two-out walk to extend the inning. In the fifth, Travis Sample tripled and scored on a wild pitch to make it 6-2. The Razorbacks chased Grimm with one out in the sixth after scoring two more runs on three hits to go up 8-2. The Bulldog right-hander allowed a career-high eight earned runs on 12 hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Senior Steve Esmonde came on for the Bulldogs at that point. He pitched the final 2.2 innings and allowed a pair of runs including a solo home run to Brett Eibner in the eighth.

Smyly settled down after the first and ended up going the distance for his first complete game of his career. He allowed two runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts to remain perfect on the year at 5-0 to go with a 1.99 ERA. Grimm dropped to 2-5.

"We're on the road against one of the best, if not the best team in the SEC, and we get a couple early runs and they punch right back with a three-run home run," said Georgia coach David Perno. "We have very little confidence and to have that kind of start was tough. Arkansas has a good lineup, and they had very good at bats tonight. Justin (Grimm) got behind in a lot of counts. In league play (Drew) Smyly had 14 walks and 14 strikeouts, and we got no walks tonight. We got all our hits from the number two through five spots in the order."

The series continues Saturday with first pitch slated for 3:05 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs will start senior right-hander Jeff Walters (1-2, 7.34 ERA) while the Razorbacks counter with junior right-hander Brett Eibner (2-2, 3.76 ERA). He tossed a one-hit shutout over the Bulldogs last season at Foley Field to avoid a Georgia sweep.

Click Here To Download
Pierce County High School Athletic Director Mike Woodard has announced the dates for this Summer's Future Bears' Kids' Camps for grades 2-8; ages 7-14 sponsored by the PCHS Athletic Department.

Cost is $50 for each camper ($20 discount for siblings attending the same camp) which includes lunch (served after morning camps and before afternoon camps in the PCHS Cafeteria) and camp t-shirt. All camps are Monday - Thursday with the exception of Baseball and Softball (Tuesday - Friday) due to May 31st Memorial Day Holiday.

A flyer is posted in the "Handout" section of this website that you can print out for additional information.

The Barons split their conference double header with Southern Poly on Saturday. In game 1, Drew Parker pitched well, but got the tough luck loss, as an error early, and a questionable call on a homerun cost him 5 runs. The Baron bats were able to muster 12 hits, and 5 runs, but it wasn't enough as the Hornets rolled 10-5.

In game 2, the Barons continued to hit, and Delgis Soto managed to wiggle out of a few jams, as the Barons went on to win 8-2. Soto threw a complete game and struck out 7 allowing only 2 earned runs in the contest. Derrick Fox, Ryan Hewitt, Evan Pedrick, and Kale Lewis each collected 2 hits in the game.

The Barons travel to Thomasville, GA on Tuesday for their final regular season contest against Thomas University. The game is scheduled for 6:00.

Bray Bishop surrendered just two runs on two hits in four innings and Stuart Drew went 2-4 with a run and an RBI in the SGC Tigers’ 7-4 loss to Gordon College in Barnesville on Tuesday.

The game, one of just two non-conference games remaining on the schedule, gave the Tigers a break before a big weekend series with Georgia Perimeter in Covington. The normally potent SGC offense had trouble scoring runs against a trio of Gordon pitchers. The Tigers recorded five hits but left a total of six runners on base, compared to just two stranded by Gordon. SGC scored one in the fourth, two in the fifth and one in the eighth. The Tigers led 3-2 after five innings but lost the advantage when Gordon plated five runs in the last two innings.

Zack Hula (3-2, 5.79), the fourth SGC hurler used by head coach Scott Sims, gave up three earned runs on three hits in an inning of work to take the loss. Drew was the only Tiger with more than one hit. DJ Hines doubled in his only plate appearance.

SGC faces Georgia Perimeter in an important three-game series on the road this weekend in Covington. After this weekend, the Tigers have four games remaining, all at home, in the 2010 season. Wednesday, April 21, Darton College comes to town for a 5 p.m. contest at Crider Field. This is a non-conference game. On Thursday, SGC plays Middle Georgia, the conference’s top-ranked team. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. Saturday, April 24, Middle Georgia returns to Douglas for a double-header beginning at 2 p.m.

SGC is 31-18 on the season and 9-6 in conference play.

The PCHS Bears defeated region 2-AA foe Jeff Davis tonight in a rain shortened game by a score of 7-5. The victory places the Bears (12-9) in second place behind the state ranked (4th) Appling County Pirates (19-3).

The University of Georgia Bulldog baseball team looks to snap a four-game losing streak on Wednesday when it plays host to Winthrop at 6 p.m. The Eagles are 18-17 on the year and 6-6 in the Big South. They outslugged UNC-Asheville this past weekend, posting a three-game sweep by the scores of 12-11, 15-3 and 10-8. They are batting .302 as a team with a 5.93 ERA and .970 fielding percentage. Junior catcher Eddie Rohan leads the offense at .323-9-30. The Eagles will start sophomore right-hander Dom Patterozzi (0-2, 10.47 ERA). It will be his fifth start this year. Georgia leads the series with Winthrop 11-7. The teams split a two-game set last year: WU 7-4, UGA 13-2.

Frank Ambrosino and Greg Fietsam, the SGC hurlers who threw so well against Young Harris just over a week ago in Douglas, picked up where they left off and combined for a win and two saves in a weekend series versus the Georgia Perimeter Jaguars in Covington this weekend. SGC took two out of three from the Jaguars before dropping the final game of the series. The two wins moved the Tigers into a tie with Darton for second place in the conference. Both the Tigers and Cavaliers are 11-7 in conference play.

In game one on Friday afternoon, Josh Palmer had three hits while Stuart Drew, David Reid-Foley, Logan Gaines and Wesley Morris had two hits each as the Tigers defeated the Jaguars 8-6. Starter Justin Fordham (4-3, 6.37) threw 6 1/3 innings for the win. Ambrosino finished the last 2 2/3 innings for the save. The Tigers plated six runs in the third and two in the sixth to secure the win.

Saturday, SGC and Georgia Perimeter faced off in an important double-header. The Tigers won the contest 8-5. Drew and Morris continued to swing a hot bat; Drew went 3-4 while Morris had two hits in four trips to the plate. Andrew Anderson also hit his second triple of the year in the fifth inning. Greg Fietsam (4-2, 4.50), whose last appearance was a complete game shut-out against Young Harris, surrendered five runs in 8 1/3 innings for the win. Ambrosino recorded the final out for his second save in two days.

In the second game of the afternoon, Jaguars starter Bryan Benzor kept the Tigers off balance all day and led his team to a 5-2 win. He only allowed two SGC runs on five hits en route to a complete game of his own. Georgia Perimeter scored all five of its runs in the second inning off starter Tony Albritton (4-5, 6.59), who took the loss with just 1 2/3 innings of work. David O’Neal (3-1, 3.64) threw the final 4 1/3 innings. The Tigers scored both of their runs in the top of the third inning. Stuart Drew led off the inning with a single then moved to second on a balk by Benzor. David Reid-Foley doubled to score to Drew. Andrew Anderson then drove in Reid-Foley with a single.

SGC is now 33-19 on the year and 11-7 in conference. The Tigers have four more regular season games left this season. Today, they face Darton in a non-conference contest in Douglas. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday, the first-place Middle Georgia Warriors come to town for the first of a crucial three-game conference series. The game begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, the Warriors return for a double-header starting at 2 p.m. The first round of the play-offs begin on May 1. Match-ups will be determined after this weekend’s games.

Eight Georgia pitchers held Winthrop to just two runs on six hits in a 4-2 win over the Eagles Wednesday at Foley Field.

In his fourth start of the season, sophomore Chase Hawkins (1-3) allowed one run on two hits in three innings to pick up his first win. Steve Esmond, Cecil Tanner, Jeff Walters and Michael Palazzone each tossed an inning of scoreless relief.

Alex McRee recorded the first two outs in the ninth before Cooper Moseley came in to pick up his third save. It was the fewest runs allowed by the Bulldogs since a 12-2 win over Stetson on Feb. 26.

“We were able to do some good things tonight,” said Georgia head coach David Perno. “Cecil was very good and that was very encouraging. Chase didn’t throw great but he was good enough. This is something to build off going into the second half of SEC play.”

Kyle Farmer and Levi Hyams each had three hits to lead Georgia followed by Peter Verdin and Chrisitian Glisson with two apiece.

Georgia (12-25) scored a run in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead. Verdin led off with a double, moved to third on a groundout, then scored on a sacrifice fly by Zach Cone. It was the third time in the last four games the Bulldogs have scored in the first inning.

Winthrop (18-18) plated a run in the top of the second on an infield single by Matt Pierpont that scored Chas Crane.

Georgia came back with two runs in the bottom of the second to regain the lead. Farmer led off with his second career triple, then scored on an RBI single by Glisson, who came around to score on a two-out single by Johnathan Taylor.

After the Eagles scored a run in the fourth to make it 3-2, Georgia added a run in the fifth on an RBI double by Hyams.

Dom Patterozzi (0-3) took the loss for Winthrop, allowing four runs on 10 hits in five innings.

The win was Georgia’s first in a midweek game since beating Presbyterian 11-3 on Feb. 24.

The Bulldogs return to action this weekend when 10th-ranked and SEC East-leading South Carolina visits Foley Field for a three game series beginning Friday at 6:30 p.m. Saturday’s game is slated for 1:06 p.m. and will air on CSS, while Sunday’s series finale will start at 2:00 p.m.

Wayne County scored four times in the bottom of the sixth inning breaking a 6-all tie to beat Pierce County 10-6 in the championship game of the Jeff Davis junior varsity tournament on Saturday. The Bears (11-7) reached the championship
by virtue of winning their pool in the eight-team tournament. PCHS went 2-1 in pool play beating Vidalia (18-3) and Jeff Davis (2-1) with the only loss to Toombs County (5-4).

“The guys really worked hard and improved over the course of the season,” said head coach Keith Mobley after the Bears went 7-2 down the stretch. “Our goals on junior varsity are not the wins and losses, but preparing to play at the varsity level. Several will move up and finish the season with the varsity.”

Championship Game Wayne 10, PCHS 6
Pierce County couldn’t hold a three-run first inning lead as the Yellow Jackets battled back to claim the title. Wayne County scored once in the bottom of the first and added four in the second chasing starter Brandon Aldridge in taking a 5-3 advantage.
The two teams exchanged a run apiece in the third. PCHS tied the game at 6-all in the fifth on a two-out, two-run hit by Colby Shane Smith.

Jordan Woodard was the tough-luck loser working 4.2 innings in relief. He was charged with five runs, four earned and allowed five hits. Woodard fanned two and walked five. Tim Huff led the Bears at the plate going 4-for-4 and scoring twice. Neal Hollis (run) and Chastain Coleman (run) added two hits apiece. Hunter Skipper, Heath Highsmith (two-run single in first) and Harrison Hart (run) contributed a hit each. “We hit the ball really well,” said Mobley. “The guys did a great job of sticking to our plan.”

Round 1 Pool Play PCHS 18, Vidalia 3
The Bears took advantage of the wildness of the Vidalia pitching staff, which issued 17 walks in three innings, to roll last Monday. PCHS blew the game open with a 16-run second inning and then added two in the bottom of the third to finish off the “mercy rule” win.

Woodard got the win going all three innings. He scattered four hits and walked five. Hart batted three times in the second and
had a single, double and a walk to go along with three RBI in the frame. Hollis, Rod Kennedy and Coleman also had hits in the big inning.

Round 2 Pool Play Toombs 5, PCHS 4
Toombs County pulled away from a 3-all tie with a two-run third and then held on for the victory on Wednesday. Michael D’Ambrosio pitched the first 2.2 innings being charged with all five runs, only one of which was earned, and took the loss. He allowed five hits, fanned one and walked one. Woodard went the final 3.1 innings surrendering just two hits.

Pierce took a 2-0 lead in the first on a Hollis run-scoring single plating Skipper and an RBI groundout by Highsmith that scored Hollis. After the Bulldogs tied the score in the bottom half of the inning, the two clubs swapped a run apiece in the second leaving the score tied at 3-all. PCHS got its final run in the top of the fourth. Hart (run) and Smith (RBI) added a hit apiece for the Bears.

Round 3 Pool Play PCHS 2, Jeff Davis 1
Will White’s complete game, 13-strikeout, three-hit performance kept the Bears alive in the tournament. “This performance really speaks of the competitiveness of Will,” said Mobley. “He’s in the middle of changing his mechanics and was fighting
that all game, but he just refused to give Jeff Davis anything after the first inning.”

Jeff Davis, which took a quick 1-0 lead in the first, had just one base runner the rest of the game. PCHS trailed until scoring twice in the top of the sixth. Huff’s one-out hit-and-run allowed Hollis to race to third. Coleman grounded out scoring Hollis to tie the score. Kennedy came through with a clutch two-out base hit plating Hart, who was pinch running for Huff.

The final weekend of the season just got a little easier for the South Georgia College Tigers. SGC was sitting in a precarious position headed into the final weekend of the season. Mired in a tie for third place in the conference and staring a three-game series against the number-one Middle Georgia College Warriors to end the season, the Tigers could guarantee themselves a spot in the top four with at least one win, which would allow SGC to host a first-round playoff series next weekend. Or they could drop completely out of the top four and travel for the first round if they lost all three.

SGC decided to go ahead and take care of business. Thursday night, the Tigers defeated the Warriors 11-6 to secure at least one home playoff series. SGC went to work immediately, scoring three in the first and three in third. The Tigers added one in the fourth and four more in the seventh to go up 11-2. The Warriors scattered nine hits over eight innings but could muster just two runs. Starter Greg Fietsam (5-2, 4.24) threw very well, lasting eight innings and pitching the Tigers out of several jams. However, he ran into a little trouble in the top of the ninth. The Warriors weren’t ready to lay down and just let SGC walk over them. Two Warriors, Jacob Stinson and Reggie Williams, opened the ninth with hits. Head coach Scott Sims pulled Fietsam in favor of David O’Neal (3-1, 3.61), who had a little trouble of his own. O’Neal gave up two runs on three hits and recorded just one out for SGC. Coach Sims then went to ace Frank Ambrosino (5-3, 4.58), who has a penchant for performing well in big games. Ambrosino gave up one hit but managed to escape without allowing anymore damage. When the smoke cleared, the Warriors had scored four runs on six hits. Sloppy defense plagued SGC throughout the game; the Tiger defense committed three errors in the final inning and seven total in the game (MGC made four errors of its own).

Fietsam picked up the win. Logan Gaines doubled twice, while Cole Anderson and Stuart Drew recorded three hits each. Zach Bennett drove in three runs, and Josh Palmer scored three times.

On Wednesday, Andrew Anderson hit his eighth home run of the season in a 7-5 non-conference win over Darton in Douglas. Bray Bishop (4-0, 4.68) earned the win. Anderson, Bennett and Jeremy Donaldson each had two hits.

Last weekend, Frank Ambrosino and Greg Fietsam, the SGC hurlers who threw so well against Young Harris just over two weeks ago in Douglas, picked up where they left off and combined for a win and two saves in a series versus the Georgia Perimeter Jaguars in Covington . SGC took two out of three from the Jaguars before dropping the final game of the series.

In game one on Friday afternoon, Josh Palmer had three hits while Stuart Drew, David Reid-Foley, Logan Gaines and Wesley Morris had two hits each as the Tigers defeated the Jaguars 8-6. Starter Justin Fordham (4-3, 6.37) threw 6 1/3 innings for the win. Ambrosino finished the last 2 2/3 innings for the save. The Tigers plated six runs in the third and two in the sixth to secure the win.

Saturday, SGC and Georgia Perimeter faced off in an important double-header. The Tigers won the contest 8-5. Drew and Morris continued to swing a hot bat; Drew went 3-4 while Morris had two hits in four trips to the plate. Andrew Anderson also hit his second triple of the year in the fifth inning. Greg Fietsam (4-2, 4.50), whose last appearance was a complete game shut-out against Young Harris, surrendered five runs in 8 1/3 innings for the win. Ambrosino recorded the final out for his second save in two days.

In the second game of the afternoon, Jaguars starter Bryan Benzor kept the Tigers off balance all day and led his team to a 5-2 win. He only allowed two SGC runs on five hits en route to a complete game of his own. Georgia Perimeter scored all five of its runs in the second inning off starter Tony Albritton (4-5, 6.59), who took the loss with just 1 2/3 innings of work. David O’Neal (3-1, 3.64) threw the final 4 1/3 innings. The Tigers scored both of their runs in the top of the third inning. Stuart Drew led off the inning with a single then moved to second on a balk by Benzor. David Reid-Foley doubled to score to Drew. Andrew Anderson then drove in Reid-Foley with a single.

SGC is now 35-19 overall and 12-7 in the conference. With the win over Middle Georgia on Thursday, the Tigers are guaranteed a spot in the top four and will host a home playoff series when the postseason begins on Saturday, May 1. SGC still has work to do – the Warriors return to Crider Field today for a double-header beginning at 2 p.m.

Five youth teams from Pierce County travelled to Brunswick to compete in the Peach State Diamond Sports Team Appreciation Weekend tournament today. Age groups being represented were 8 & Under, 10 & Under (3 teams) and 14 & Under.

The 8 & Under Bears went undefeated and won their division in three games outscoring their opponents by a score of 39-10. The 10 & Under Pierce County Cubs also went undefeated and won their division. The 14 & Under Pierce County Bears also won their division but had to do it the hard way. After winning their first game, the Bears dropped their second game but came back winning their next three to take the championship.

Other teams representing Pierce County during the weekend tourney were the 8 & Under Timber Rattlers, and two 10 & Under teams known as Pierce #1 and Pierce #2.

Way to go Bears & Cubs.

Powered by an eight-run outburst, Georgia slugged past Western Carolina 13-10 Wednesday in front of a Foley Field crowd of 2,257.
The Bulldogs (13-29) got home runs from Levi Hyams (3-for-4, 3 RBI), Zach Taylor, Christian Glisson and Todd Hankins (3-for-4, 3 RBI) as part of an 18-hit attack to defeat the Catamounts (25-14-1). Wednesday's contest was just the second game in the past 18 that the Bulldogs did not face a ranked opponent. During this stretch, Georgia went 4-14.

Third baseman Tyler Kirkpatrick (4-for-5, 5 RBI) gave the Catamounts a 1-0 lead in the first when with two outs he connected for his team-leading 12th home run off senior Alex McRee. Taylor tied the game in the second with his first career home run.

McRee, who has been a reliever this season, was making his first start since May 15, 2009 at South Carolina. On Wednesday, he went two innings with two strikeouts and was lifted following a leadoff walk in the third. Redshirt freshman Zach Laughlin came on and recorded an out, gave up a single and hit a batter to load the bases for Kirkpatrick. He promptly cleared the bases with a three-run double to make it 4-1. At that point, Georgia turned to junior Eric Swegman who retired the next two Catamounts to end the outburst. In the bottom of the third, Hankins and sophomore Johnathan Taylor (4-for-5) registered base hits. With one out, Hyams brought Hankins in with a run-scoring single that extended his hitting streak to seven games. Then for the second time in the contest, a double steal attempt was thwarted by the Catamounts who threw out Taylor at third. After a walk to freshman Robert Shipman, WCU went to the bullpen and brought in right-hander Jeremy Sluder who retired freshman Kyle Farmer to keep it 4-2.
WCU got the run back in the fourth as Trevor Collias led off with a single, stole second and scored on a base hit by Tyler White. With a 2-2 count on Bryant Noteboom, Georgia turned to senior Steve Esmonde. He struck out Noteboom but then allowed an RBI-double to Dylan de Graaf and WCU extended its lead to 6-2. In the bottom of the inning, Glisson smashed a two-out, solo home run. It was his third of the year and made it 6-3.

In the fifth, Taylor tied his career-high with his third hit of the contest, a double off Sluder. WCU turned to Vance Chavis. A wild pitch got Taylor third and then he scored on a pinch-hit single by sophomore Zach Cone to make it 6-4. WCU responded in the sixth as Trevor Collias greeted freshman Malcolm Clapsaddle with a solo home run, his 10th of the year. Then, White nearly made it back-to-back shots if not for a great catch by Taylor who jumped up at the wall and brought it back for the first out of the frame. Pinch-hitter Cameron Dullnig notched a single, stole second and third and scored on a base hit by de Graaf and it was 9-4. They added one more run before Clapsaddle was replaced by junior Ben Cornwell. After a flare hit to load the bases, he got an inning-ending double play.

With one out in the sixth, Hankins launched his first career home run, a three-run shot off the camera stand in left center to bring the Bulldogs to within two at 9-7. After a bunt single by Taylor for his fourth hit of the evening, WCU went to the bullpen in Andrew Chilcoat. He struck out Peter Verdin for the second out and then Hyams tied the game when he crushed a two-run shot off the batter's eye to make it 9-9. After Cone worked a walk, Farmer moved him to third with a double. Kevin Ruiz's high chopper to shortstop allowed Cone to score to give Georgia a 10-9 advantage. Farmer scored on a wild pitch by Andrew Blackwell. Then, DeLoach laced an RBI-double to left to make it 12-9 to cap the scoring. The eight-run inning tied the most by the Bulldogs since the home opener against Presbyterian on Feb. 24 when Georgia struck for eight runs on eight hits in an 11-3 win.

WCU got a run in the eighth off Cecil Tanner as Kirkpatrick collected his fourth hit and fifth RBI on the night. Georgia got the run back on a wild pitch as Hyams scored to make it 13-10.

Freshman Cooper Moseley came on in the ninth and registered his fourth save. He struck out two and preserved the win for Cornwell (1-1). Chilcoat took the loss to fall to 1-1 as he allowed four runs on three hits.

"Tonight's win was huge, what's ironic is that someone else finally walked more guys than we did," said Georgia coach David Perno. "We were down and (Todd) Hankins' three-run home run got life back to the team. I wanted to show this team that we're going to go for it. Regardless of the score, it's good to get our guys in motion and get balls in play. We've played three tough games in a row in South Carolina, Georgia Tech and Western Carolina, and we had chances to win all three and it's great to get a win."

Georgia gets back in to Southeastern Conference action Friday in Nashville, Tenn. The Bulldogs face Vanderbilt (32-12, 9-9 SEC) with first pitch slated for 7 p.m. ET.

The South Georgia College baseball program is hosting a skills camp in May and all players ages six and up are invited.

Beginning May 25, the camp will open with offensive skill work. Campers will work on the offensive side of the game on May 25-May 27 from 1-3 p.m. From June 1-3, the camp will focus on defensive skills. Times are also 1-3 p.m. Instructors will be SGC head baseball coach Scott Sims and assistant coach Jeff Timothy. They will be assisted by SGC baseball players. The offensive camp will focus on hitting, bunting and base-running skills. In the defensive camp, the focus will be on throwing and catching techniques as well as individual position instruction.

Players ages six and up are encouraged to attend. The cost is $30 per session or $50 for both. The camp will be held at George A. Cook Stadium on the campus of South Georgia College. Campers should bring a bat, glove and baseball uniform. Shorts are acceptable.

For more information, contact Coach Sims at (912) 260-4220 or (912) 389-0941. You may also visit http://www.sgc.edu/athletics/baseball/baseball_camps.html on the Web.

In the first two postseason games of 2010, the Tigers hit six home runs behind the pitching of Justin Fordham and Frank Ambrosino to easily move past the ABAC Stallions in the first round of the GJCAA Region 17 state playoffs in Douglas. SGC took game one in a run-rule shortened contest by a score of 10-2 and followed with an 8-1 win in game two.

The Tigers wasted no time in the first game, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. All three runs came on the long ball; catcher David Reid-Foley hit an opposite-field solo homer to put SGC’s first run on the board. Logan Gaines added a long blast of his own after Andrew Anderson singled. In the fourth inning, Gaines got to trot again – this time on a Wesley Morris homer after Gaines led off the inning with a single. Later in the frame, Stuart Drew drove in Andrew Anderson on a single to center field. One inning later, Josh Palmer hit a two-run shot that put the Tigers up 8-2. Zack Bennett would drive in Gaines on a sacrifice fly with two outs to increase SGC’s advantage to 9-2. The Tigers scored their final run of the game in the bottom of the sixth when Gaines walked with the bases loaded to score Drew.

Starter Justin Fordham had a little trouble in the top of the seventh; two Stallions reached base following a one-out error, with one runner reaching third. Fordham didn’t let the miscue bother him, and he promptly retired the final two batters for a complete game win. Fordham gave up just two runs (both earned) on seven hits. Logan Gaines led the way for the Tigers offensively with a 3-3 day that included three runs scored and three RBI. Andrew Anderson had three hits and Stuart Drew added two hits of his own.

In game two, starter Frank Ambrosino kept the ABAC bats quiet all afternoon, going eight innings and surrendering just one unearned run. Closer David O’Neal threw the final inning to finish things off for the Tigers. The big inning came in the bottom of the fifth when SGC relied once again on the four-bagger to put the game out of reach. Andrew Anderson launched a two-run homer with Drew standing on first to put SGC ahead 4-1. Six batters later, Chris Thompson connected with a Ryne Powers offering for a three-run blast. A Stuart Drew RBI single in the bottom of the seventh plated the final run for the Tigers, who cruised to an 8-1 victory. Drew and Josh Palmer had three hits each.

SGC will face Gordon College, which stunned Young Harris by beating the might Mountain Lions in two run-rule shortened games over the weekend, on Saturday, May 8 in Douglas. The two teams will play a double-header beginning at 1 p.m. If necessary, SGC and Gordon will play a third game Sunday at 2 p.m.

Brewton-Parker College’s Baseball team was declared SSAC Baseball Tournament Co-Champions with No. 4-ranked Lee University Monday due to inclement weather.

The Barons, ranked 24 in the nation, were scheduled to face the Lee Flames in a deciding game Monday afternoon, but heavy downpours made that impossible. The Barons advance to the NAIA World Series after earning the SSAC’s automatic bid for the tournament for having the longest winning run in the tournament. The Barons won four straight games before losing to the Flames Sunday night, 8-0. They defeated Lee (46-11) in earlier rounds. The Flames also advance as the SSAC Regular Season champs.

This is the first time since 2000 the Barons Baseball team finds itself on the way to the Nationals, said Simmons. She praises the Barons Baseball Staff, led by Coach Boo Mullins and assisted by Coach Joey Russell.

“I am extremely proud of the Barons baseball staff and team and their amazing accomplishment,” said Athletic Director Sheila Simmons. “To me, (the Barons) outplayed everyone in the tournament with their heart, character and their passion. They represented our institution with class.”

According to the SSAC, “The Barons have shown an indomitable will to win, scrapping out four consecutive one-run victories before Sunday night's setback. The Barons have also gone late into games playing three straight extra-inning games at the tournament, including a 15-inning win over Lee on Friday.”

According to Coach Russell, the Barons were World Series participants in 2000. The Barons won the World Series in 1997. The next step for the Barons is the opening round games, a five team double-elimination tournament, played at host sites on May 18-21. The winners of these nine region tournaments will go on to play for the NAIA Avista World Series in Lewiston, Idaho from May 28-June 4.

“We’re happy to be in the regional, and we look to have a pretty high seed wherever we land,” said Russell. “Once you are in the (national) tournament, the season starts over. Everyone has got a chance. It’s either win or go home. It’s a good position to be in.”

BPC’s Drew Parker, a junior from Surrey, British Columbia, was named the SSAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, according to the SSAC. “Parker was 2-0 at the tournament and also recorded a save. He posted a 1.74 ERA over 10 and one-third innings of relief at the tournament and had nine strikeouts. Parker threw six and one-third innings of scoreless relief to get the win against Lee, then came on to earn the save in the final inning against SPSU. Finally, Parker threw three innings of relief against AUM to earn the win that sent the Barons into the championship game,” said an SSAC release Monday.

Several Barons were honored with awards at an SSAC banquet last Wednesday night. Joey Delgado, a junior from Tampa, Fla., was named Pitcher of the Year for the conference. He also won 1st Team All Conference. Other winners are Senior Robby Kuzdale of Tampa, Fla., 1st Team All Conference (outfield); Junior Josh Barrs of Jacksonville, Fla., 2nd Team All Conference (first baseman); Senior Ryan Hewitt of West Palm Beach, Fla., 2nd Team All Conference (second baseman); Junior Delgis Soto of Bronx, N.Y., 2nd Team All Conference (pitcher); and, Junior Randall Shepherd of Vero Beach, Fla., 2nd Team All Conference (catcher).

The Barons are being welcomed back to campus today aruond 4 p.m. with a celebration in the Gilis Gym inside the Snooks Student Activities Center. Come on out and support the Barons!

For more information about the Barons, go to www.bpc.edu/athletics/baseball, or www.ssacsports.com.

Brewton-Parker College is the only accredited four-year Christian college in south Georgia.

In the above photo, PCHS Alumnus Jacob Evors (28), a junior from Blackshear, Ga., is at bat against Auburn University at Montgomery Sunday. The Barons edged out AUM, 10-9.

The PCHS Bears swept a best two out of three games series against the Dodge County Indians in Bearville for Games 1 & 2 in the first round of the Georgia High School Association's state baseball playoffs.

Jayk Graham got the complete game win from the pitcher's mound as the Bears won by a score of 9-4. Will Lowman was the winning Bear pitcher in game two as the Bears won by a score of 14-2.

Our Bears now advance to the 2nd round of the GHSA State AA Playoffs and will face the Howard Huskies on Wednesday, May 12th in a doubleheader beginning at 4:00 pm. The games will be carried on WWUF 97.7 FM.

For those making the trip, Howard does not play at their high school so here are the directions to the Ed DeFore Sports Complex:

Take I-16 West to I-75 South, exit on Mercer University Drive (this is also SR 74. Stay on 74 until you cross I-475). Turn right on Mercer University Drive.

Go down Mercer University Drive past Macon Mall and Log Cabin Drive. You'll come to a fork in the road where there will be a old grocery store in front of you. You want to stay to the right, that's still SR 74. Go down 74 until you get to an overpass. That's I-475. Cross over 475. Once you cross 475, go to the next red light and turn left. That is Heath Road (you'll see a Flash Foods and a Subway in front of you).

Go down Heath Road past Weaver Middle School and look for a sign that says Ed DeFore Sports Complex. Turn right at that sign. That road will take you directly into the complex. You will pass a soccer field on your right and a football field on your left. The baseball field is on your right.

There are no covered bleechers so you might want to bring an umbrella or wear a cap.

Go Bears.

Saturday, May 1st was a long hot day at the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department Spring League Tournament but when the lights were finally turned off, two of the three teams representing Pierce County took home the championship trophies in their age divisions.

The 8 & Under Pierce County Bears finished second in their division after playing five straight games one behind the other with the only rest between games being fifteen minutes for field prep and refreshments for the players and umpires.

The 10 & Under Pierce County Cubs played seven games in nearly 12 hours winning their first two before losing their third game placing them in the loser’s brackets. Not bowing down to pressure, the young Cubs battled back in their next two games making it the championship game but having to defeat the Sand Gnats twice to take home the gold. In game one, the Cubs won 14-2 in four innings and turned right around and beat the Sand Gnats again by a score of 10-6 for the title.

The 12 & Under Blackshear Bandits stayed in the winner’s bracket all day playing three games before the championship game when the second place Barracuda’s forfeited giving the Bandits the first place trophy with no losses.

The team photos can be seen on each teams roster page.

It took 28 innings to decide which team -- the South Georgia College Tigers or the Gordon College Highlanders – would advance to the GJCAA Region 17 finals. In the end, Gordon prevailed in 10 innings after left fielder Chase Raffield hit a solo home run that broke a 4-4 tie in the third game Sunday afternoon.

The series kicked off Saturday afternoon with a double-header. Gordon made a statement early, scoring 11 runs in the first three innings of game one to put the contest out of reach. SGC attempted to battle back but could only manage four runs. The Highlanders won the game 14-4 in seven innings. Gordon’s starter, Ted Pratt, threw a complete game and allowed just five SGC hits. The Tigers, meanwhile, went through four pitchers and never really stopped Gordon’s onslaught. Only Scott Groover, the fourth pitcher of the afternoon, escaped without giving up any runs. Starter Justin Fordham (1-1, 10.00 in the postseason) took the loss after lasting just two innings.

In game two, the Highlanders picked up where they left off in the first game. With ace Frank Ambrosino (1-0, 3.68) on the mound, Gordon scored five runs on four hits in the top of the first, including a double by Dustin Dalken and a two-run home run by Robbie Payne, to jump out to an early lead. The Tigers, however, weren’t ready to give up and let the Highlanders leave Douglas with the sweep. They scored one run in the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth innings to tie the game at five apiece. In the top of the seventh, Raffield, who had doubled, scored on a Kelly Williams single to give Gordon a one-run lead. The Highlanders’ advantage lasted less than an inning. In the bottom of the frame, SGC shortstop Andrew Anderson led off with a solo home run – his second of the postseason and tenth of the season – to knot the score at six.

Neither team scored in the eighth inning. Reliever David O’Neal retired the first two Gordon batters in the top of the ninth before giving up a two-out single to Raffield. Unfazed by the hit, O’Neal coerced Williams to ground out to end the inning. The top of the Tigers’ order was due up in the bottom of the ninth. Lead-off man Kenny Sanderson reached on a single to pitcher Bryant Kerns and moved to second on Kerns’ wild throw. Stuart Drew popped out to right field to bring Andrew Anderson to the plate. During his at-bat, Sanderson went to third on a wild pitch by Casey Shiver, who entered the game after Drew’s fly out. Anderson walked, putting runners on first and third for clean-up hitter Josh Palmer. Palmer fell victim to Shiver and struck out, bringing the always dangerous Logan Gaines to the plate. Gordon intentionally walked Gaines to load the bases.

The Highlanders decided to make another pitching change and sent in Jordan Johnson, the fourth pitcher of the afternoon. SGC head coach Scott Sims made a change of his own and called on David Reid-Foley to pinch hit for Seth Foster. Reid-Foley hit a grounder to second baseman Nate Mitzel, who had to rush the throw. The field was wet due to a brief spell of heavy rain (the game was interrupted twice by weather, including once in the ninth) and the soggy ball got away from Mitzel on the throw, allowing Sanderson to score from third to win the game. O’Neal (1-0, 0.00) earned the win in 2 1/3 innings of work.

With the series tied at one game apiece, the two teams met for a decisive game three on Sunday afternoon. Both squads got on the board early, scoring two runs each in the first inning. Gordon added a run in the third to take a 3-2 lead. SGC plated two more in the bottom of the fifth to go up 4-3. The lead didn’t last long; Aaron Dobbs tripled with two outs in the seventh to score Payne and even the game at four. Following the triple, Zack Hula replaced SGC starter Bray Bishop. Hula walked Raffield but then retired Williams to get out of the inning without any more damage. In the bottom of the seventh, SGC had an opportunity to get a run across but the Highlanders’ defense stepped up and derailed the rally. Tiger third baseman Chris Thompson reached on a one-out infield single. Center fielder Cole Anderson doubled, advancing Thompson to third. Stuart Drew then hit a fly ball to Gordon center fielder Kelly Williams. Thompson tagged at third and Williams fired a rocket from center to catcher Landon Anderson, who tagged out Thompson.

Things went quietly in the eighth and the Highlanders’ half of the ninth. Once again, the Tigers had an opportunity to score and, in the process, win the series in the bottom of the innings. Gaines singled to start the ninth. He moved to second on a bunt then stole third with two outs. However, a strikeout by Cole Anderson ended the inning.

Since entering the game in relief of Bishop, Hula had done an excellent job of keeping a potent Highlanders offense at bay. In the top of the tenth, his luck ran out. Hula made a mistake to Raffield, who didn’t waste the opportunity. He lifted a fly ball down the right field line that floated over the fence for a solo home run and a one-run lead. Hula settled down and struck out the next two Gordon hitters to end the inning. But the damage was done, and SGC went into the bottom of the tenth down 5-4. As was the case two innings prior, the Tigers had an opportunity to get back in the game. Stuart Drew started things off with an infield single. The first base umpire awarded Drew second after Drew and first baseman Eric Esquilin collided on the throw. David Reid-Foley popped out to left field, leaving Drew on second. With Andrew Anderson at the plate, Drew stole third to move within 90 feet of tying the game. Anderson hit a grounder to shortstop Andy Almonte. Drew broke for home on the play but Almonte’s throw was on the money and Drew was tagged out. Tiger fans watched painfully as Josh Palmer, who was up next, laced a two-out single to left field, advancing Anderson to second. The hit gave Logan Gaines another chance to win the game. The last time Gaines found himself in this situation, he drove a walk-off double to centerfield in game three of SGC’s series against Middle Georgia. This time, though, things went a little differently. Gaines struck out swinging, ending the game and the Tigers’ season.

The Highlanders will face the Middle Georgia College Warriors Saturday in Cochran for the conference championship. The Warriors, who are the defending state champions, defeated Georgia Perimeter in three games this past weekend.

The Tigers finished the season with a 40-21 overall record (14-7 in conference). Stuart Drew was SGC’s top hitter with a .406 batting average. Andrew Anderson led the team in home runs (10) and was second in RBI (54). Gaines, who hit eight home runs of his own, drove in a team-high 55 RBI. Frank Ambrosino was the workhorse of the pitching staff, throwing 92 1/3 innings. He ended the year with a 7-3 record and a 4.68 ERA. O’Neal, who tossed 46 2/3 innings, posted a 4-1 record with a 3.28 ERA.

On a night when the nation’s top hitting team visited Foley Field, it was the Georgia Bulldogs who collected a season-high 20 hits en route to a 13-9 victory over Georgia State.

The Bulldogs (14-33) snapped a four-game losing streak by slugging their way past the Panthers who boast the NCAA’s top batting average at .367 along with leading the country in runs per game at 11.7. Georgia got another four-hit game from sophomore Peter Verdin, his second straight after doing it against Tennessee this past Sunday, and redshirt freshman first baseman Kevin Ruiz went 4-for-5 to pace the offense that registered five extra base hits including two triples and a home run.

The Panthers (29-19-1) took a 1-0 lead in the first but the Bulldogs answered by sending nine to the plate in the bottom of the frame, scoring four runs on six hits. Sophomore Levi Hyams delivered the key blast, a three-run shot for his fourth home run. Ruiz capped the scoring with a run-scoring single to make it 4-1. Bulldog freshman Blake Dieterich struggled with his control in the second including walking in a run which ended his outing. Senior Steve Esmonde came on and avoided a big inning by allowing just a sacrifice fly and then Justin Malone’s fly out to center resulted in a double play as the Panthers were in motion. It helped Georgia maintain a 4-3 edge. The Panthers tied the game in the third on a two-out, run-scoring single by Brandon Williams. It was his team-leading 64th RBI.

Georgia reclaimed a 5-4 edge in the third. Freshman Zach Taylor led off with a double, took third on a base hit by Ruiz and scored when Carson Schilling hit into a double play. In the fifth, Georgia State threatened with runners at the corners and one out against sophomore Chase Hawkins. However, the Bulldog left-hander struck out Carl Moniz and got Williams to ground out to keep it 5-4. The Bulldogs extended their lead with a five-run outburst in the bottom of the fifth, highlighted by a three-run triple by sophomore Zach Cone. It was Cone’s team-leading seventh triple of the season and it gave Georgia a 10-4 advantage. Freshman pinch-hitter Brett DeLoach got the Bulldogs going in that inning when he led off with his first career triple.

The top of the sixth saw the Panthers close the gap to 10-7. Senior left-hander Justin Earls started the frame but did not record an out, allowing one run on three hits with a walk before giving way to sophomore Cecil Tanner. For Earls, it was his 104th career appearance, which moved him into a tie for second in school history with Alex Barylak, trailing only All-American closer Joshua Fields who made 114 from 2005-08. With the bases loaded and nobody out, Tanner got Jonathan Kolowich to bounce into a double play. A run scored on the play and then Joey Wood followed with a run-scoring single to make it 10-7. He struck out Bradley Logan to end the rally. Tanner provided two scoreless innings of relief.

In the seventh, freshman Kyle Farmer joined the hit parade with a run-scoring double to give every Bulldog in the lineup at least one hit. The Panthers struck for a pair of runs off senior Jeff Walters in the eighth to close the gap to 11-9. Georgia added a pair of the runs in the eighth including a run-scoring single by freshman Todd Hankins for a 13-9 lead. Justin Grimm pitched the ninth to preserve the win.

“Everyone in the lineup was productive tonight and we had some situational plays work for us,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “The home run from Hyams in the first was huge for us and gave us an early lead. Also, Ruiz has really been a lift for us offensively. He is in there swinging away and has been able to take some good pitches up the middle and to right. Offensively, our guys did a great job tonight and I’m proud of them. We’ve got some guys still trying to put good years together, which is good. I’m proud of these guys for hanging in there and toughing it out this year.”

Esmonde earned the win as seven pitchers saw action Tuesday. He tossed two innings and ran his record to 2-0. Nick Squeglia fell to 2-2, allowing five runs on nine hits through the first two frames.

Georgia will be back in action Friday against fourth-ranked Florida (33-12, 17-7 SEC) in Gainesville. First pitch will be at 8:03 p.m., and the game will be televised live by ESPNU.

The Bears baseball team notched its second playoff sweep in as many rounds Wednesday, knocking off Howard High School en route to a third Elite Eight appearance in the past four years. PCHS last advanced to the third round of the state playoffs in 2008, when they lost to eventual state champion Wesleyan in three games.

PCHS took the opener against the top seed from Region 4 by a mark of 14-3. The Bears wrapped up the series with an 10-5 victory in the nightcap. Jayk Graham was the winning pitcher in Game 1 and Will White was the winning pitcher in Game 2.

The Bears will travel to Roswell on Tuesday, May 18th to face the Blessed Trinity Titans.

Stay tuned to this website for updates.

Fourth-ranked Florida rallied for two runs in the bottom of the ninth without the benefit of a hit as two Georgia errors proved costly in a 4-3 loss Friday at McKethan Stadium.
The Gators improved to 35-12 (18-7 SEC) while Georgia dropped to 14-34 (3-20 SEC including 0-7 in one-run SEC games). It spoiled another fine outing from junior Justin Grimm who provided seven strong innings for the Bulldogs and was in line for a victory.

Florida took a 1-0 lead in the first on a two-out, run-scoring single from designated hitter Brian Johnson. It scored Matt den Decker who reached on an infield hit and collected two stolen bases in the frame. In the second, left fielder Tyler Thompson reached on a one-out single, stole second and second on a base hit by catcher Mike Zunino. Georgia responded in the top of the fourth with a three-run outburst to take a 3-2 lead off Gator left-hander Alex Panteliodis.

Freshman Todd Hankins led off with an infield single to extend his hitting streak to eight games. Sophomore Levi Hyams lined a double down the left field line. A passed ball on Zunino scored Hankins and Hyams advanced to third. Sophomore Zach Cone had a nine-pitch at bat that resulted in a walk. Freshman Kyle Farmed tied the game with an RBI-single as Cone raced to third. He scored the go-ahead run on a fielder's choice by designated hitter Brett DeLoach.

Grimm had one of the finest outings of the season, going seven innings and allowing just two runs on six hits with one walk and six strikeouts. After giving up a couple early runs, Grimm blanked the Gators over his final five innings of work to maintain Georgia's one-run advantage. In his last two SEC starts, Grimm has 17 strikeouts and only two walks.

In the eighth, Georgia looked to senior left-hander Justin Earls. He pitched a perfect inning against the heart of the Gator order, retiring den Decker, Preston Tucker and Austin Maddox. In the ninth, freshman Cooper Moseley came on with a 3-2 lead. Johnson led off with a slow roller to third that Hankins fielded and fired high to Kevin Ruiz at first for an error. Daniel Pigott followed with a sacrifice bunt that catcher Carson Schilling fielded and threw to second to try and get pinch-runner Jerico Wetzel. He was ruled safe. Josh Adams stepped up and put down a bunt that Moseley fielded in front of the mound and his throw was high and wide to Ruiz. Wetzel scored on the play, Pigott went to third and Adams advanced to second. After an intentional walk to Thompson to load the bases, Zunino delivered a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Pigott for a 4-3 Gator victory.

Gator reliever Greg Larson (3-1) notched the win with four scorless innings of relief while Moseley dropped to 0-4.

"We put them in position to tie it and win it when they didn't need a hit, and they did," said Georgia coach David Perno. "We played well for eight innings but still can't get any satisfaction out of it because of the way things turned out. Justin Grimm was great tonight and Justin Earls came in and did a nice job and Cooper was throwing strikes, we just didn't make any plays in the ninth."

The series continues Saturday at 1:06 p.m. with CSS televising the contest. Georgia will start senior right-hander Jeff Walters (1-6, 9.27 ERA) while the Gators counter with freshman right-hander Hudson Randall (6-3, 2.94 ERA).

Brewton-Parker College will begin the opening round of NAIA Baseball National Championship play Tuesday, May 18 in Jackson, Miss. BPC, the number 3 seed in the Jackson bracket, will face No. 2 seed Belhaven University on their home field at 3 p.m.

The Barons are ranked 22 in the final NAIA Top 25 Coaches Poll.

Other teams the Barons will face in this bracket, with their respective seeds, are: No. 1 seed Missouri Baptist, No. 4 seed Texas Wesleyan and No. 5 seed Kansas Wesleyan.

BPC is 40-16 overall heading into the Opening Round Series after being declared the 2010 Co-Champions of the SSAC Post-Season Baseball Tournament with Lee University. The Barons led the tournament with the longest unbeaten record in the series, 4-1. Due to inclement weather, the Barons were not able to face Lee University in the final game Monday in Columbus.

Josh Barrs leads the Barons with a .388 average with 62 hits, including 10 doubles, two triples, two homeruns and 41 RBIs. Ryan Hewitt leads BPC with 68 hits to go along with a .368 average. Robby Kuzdale is BPC’s run producer, batting .344 with 62 hits, including six triples, nine homeruns and a team best 58 RBIs. He also has 20 stolen bases.

Joey Delgado is the Barons’ top pitcher and SSAC Pitcher of the Year, leading the staff with a 9-2 record and a 2.66 ERA in 88 innings pitched. He has allowed 33 runs on 70 hits and has struck out 96 batters against just 18 walks all season. Batters are hitting just .218 against Delgado. Delgis Soto is 7-1 with a 3.00 ERA in 78 innings pitched, and Jacob Gore is a stellar 8-0 with a 3.72 ERA in 72.2 innings pitched.

Greg Mullins is the head coach for the Barons and is in his second season with the team. He led BPC to a 27-28 record in his first season. Mullins pitched in the major leagues for Milwaukee, making his MLB debut on Sept. 18, 1998, against Saint Louis.

The Complete Game Series is as follows:

Game 1: No.4 Texas Wesleyan vs. No.5 Kansas Wesleyan, 11:30 a.m., Tuesday
Game 2: No.2 Belhaven vs. No.3 Brewton-Parker, 3:00 p.m., Tuesday
Game 3: No.1 Missouri Baptist vs. Winner Game 1, 6:30 p.m., Tuesday
Game 4: Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 2, 11:30 a.m., Wednesday
Game 5: Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 3, 3:00 p.m., Wednesday
Game 6: Winner Game 4 vs. Loser Game 3, 6:30 p.m., Wednesday
Game 7: Loser Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, 3:00 p.m., Thursday
Game 8 (Championship Series #1): Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 7, 6:30 p.m., Thursday
Game 9 (Championship #2, If necessary): Winner Game 8 vs. Loser Game 8 (if first loss), 6:00 p.m., Friday

Justin Grimm tied his career high by going eight innings and Zach Cone drove in a career-high four runs to lead Georgia to an 8-6 win over Kentucky Thursday at Foley Field.
The Bulldogs (15-36, 4-22 SEC) snapped a 13-game conference losing streak on a night they fell victim to a hidden ball trick in the third inning. Kentucky (30-24, 12-16 SEC) pulled the stunt with runners at the corners and got sophomore Levi Hyams, who still had a productive night, going 2-for-5 with two RBI. Georgia ended up scoring four runs in the frame to build a 5-0 advantage and chase Alex Meyer. The Kentucky right-hander allowed five runs on seven hits in 2.1 innings to fall to 5-3. Meanwhile, Grimm improved to 3-7, scattering six runs on 10 hits with four walks and five strikeouts. He was gunning for his first complete game but allowed a two-run home run in the ninth to Taylor Black that ended his outing. Senior Justin Earls came on and collected his first save. It was his 107th career appearance, which ranks second in school history.

"I thought our guys did a great job tonight and Grimm was fantastic; he worked ahead all night and just continued to fight out there," said Georgia coach David Perno. "He gave us everything he had, and he's really done a great job down the stretch for us."

Grimm tasted victory after his third consecutive strong SEC start. Two weeks ago, he struck out a career-high 11 in seven innings against Tennessee but lost 4-1. Last week against fourth-ranked Florida in Gainesville, he got a no decision after pitching seven innings and giving up just two runs with six strikeouts as the Gators rallied for a 4-3 victory.

"We put together a couple big innings and our guys swung the bats pretty well tonight," Perno added. "We had nine hits from our first four hitters and, usually, you'll be in good shape if that's the case. I'm proud of these guys for hanging in there and they continue to play hard. They're playing good baseball right now and hopefully this will give us some momentum heading into next year."

Georgia extended its lead to 8-1 with three runs in the fourth. Hyams had a run-scoring double and Cone (3-for-5, 4 RBI) added a two-run single to highlight the scoring. The Wildcats pushed across five runs over the final three frames before Earls closed it out in the ninth.

The series continues Friday with first pitch slated for 6:30 p.m. Georgia will start senior Jeff Walters (1-6, 8.80 ERA) while the Wildcats counter with freshman right-hander Jordan Cooper (4-4, 5.11 ERA).

A trio of Georgia hurlers combined on a seven-hit shutout and the Bulldogs used 22 singles to pound Kentucky 20-0 Saturday at Foley Field.

Georgia (16-36, 5-22 SEC) clinched its first Southeastern Conference series of the season and registered its largest margin victory in an SEC game since 1994 when it beat the Wildcats 25-2. Kentucky, who came into the series on a four-game winning streak including sweeping LSU, dropped to 30-25 overall and 12-17 in the SEC.

Senior Jeff Walters pitched a career-high seven innings while senior Alex McRee and freshman Patrick Boling tossed one inning apiece to give the Bulldogs their first combined shutout of the year. Offensively, sophomore centerfielder Johnathan Taylor had a career night, going 5-for-5 with four runs scored and 3 RBI. He became the first Bulldog to go 5-fo-5 in a game since Joey Lewis did it against Kentucky in 2007. Freshman shortstop Kyle Farmer (4-for-5, 4 RBI) and redshirt freshman Kevin Ruiz (4-for-4, 4 RBI) also posted career performances for Georgia.

Georgia scored in seven of the eighth innings it batted. They built a 7-0 lead by the third, led 10-0 after six frames and then added a seven-spot in the seventh and three more in the eighth for the final.

“I was proud for Jeff, he started out with a few walks and then battled to keep them off the scoreboard,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “Kentucky had a lot to play for in trying to make the SEC Tournament, and we had something to play for in who makes it and trying to avoid finishing at the bottom of the league.”

“This was the first SEC series win for a lot of our young guys, some of they played last year but they were not starters, and that’s big for them now to experience this,” Perno added.

Walters (2-6) pitched out of trouble in the first when Kentucky loaded the bases with one out. He recovered to strike out Andy Burns (2-for-4) and then got Taylor Black to pop out. In the fourth, Marcus Nidiffer and Burns led off with base hits and then both were erased on the same play when they tried to advance on a pitch in the dirt and got caught in rundowns. In the seventh, the Wildcats lost a run on back-to-back doubles. Michael Williams had a one-out double. Brian Adams followed with a double and Williams touched home plate but never touched third. Walters appealed to third and Williams was called out. Then on another pitch in the dirt, Adams tried to advance to third and he was thrown out by catcher Christian Glisson to end the latest scoring threat. Kentucky never got closer after that. Boling allowed one hit in the ninth and eventually struck out the side.

Georgia’s last single traveled 400 feet and hit the centerfield wall. It was smashed by sophomore Lance Martin in the eighth, and it came with the bases loaded. The Bulldogs on board were watching to see if it would go out and got just one run on the play.

“Lance hit the longest single I’ve ever seen, and he’s one of the fastest guys I’ve ever coached,” said Perno. “That’s a stand-up triple for him if our other guys get out of the way.”

Kentucky starter Jordan Cooper went two innings and allowed six runs on six hits to fall to 2-6.

The series concludes Saturday with first pitch slated for 2 p.m.

Senior Gunner Glad smashed a two-out, three-run home run off freshman Cooper Moseley in the top of the ninth to rally Kentucky past Georgia 14-11 Saturday in front of a Foley Field crowd of 2,577.
The Wildcats (31-25, 13-17 SEC) salvaged the final game of the series after falling to Georgia 8-6 Thursday and 20-0 on Friday. The Bulldogs finish the season with a 16-37 mark and 5-23 in the SEC. Freshman left fielder Brian Adams hit a grand slam and drove in six runs to pace the Kentucky offense early until the Bulldogs fought back to tie the game in the eighth.

Georgia took a 2-0 lead in the first but Adams connected for a grand slam off Bulldog sophomore Michael Palazzone. It would be part of a five-run outburst as the Wildcats surged ahead 5-2. Georgia cut the deficit to 5-4 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the frame. A wild pitch by Palazzone in the fourth and one by freshman Chase Hawkins in the fifth helped Kentucky extend its advantage. Palazzone allowed six runs on seven hits with one walk and seven strikeouts in four innings of work. Hawkins did not make it out of the fifth, surrendering three runs on three hits before senior Steve Esmonde finished the inning as the Wildcats went up 9-4.

Georgia got a pair of runs back in the bottom of the fifth as Kentucky lifted Taylor Rogers in favor of Logan Darnell. Rogers allowed five runs on six hits. Down 9-6 in the sixth, Georgia tied the game with three unearned runs off Darnell. Peter Verdin reached on an error by Glad. Sophomore Johnathan Taylor (4-for-6, 1 RBI) registerd his 10th hit of the series, and after a double steal, Zach Cone's RBI-groundout got the scoring started. Freshman Kyle Farmer (3-for-5, 1 RBI) added an RBI-double and redshirt freshman
Kevin Ruiz joined the hit parade with a run-scoring single to tie it at 9-9.

Sophomore Cecil Tanner started the seventh and faced two batters before being replaced by senior Justin Earls. Tanner hit Taylor Black on a 2-2 count and then walked Keenan Wiley on five pitches. Adams followed with a single to load the bases for Neiko Johnson who popped out to second. Chris Bisson provided a go-ahead base hit, a chopper off the plate to make it 10-9. Levi Hyams made a diving stop on a ball hit by Chad Wright for the second out but Wiley scored on the play. Then, Ray drove one to the warning track to centerfield that Taylor chased down to end the rally.

Cone (3-for-5, 2 RBI) hit his 10th home run to lead off the eighth to make it 11-10. Farmer notched his third hit of the game and eventually scored on a two-out, RBI-single by freshman Robert Shipman to tie it at 11-all. Adams led off the top of the ninth with a single off Moseley. Wright reached when was hit by a two-out pitch.

Adam had a leadoff single in the ninth off Moseley. He moved into scoring position on a sacrifice bunt by Neiko Johnson. Bisson flew out to center for the second out. Then, Wright got hit by a 2-2 offering to set the stage for Glad.
Nick Kennedy pitched the final two innings for the win to raise his record to 4-1 while Moseley fell to 0-5.

Overall, Cone captured the Triple Crown for the Bulldogs, finishing the year with a .363 batting average, 10 home runs and 53 RBI. Farmer was the top freshman at .340-3-25. They both hit .571 in the Kentucky series while Taylor hit an impressive .733 (11-for-15) with a double, triple, eight runs scored and four RBI. Taylor's strong finish raised his average to .335 for the season.

After a successful spring campaign, that saw the Barons win 40 games, and capture their first SSAC Conference Championship in school history, Coach Mullins, and the Brewton-Parker Baseball program are still looking for stand out student athletes to join next years squad.

With this in mind, Coach Mullins has announced 2 dates for high school students to showcase their skills. The showcases will run from 11 am-3 pm on June 26, and July 31, and will take place at the Brewton-Parker Baseball Field, on the campus of Brewton-Parker College. For more information, please contact Coach Mullins at 912-583-3274 or gmullins@bpc.edu.

The Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department is sending three all-star teams to Lyons during the month of June in preparation for the GRPA District All-Star tournaments beginning later this month.

The 12 & Under team started their first game with a heartbreaking extra inning loss to Vidalia by a score of 6-5 placing us in the loser's bracket. The Bears then won their next three games against Jeff Davis (8-4), Lyons (15-8) and Wayne County (4-3). Vidalia ended the Bears hopes in the double elimination tournament by defeating us by a score of 5-4 placing Pierce in fourth place out of the ten teams entered in the tourney.

The 10 & Under team started their series of games by defeating the Twin City All-Stars by a score of 5-0. The Bears then run-ruled Evans by a score of 18-7. The Bears lost to Reidsville (19-16) then lost to Dublin (10-8) ending Pierce's run in the double elimination tournament.

The 8 & Under team started their games on Monday, June 14th defeating Telfair County (11-3) and Evans County (5-3). Pierce started Tuesday afternoon off by defeating Jeff Davis by a score of 2-1 and then losing to Dublin by a score of 7-1. The loss placed Pierce in the loser's bracket to play the winner of the Jeff Davis-Reidsville game to see who moves on to play Dublin for the championship Wednesday night. On Wednesday afternoon, Pierce faced Jeff Davis again with Pierce winning by a score of 5-2 giving Pierce a trip to the championship to face Dublin. Dublin jumped out to a five run lead in the first two innings but Pierce battled back with four runs in the third which would be the only runs scored for Pierce with Dublin adding three more to defeat Pierce by a final score of 8-4. The young Bears accomplished a couple of goals in this years tourney by placing one spot higher than last year (third place finish in 2009) and also suffered its only two losses to the tourney champion.

The City of Patterson’s Recreation Department is recruiting teams for its annual Spirit of Liberty Youth Softball and Baseball Tournament.

The tournament is slated for June 25-26 as part of the city’s annual Spirit of Liberty celebration. The tournament will begin at 6 p.m. Friday afternoon with day-long games getting underway at 9 a.m. Saturday.

The tournament will host teams in the following divisions: boys eight and under (with pitching machine), boys 10 and under (with pitching machine), girls 10 and under (with pitching machine) and boys 12 and under (live pitch.)

Team and individual prizes will be awarded to first and second place teams. The entry fee is $150 per team and all entries must be received on or before June 23 at 7 p.m. To enter, contact Alvin Kicklighter at (912) 288-2277 or akick@bellsouth.net.

“My phone has been ringing for weeks. We have teams coming from northeast Florida, southeast Georgia and throughout throughout the region,” said Kicklighter. “As one of the city’s biggest fundraisers, the tournament
helps fund our youth sports programs throughout the year. The event has gained in popularity due to the family-friendly activities surrounding the
festival.”

The free Spirit of Liberty celebration, which will be held at the Patterson Lions Park, will feature a fireworks display, live entertainment by The Swingin’ Medallions, the Loose Cannons Band from Fort McPherson, a poker run ride, 5K race, vendor exhibits and displays, the city’s famed barbecue dinner and sweet shop, speeches by statewide and area politicians, helicopter rides and a golf cart parade/contest with cash prizes.

The admission fee for the tournament is $2 for adults and $1 for students. Proceeds will benefit the Patterson Recreation Department’s youth programs. For more information on the Spirit of Liberty festival,
contact Wendy Kicklighter at Patterson City Hall, (912) 647-5776 or e-mail cityofpatt@accessatc.net.

The sixth annual Pierce County High School baseball camp was a huge success again this year. Sixty-seven campers registered and enjoyed a week filled with hitting, baserunning, fielding, and pitching. PCHS baseball players, coaches, and former players teamed up to provide an atmosphere for each kid to enjoy learning basic skills as well as spending time playing the game. The motto for this year’s camp was “Fundamentals and Fun”! “I would like to thank every parent who took the time each day to bring their child to camp,” said PCHS baseball coach Greg Gay. “People do not realize how important it is to learn the proper skills at an early age that they will need at the high school level. This baseball camp has been one of the reasons for our success over the past few years, and we now have PCHS players reaping the benefits from attending the camps.”

The 12 & Under Pierce County All-Stars defeated the Jeff Davis All-Stars by a score of 8-7 in their first game on June 22nd. Pierce played Appling County in Game 2 Wednesday, June 23rd in Blackshear at 4:00 p.m. and defeated Appling by a score 7-2 to win sub-district. Pierce will now travel to Hazlehurst to play Pooler on Tuesday, June 29th at high noon.

Shown in the photo above on the back row are the coaches: Jeffrey Bolden, Randy King, Mike Martin, Timmy Lowman, (middle row) Austin Lairsey, Kyler Wade, Logan Paul, Ganon Graham, Dakota Martin, (bottom row) Jake Selph, Jacob Woodard, Fischer Bolden, Austin Yarborough, Trey Gill and Austin King.

The 10 & Under Pierce County All-Stars started their run in the playoffs by dropping a game to Bacon County by a score of 5-1 on June 22nd. Game 2 was played on Wednesday June 23rd at the Telfair County Recreation Compex (McCrea) against Charlton County in which Charlton defeated Pierce by a score of 10-5 eliminating Pierce from the state playoff's.

The 8 & Under Pierce County All-Star team starts their district playoffs next Tuesday, June 29th in Blackshear @ 11:15 a.m. against Telfair County. The 8 & Under Bears will also honor fallen classmate Riley White by wearing his name on the right sleeve of their uniform shirt throughout the all-star tournament.

The 8 & Under Patterson All-Star team starts their district playoffs next Tuesday, June 29th in Blackshear @ 12:30 a.m. against the North Bryan All-Stars.

The 14 & Under Junior Boys start their all-star playoff run in Blackshear as well on Tuesday, June 29th at 2:00 p.m. against McIntosh County.

The 8 & Unders all-stars from the Patterson Recreation Department and the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department competed in the Spirit of Liberty Festival's annual baseball tournament on Saturday, June 26, 2010.

The Friday night games were rained out so Saturday morning started out with Pierce County playing the Wayne Stingers. Pierce struggled in the first inning giving Wayne three unearned runs and two earned runs with Wayne defeating Pierce by a score of 8-3. Pierce then played Richmond Hill with Pierce coming out on top by a score of 2-0 and then Pierce defeating the Cook County All-Stars by a score of 19-6. With Wayne losing to Bacon County earlier in the day, a re-match was set up with Pierce to see who would go ahead and who would go home when the rains came forcing the tournament to be cancelled.

Pierce finished fourth out of eight teams. No results were available for the Patterson All-Stars.

The 14 & Under Junior Boys started their all-star playoff run against McIntosh County. Pierce came up on the short end losing to McIntosh by a score of 6-5. Pierce plays again on Wednesday at 2:00 p.m. against Long County.

The 12 & Under Midgets defeated the Pooler All-Stars by a score of 9-4 in their first game. In day two action, Pierce defeated Appling County by a score of 7-1. Pierce will play for the championship on Thursday against the winner of the Appling/Jeff Davis game.

The 8 & Under Pee Wees started their district playoffs by defeating Telfair County by a score of 12-0. Day 2 started off with Pierce losing to Bacon County by a score of 15-4 placing Pierce in the loser's bracket. Pierce then rebounded by beating Long County by a score of 16-0 and then Hendrix Park 22-3. The Bears next game will be Thursday at 1:30 against the winner of the Bacon/Richmond Hill game. The 8 & Under team is honoring former classmate and friend Riley White by wearing his name on the right sleeve of their uniform shirt throughout the all-star tournament.

The 8 & Under girls softball team is also playing district this week in Blackshear and won their first game against Long County by a score of 10-2 and then lost to Brantley in a hard fought battle by a score of 12-10. Thursday's game will be at noon in Blackshear against Bloomingdale.

I would like to welcome all teams to come to Blackshear, GA on Friday July 23rd and July 24th to participate in the first annual Randy Bass Memorial Tournament. For those of you that knew Randy or better known as "Ernest" you would know that he would want you at the ball fields playing ball. The divisions are as follows:

8 under wheel pitch (8 team limit)
10 under wheel pitch (8 team limit)
10 under live arm (6 team limit)
12 under live arm (6 team limit)

$150.00 for wheel pitch
$200.00 for live arm

Call Brandon Jernigan for more information
(478) 268-2330 Cell
(912) 807-0267 Home

The 10 & Under Pierce County All-Stars participated in the GRPA Class C playoffs this week in Hazlehurst. Pierce's first game was against Putnam County in which Pierce lost by a score of 16-10. Pierce then dropped their second game to Bacon County by a score of 16-1 eliminating them from the playoffs.

While they may have played two and out, these young Bears have the sole honor of saying they were the only one of four teams making it to the final round.

Way to go guys, hold your heads up and there's always next year.

The newly formed 10 & Under Pierce County Grizzlies competed in the SSAA Baseball Tournament in Waycross today by winning two of their three games. The Grizzlies only had their first practice the night before so winning 2/3 of your games was a great accomplishment.

The Grizzlies started the day off against the Mud Dawgs and led the entire game going into the sixth inning leading by a score of 5-3 when the Mud Dawgs rallied to take their first lead of the game by a score of 6-5. With the Grizzlies batting last and not to be outdone, they staged their own rally defeating the Mud Dawgs by a score of 7-6.

Game two of the day saw the Grizzlies defeating the Swamp Dawgs in three innings by a score of 12-2.

Game three turned out to be the toughest of the day for the young Grizzlies as they were defeated by the Black Creek Warriors by a score of 14-6.

The annual membership drive for the Pierce County Althletics Booster Club is now underway.

Memberships are now available at the following levels: Family ($25), Booster ($250), Blue ($500), Silver ($1,000), Cub ($2,500), Bear ($5,000) and Grizzly ($10,000).

The Booster Club suppports sports at both the high school and middle school.

Membership forms and payments may be mailed to PrimeSouth Bank, attention Cliff Knowlton, P.O. Box 189, Blackshear, GA 31516.

For information, contact David DeLoach, Booster Club President at 449-3153 (home) or 286-2303 (cell) or david_deloach@yanceytrucks.com.

The 1st Annual Randy Bass Memorial Baseball Tournament began last Friday afternoon at 6:00 p.m. with live pitch action in both the 12 & Under and 10 & Under divisions.

The tournament was designed with a round robin pool play type setting that was used to set up the brackets for the single elimination championship round. Divisions included 12 & Under and 10 & Under live pitch and 10 & Under and 8 & Under wheel pitch.

Saturday's action began promptly at 9:00 a.m. with teams on all four fields battling throughout the day to determine who would end up as the division champions for each age group.

The Merchants from Liberty County won the 8 & Under wheel pitch division. Other teams in this division included the Bacon Bombers, Brantley County Herons and the Lil' Bucs from Appling County.

The Appling Explosion won the 10 & Under wheel pitch division going through their bracket undefeated with five wins and no losses. Other teams in this division included the Altamaha Tarpons, Pierce County Grizzlies and Team Nakahoma.

The Pierce County Cubs won the 10 & Under live pitch division by defeating the Sandgnats from Charlton County. The Cubs went through their division undefeated winning all three of their games by outscoring their opponents by a total score of 27-10. Other teams in this division included the Charlton Sandgnats and the Satilla Sting.

The Blackshear Bandits won the 12 & Under division by defeating Fitzgerald for the championship. The Bandits went through their division undefeated winning all four of their games. Other teams in this division included the Barracudas, Blackshear Tigers, Exospeed, Fitzgerald, Jeff Davis County, Smashers and Thunderdawgs.

During a break in Saturday's action, a Memorial Service was held in honor of the late Randy Bass and was officiated by Scottie Graham. Randy or "Ernest T" as he liked to be called was the Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Department director in 2009 when he passed away from a bout with cancer.

“Randy was a man that had an impact on youth sports long before he became a Recreation Director. He touched many lives, both young and old, throughout his life. This annual tournament is a way to recognize his positive impact and generate funding to assist in child participation for our programming. The Randy Bass Scholarship will be available to children and families in need of financial assistance to cover registration costs for all programs we offer. This past weekend was a huge success and we look forward to growing this annual event year after year” said Graham during the ceremony.

Graham then presented the Bass Family with framed photographs of the new scoreboard with Randy's name on it. The photo has a picture of two 12's on it as that the number that Randy always liked to wear.

"I would like to thank all those that came out to support the Randy Bass Tournament. It was a great day for all that was in attendance. I would like to give a special thanks to all the tournament sponsors that made it possible for this event to be pulled off" stated tournament director Brandon Jernigan.

Five Pierce County baseball players hung up the blue & silver to wear red today for the 1st Annual South Georgia Shootout baseball tournament in Hazelhurst.

In the 10 & Under division,Pierce County Cub Klay Allen played for the Wayne County Riverkatz. Klay hit one two run homer over the centerfield fence during one of his games. The Riverkatz finished second in their division.

In the 8 & Under division, Pierce County Grizzlies Todd Carter, Austin Jernigan, Sergey Steedley and Andrew Walsh put on red and played for the Bacon County Bombers. The Bombers finished second in their division. In a win or go home game, Andrew Walsh hit the game winning hit scoring Austin Jernigan.

Five years ago the Pierce County Board of Education got their man to turn around a down-trodden baseball program that needed life pumped into it.

Greg Gay did just that with just one losing campaign, that in year one, two consecutive Region 2-AA baseball titles and back-to-back runnerup fi nishes over the past four years. He posted a 104-46 won loss record during that time (best mark in school history) and four straight 20-win seasons turning the program into a winner.

Last Wednesday, after weeks of agonizing soul searching and talking with his wife Amanda and son Nate, Gay tendered his letter of resignation after accepting an assistant coach’s position with Darton College in Albany.

“I have been very fortunate to be in a great school system,” Gay said. This is a wonderful place. There are some great people here.

“Coach (Mike) Woodard is the absolute hardest working athletic director I have every been around. His heart is here and he loves this place and it has been great to work for and with him. He, along with Anthony Smith (principal) have been a major part of the progress of this baseball program.”

Not only does he leave big shoes to fill for the next baseball coach, he leaves a void on the football staff. Gay coached the running backs.

But it will be on the diamond where his departure is felt.

“We will look within fi rst,” Woodard said. “The philosophy has been put in place and throughout the years it has gotten better. Greg has done an outstanding job and it’s going to be tough to fill his shoes.

“You begin to judge people by different variables than wins and losses and that’s Greg - he has the wins to go with it - those are the types of things that make interviews hard.”

Assistant coaches Brett Brooker, a six-year assistant and PCHS alum, along with Keith Mobley, a five-year assistant, will get their chance.

“We always tell second and third stringers they are a sprained ankle away from starting,” Woodard said. “Brett and Keith just realized they are a sprained ankle away. They will get all the consideration.”

That makes Gay happy.

“Those guys are the backbone of this program,” Gay said, “and are two hardworking assistant coaches. That’s why I feel comfortable about leaving this program because I’m leaving it in very good hands.”

Following an 11-15 first year, the Bears posted a 25-6 record in ’07 and reached the Class AA quarterfinals being ousted by Wesleyan. The next year a 15-0 start led to a school record 28-5 mark with the season ending in the quarterfinal round with a loss to eventual champion Wesleyan once again.

A 20-9 campaign during a rebuilding year in ’09 followed. This time PCHS was beaten in the second round by Bleckley County.

This season was perhaps one of the best, if not the best, coaching jobs ever in the state. With six and sometimes seven freshmen and sophomores in the starting lineup, Gay willed the 2010 squad to an improbable 20-11 mark and the quarterfinal round of the playoffs. PCHS was eliminated by Blessed Trinity.

“My philosophy is to work hard and good things are going to happen,” Gay said. “We weren’t always the most talented team on the field, but the kids worked hard and that’s why we had the success we did. I’m not irreplaceable. Somebody else will come in and continue to build on this.

“I start choking up when I talk about pouring your heart, soul and life into something. The support from the community during the regular season and the playoffs really meant a lot. The facility, it’s no secret, is the way it is because of the support we got in the community. I’m very proud to have been here.”

Four straight 20-win seasons surpassed the total of the previous 24 years combined. PCHS never had back-to-back 20-win seasons before 2008.

“This job defines my high school career,” said Gay, who has been at this level for 13 years. “We had successful seasons at the other places I coached, but Pierce County has meant a lot to me. The program was in shambles when I got here facility-wise and instructional-wise. A lot of people contributed to help turn this thing around.

“All these memories are great with the region championships, but the relationships with the players and the coaches I work with are more important. That’s what I’m going to remember and not the total number of wins. The relationships you build as a coach are special.”

Gay started Monday at Darton College and will wear the hat of “head coach in waiting” replacing the father of the program - Glenn Eames - at the end of next season.

“This was something that I didn’t pursue initially,” said Gay. “I was just talking to Glenn to see what the qualifications were and see if mine fit the college mold. I was just investigating college baseball in general.

“It just turned into a very informal interview. He called Scott Sims (South Georgia College head coach) who coached me in high school and came back and offered me a position. I initially turned it down but he wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“It was a very difficult decision to leave something that you’ve invested everything in for six years. This (PCHS) was a job and a very large portion of my life. The decision was very diffi cult and it took a lot of prayer and a lot of patience and I let the steps be ordered by God.”

With a voice that was about to crack, Gay extended a grateful thank you to everyone.

“I want to thank the administration and what they’ve meant to us (family) and the community as a whole,” he said. “This is an unbelievable place to live and our paths may cross again. This is really a very special place and I want to thank everyone with one big thanks for what you have done for me personally and professionally, and for my family.”

The Ware County fall baseball season is getting closer. The coaches meeting is scheduled for Monday, August 16 @ 7:00 PM at the Grove Street office. Deadline for entries is Friday, August 27th at noon. If you are interested in competing, please contact our office at (912) 287-4488 and speak with Jodi Osborne.

Veteran state champion and hall of fame baseball coach Cecil Barber will take over the Bears program.

Barber was unanimously hired at Monday’s meeting of the board of education. The hire is contingent upon Georgia’s Teacher Retirement System approval. In addition to serving as head baseball coach, Barber will teach physical education and health at the high school and will also serve as an assistant football coach.

Barber declined comment about the job when contacted Tuesday. “I want to wait until TRS completes its review and the hire is official,” he said.

Barber retired from the Clinch County School System about two years ago after a long and storied, three-decade career. He coached the Panthers’ to six state titles in baseball and a state title in football in 2002. The baseball field in Clinch County is named in his honor.

After 25 years as the Panther's head coach, Coach Barber was inducted into the Georgia Dugout Club Hall of Fame after guiding the Panthers to victory in 414 games, six state titles and numerous region crowns.

In February 2006, the Georgia State Legislature honored Coach Barber by passing a Resolution recognizing him.

Barber succeeds Greg Gay, the winningest coach in Pierce County history. Gay recently resigned, after accepting a position at Darton College in Albany.

Congratulations to Coach Barber and welcome to Bear Country.

A final answer on a proposed merger of the Blackshear-Pierce County and Patterson Recreation Departments could come as early as this week.

The Patterson City Council is expected to discuss and possibly vote on the issue during their regular meeting Friday. The council will meet at 9 a.m. at city hall.

“I can tell you that it is on the agenda, but I can’t tell you much more than that,” said Patterson Mayor Sammie June Thomas.

Blackshear-Pierce Recreation director Scottie Graham and Patterson Councilman Rodney James have reportedly been discussing the merger since the proposal was first presented in June.

Graham said at last week’s recreation board meeting that negotiations were still underway and were “positive.” He declined additional comment.

The general proposal calls for the new PCPRD to assume responsibility for upkeep, maintenance and improvements of the Patterson facilities (Eagle Field and Patterson Gym). The City of Patterson will retain ownership of the facilities.

PCPRD will appoint a facilities supervisor to be in charge of the Patterson facilities.

Youths participating in the Patterson program must live in the cities of Patterson or Offerman, have a Patterson phone number or attend Patterson Elementary.

All gates and receipts will go to the PCPRD, but the county will provide a Patterson line item for operations there.

If there are not enough youths signed up in Patterson for particular sports, those students may come to Blackshear to be drafted for teams here. All youths will have the opportunity to participate in allstar teams.

Currently, the county and Blackshear share the cost of the department. However, Blackshear is phasing out its role. Next year, the county will assume sole responsibility and the name will change to the Pierce County
Parks and Recreation Department (PCPRD). Patterson maintains its own department.

Previous attempts to combine the two departments in 2002 and 2005 failed.

The 12 & Under Blackshear Tigers came out on top today by winning the SSAA Tournament in McRea. Team members sand coaches include The Blackshear Tigers. Front Row from Left: Coach Mark Williams, Caleb Williams, Dillion Kelly, Kris Wishall, Lane Ambrose, Luke Evors, Head Coach Keith Ambrose. Back Row: Coach Jacob Evors, Rhett Peeples, Trevor Parr, Kyler Wade, Gannon Graham, Hunter Pitts, Havon Moody, Coach Ricky Pitts, Luke Revels.

A major league baseball tryout will be held at the WPI Baseball Academy in Suwanee, Georgia on August 28th and 29th, 2010. This tryout is for players that are 13 to 28 years old looking to make the pro's.

We have confirmed that 24 major league baseball scouts and five (5) sports agents will be in the building for the camp stated Anthony Colon, WPI Vice-President of Baseball Operations.

If you are intersted in attending, contact WPI for a brochure to sign up. Players are urged to sign up quick because spots are filling up as we have real major league baseball players conducting the try-outs.

The camp time will be from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days; lunch and combine t-shirts will be provided.

For more information, contact WPI at (678) 957-0206. WPI is located at 1075 Satellite Boulevard NW, Suwanee, GA 30024. The phone number is (770) 910-3611 and the website address is www.wpibaseball.com.

Cecil Barber has withdrawn his application to be head baseball coach of Pierce County Schools. Interim school superintendent Dr. Joy Williams confirmed the news Tuesday morning.

“I was notified by (high school principal) Mr. Anthony Smith that Coach Barber wanted to withdraw his application,” said Williams. Smith could not be reached for comment Tuesday morning.

The decision came after several days of discussions and meetings with the state’s Teacher Retirement System to get approval for Barber’s hire. “Basically, the rules for the retirement system would allow him to teach, but wouldn’t allow him to coach,” said Williams.

Initially, approval was given for Barber to teach health and physical education and the system would be able to pay for the position as an academic class. Under the rules, Barber would have been paid as a classroom teacher, but would not be eligible for extended year or supplements for his coaching duties.

In addition to serving as head baseball coach, Barber was to teach physical education and health at the high school and serve as an assistant football coach.

Barber was hired by the board of education at their regular meeting last week. The hire was contingent on approval from TRS.

Barber retired from the Clinch County School System about two years ago after a long and storied, three-decade career.

Now, the whole process starts over. Williams said Smith and athletic director Mike Woodard would begin the search for both a new baseball coach and a physical education/health teacher at PCHS. There is no word on when those hires might be made.

A final answer on a proposed merger of the Blackshear-Pierce County and Patterson Recreation Departments will have to wait a few more days.

The Patterson City Council postponed its regular council meeting last Friday. The merger was expected to be a topic of discussion and perhaps come to a vote at that meeting. The meeting was rescheduled for Tuesday.

Blackshear-Pierce Recreation director Scottie Graham and Patterson Councilman Rodney James have reportedly been discussing the merger since the proposal was first presented in June.

Both Graham and city officials have declined to comment regarding the negotiations.

Patterson’s department has been without a director since the resignation of Alvin Kicklighter earlier this summer.

The general merger proposal calls for the new PCPRD to assume responsibility for upkeep, maintenance and improvements of the Patterson facilities (Eagle Field and Patterson Gym). The City of Patterson will retain ownership of the facilities.

PCPRD will appoint a facilities supervisor to be in charge of the Patterson facilities.

Youths participating in the Patterson program must live in the cities of Patterson or Offerman, have a Patterson phone number or attend Patterson Elementary.

All gates and receipts will go to the PCPRD, but the county will provide a Patterson line item for operations there.

If there are not enough youths signed up in Patterson for particular sports, those students may come to Blackshear to be drafted for teams here. All youths will have the opportunity to participate in all-star teams.

Currently, the county and Blackshear share the cost of the department. However, Blackshear is phasing out its role. Next year, the county will assume sole responsibility and the name will change to the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department (PCPRD). Patterson maintains its own department.

Previous attempts to combine the two departments in 2002 and 2005 failed.

Coming off a tournament championship last weekend, the 12 & Under Blackshear Tigers defeated the Claxton Express today by a score 10-5 in their first open base game play.

Way to go Tigers.

The Pierce County Grizzlies won the SSAA Tournament today in big fashion by going undefeated in all four of their games and turning four double plays while outscoring their opponents by a total score of 27-16.

Today’s tournament featured teams from Bacon (Drillers), Brantley (Herons), Irwin (Da Bombs), Pierce (Grizzlies), Toombs (Timber Dawgs) and Wheeler (Young Guns) counties in which Irwin, Pierce and Toombs were designated as Pool A and Bacon, Brantley and Wheeler were designated as Pool B for round robin play to set the single elimination tournament bracket.

The Grizzlies defeated Da Bombs by a score of 10-3 in game one and also turning their first double play ever.

The Grizzlies then defeated the Timber Dawgs by a score of 8-7 turning their second double play of the day. This game wasn’t as easy as the first on though as it went into the seventh inning tied 6-6.

The Timber Dawgs scored one in the top of the seventh taking a 7-6 lead over the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies started the bottom of the seventh with a single from Dalton Hall. Nathan Carter then hit into a sacrifice moving Hall over to second base. Todd Carter came to bat hitting a single scoring Hall to tie the game at seven each. Andrew Walsh came to the plate hitting into a fielders choice getting Carter thrown out at second. With two outs and Walsh on first, Zack Thornton came to the plate hitting a single moving Walsh over to second base. With runners on first and second with two outs and the game tied at seven all, Mason Bennett stroked a single to the outfield for the game winning hit that scored Walsh from second base to give the Grizzlies an eight to seven victory and the number one seed in Pool A going into the single elimination tournament play.

With both pool play brackets complete, tournament play with Da Bomb defeating the Young Guns from Pool B pitting them against the Grizzlies again and still came up short with the Grizzlies defeating Da Bomb by a score of 5-2.

It appeared that Pool A was the toughest bracket as the Timber Dawgs defeated the Drillers from Bacon County forcing a rematch of the extra inning game played earlier in the day between the Dawgs and the Grizzlies for the tournament championship.

The Timber Dawgs batted first sending five batters to the plate but were unable to score any of them against the tough Grizzly defense. Pierce scored three runs in the bottom taking a 3-0 lead. The grizzlies scored another run in the second to take a 4-0.

The Timber Dawgs wouldn’t die though as they came back and scored three runs in the fourth and another in the fifth to tie the game at four apiece when the Grizzly bats cranked up in the bottom of the sixth with a lead off single from Matt Simmons followed by a single from Ben Baker. With runners on first and second with no outs, Zack Thornton came to the plate ripping a single scoring Simmons from second for the Grizzlies second last at bat victory of the day and the tournament championship.

PCHS very own junior varsity coach has been tabbed to take over the Bears baseball program in 2011. Congratulations Coach Mobley.

Keith Mobley will be the new head baseball coach for the Pierce County Bears. Mobley, currently an assistant for the team, was hired for the top job during a called meeting of the board of education Friday morning.

“I am excited,” Mobley said soon after his hire. “Very few coaches get to take over programs that are in as good of condition as ours.” Mobley said his goals for the team will remain as they have in the past. “Our expectations and goals will remain the same: win the region championship and then take it one round at a time in the playoffs.”

He expressed his thanks to former coach Greg Gay, to principal Anthony Smith, athletic director Mike Woodard and assistant coaches Brett Brooker and newly hired Timothy Doster.

“The impact Coach Gay made on Pierce County baseball was huge, but does not come close to the personal and spiritual impact he and his family made on me and my family,” he said. “I am thankful to Mr. Smith and Coach Woodard for this opportunity and I look forward to working with Coach Brooker and meeting and working with Coach Doster.” Most importantly, Mobley says he is looking forward to working with the team. “We have a great group of players coming back. They are a special group of young men who are not only talented on the field, but also excellent students. They are a high character group of guys,” he added. Mobley teaches health at the middle school and has served as assistant varsity and head junior varsity baseball coach for the last four seasons. He was named Assistant Coach of the Year for Region 2-AA in 2007 and 2008.

The new coach is no stranger to the diamond. Mobley played at Ware High and Brewton-Parker College in Mount Vernon (then a two-year school) and Valdosta State University. He eventually earned his degree from Armstrong Atlantic State University and fulfilled a long-held dream to teach and coach. He also holds a master’s degree from Troy University.

Mobley was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Brewton-Parker last year and also played in the College World Series in 1985 with Valdosta State. While at Brewton-Parker, Mobley maintained a batting average of .387, with 19 homeruns and 92 RBI – an average of almost 1.5 RBI per game.

Mobley and his wife, Sheree, have three children, Lucas Wrobel, Matthew Wrobel and Nicole Wrobel. The family is active at Bridge Community Church. He is a veteran of the Army.

The hire closed out a series of strange developments following Gay’s resignation almost three weeks ago. Gay accepted a coaching position with Darton College in Albany. The search for his successor began almost immediately and within a week former Clinch head coach Cecil Barber was recommended and hired for the job, pending approval from Georgia’s Teacher Retirement System. Barber withdrew from consideration early last week, and reportedly had been offered the head coaching position at Clinch County High.

The proposed merger of the Blackshear-Pierce County (B-PC) and Patterson Recreation Departments has been postponed — at least for now. Rodney James, chairman of the Patterson City Council’s Recreation Committee and B-PC director Scottie Graham confirmed the mutual decision last week.

“We haven’t scrapped the idea of a merger,” said James. “We just don’t have time to get it together right now.” Graham indicated the discussions would likely resume late in the fall. “I would think we’ll start working on it again after football and before basketball,” he said.

B-PC had been using Patterson’s basketball facilities owing to the renovations at the NFC gym. Patterson cancelled that arrangement last year over claims B-PC did not hold up its part of the deal.

Patterson was scheduled to vote on the current merger agreement at their regular meeting last week, but the item was not on the agenda and did not come up for discussion. Instead, Mitch Hall was appointed as interim, volunteer recreation director. Hall will serve at least through the football season. He will not be paid for the job. Patterson’s department has been without a director since the resignation of Alvin Kicklighter earlier this summer.

Addressing the merger issue after the meeting, James said there was not enough time to complete a deal before football season began. “The city charter would have to be changed to allow the merger and we have to have two readings on it. That would put it off at least two months,” he said.

The two sides have been discussing the merger since the proposal was first presented in June. In addition to James, recreation committee members Edison Kicklighter and Melvin Hollis have been in on the negotiations. Both Graham and James have declined to comment regarding the negotiations, though both said there were points of give and take on both sides.

The general merger proposal calls for the new PCPRD to assume responsibility for upkeep, maintenance and improvements of the Patterson facilities (Eagle Field and Patterson Gym). The City of Patterson will retain ownership of the facilities. PCPRD will appoint a facilities supervisor to be in charge of the Patterson facilities.

Youths participating in the Patterson program must live in the cities of Patterson or Offerman, have a Patterson phone number or attend Patterson Elementary. All gate receipts will go to the PCPRD, but the county will provide a Patterson budget for operations there. If there are not enough youths signed up in Patterson for particular sports, those students may come to Blackshear to be drafted for teams here. All youths will have the opportunity to participate in allstar teams.

Currently, the county and Blackshear share the cost of the department. However, Blackshear is phasing out its role. Next year, the county will assume sole responsibility and the name will change to the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department (PCPRD). Patterson maintains its own department.

Pierce County's own Jacob Evors and the Brewton-Parker Barons look to improve on a great 2010 campaign, where they finished the regular season 40-16, were Co-Champions of the SSAC Conference Tournament, and earned an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championship Tournament. In 2010, the Barons were ranked as high as #16 Nationally and included: 6 All-Conference Players, 2 Gold Glove Winners, SSAC Pitcher of the Year, and the SSAC Tournament MVP.

After a successful season in 2010, the Barons look to keep the momentum going into the 2011 season. Returning all but six players, the Barons have high intentions and goals for the 2011 season. Returning to the squad, after missing the 2010 season due to arm surgery, are Donnie Albro and Ricky Rogers. Also returning, after missing the 2010 season is Daniel Jones, who will be a key ingredient to the everyday lineup and the pitching staff. Hard Hitting infielders Johnathon Barton and RJ Harris will bring big threats to the Baron lineup.

The Barons also signed a power hitting junior college outfielder Josh Palmer from South Georgia College. Former Baron Tony Vioro and high school standout Justin Rogers signed scholarships to fill holes in the infield. After graduating Catcher Gary Stauff, the Barons sign a standout from New York, Kelvin Espinoza to fill his shoes behind the plate. Jason Bailey, former Junior College World Series Champion from Chipola Junior College brings depth to the Barons pitching staff from the left side. Right handed transfers Artie Clyde (Alabama A&M), and Richard Hernendez (Clarendon CC) will bring experience to the pitching staff. USF transfer and hard throwing RHP Daniel Miller plans to lead the Barons to a successful season.

Brewton-Parker returns several starters from last years team including:Derrick Fox (SS), Errick Fox (INF), Randall Shepperd (C), Delgis Soto (RHP), Drew Parker (RHP), Jacob Evors (DH), Jacob Gore (RHP), Billy Mullins (LHP), and Ben Gillespie (RHP).

The Barons are excited about the 2011 season and are ready to get it started ranked 22nd Nationally. Coach Mullins and the Barons are ready for a tough 2011 schedule. The Barons schedule is one of the toughest in the nation, which includes Nationally ranked Lee University (4), Southern Polythechnic State University (13), Faulkner University (16), and Auburn University at Montgomery. The Barons add Embry Riddle (8), South Carolina Beaufort (20), and defending National Champions Cumberland University (1), to their schedule.

After a transitional season for the SSAC, the SSAC expanded to 14 teams and split into Eastern and Western Divisions. The Barons will be a part of the Eastern Divison and intend on making a return trip to the post season.

Coach Mullins and the coaching staff of Brewton-Parker have high expectations for the 2011 season. After compiling a tough schedule and returning the majority of the team, the Barons look to improve yet again and make another run at the National Championship. The 2011 campaign opens up with a double header on January 28th with Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, FL.

The fall baseball season will start this Saturday, September 11th at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross. 15 teams will be in this years league with our very own Pierce County Bears being one of them. Come out and support the Bears Saturday at 9:00 a.m. for game one and game two will begin at 10:30.

The 12 & Under Blackshear Tigers begin their fall season in Hazlehurst on Saturday, September 18th. As soon as I get a schedule, I'll post in the website.

The Pierce County Bears started the fall baseball season by defeating the South Georgia Wildcats and the Ware County Gators at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross.

Game 1 had Pierce defeating the Wildcats by a score of 6-1 in four innings. Matthew Aldridge was the starting and winning pitcher for the Bears facing 13 batters giving up one unearned run and striking out 3 batters in three innings. Neal Hollis came in to pitch the fourth inning facing four batters with one strikeout.

Game 2 had the Bears playing a young Ware County Gator team with the Bears dominating the game and winning by a score of 11-0 in four innings. Will White was the starting and winning pitcher for the Bears facing the minimum number of batters in three innings with four strikeouts of the nine batters. White’s effort of a perfect game was missed when he walked the lead-off batter in the third inning but the runner was thrown out when the third batter hit into an inning ending double play. Brandon Popham came in to pitch the fourth inning to close the game facing just three batters.

The Bears play again in Waycross next Saturday against Wayne County at 9:00 a.m. and then against Brantley County at 10:30 a.m.

The 12 & Under Blackshear Tigers start their fall season next Saturday in Hazlehurst.

After losing two games last week, the fall baseball Bears came back to win both games this past Saturday with two no-hit shut-outs under the pitching performances of Matthew Aldridge, Tim Huff, Will White, Cole Dowling and Brandon Popham.

In game one against the Jacksonville Elite, the Bear offense scored eight runs on five hits, one hit batsmen and four walks in the top of the first inning. Bear starting pitcher Matthew Aldridge faced four batters in the bottom of the first with no walks, no hits and no runs however the Bear defense was a little off committing two errors.

In the top of the second inning, the Bear offense scored nine more runs on three hits, six walks and one hit batsmen. Aldridge started the second inning getting the first Elite batter to fly out to left field. Tim Huff came in to take over using 11 pitches against three batters. Huff hit one batter, got one to pop out and struck one out to end the game as time ran out on the clock giving the Bears the win by a score of 17-0.

In game two against the Charlton County Indians, the Bear offense overpowered the Indian pitching and the Bear defense shut them down. The Bear hitters only scored two runs in the top of the first but Bear starting pitcher Will White mowed through the Indians striking out two and getting the third to hit a ground ball to Holt Rowland at first base.

The Bears and Indians both went scoreless in the second but the Bear offense scored two more in the top of the third on four hits and no walks.

Both teams again went scoreless in the fourth but the Bears broke out in the top of the fifth scoring 12 runs against two different Charlton pitchers on 10 hits and three walks.

Cole Dowling pitched the fourth inning for the Bears facing five batters giving up no hits and no runs. Brandon Popham pitched the firth inning for the Bears facing five batters as well giving up no hits and no runs.

The Bears are now have four wins and two losses on the season and play again Saturday at the Trembling Earth Recreation complex in Waycross with game one beginning at 9:00 a.m.

The 12 & Under Blackshear Tigers baseball team won both of their games in Hazlehurst this past Saturday. The Tigers defeated Team Sharky's from Wheeler County by a score of 11 to 6 in game one. Layne Ambrose was the starting pitcher for the Tigers striking out five batters with no walks and no hit batsmen. Ambrose did give up seven hits for six runs. Nate White came in to pitch the final two innings giving up no runs on three hits. The game was tied at the end of regulation forcing an extra inning in which the Tigers scored five runs to win the game.

Getting hits for the Tigers were Nate White (two singles and a double), Jake Selph (three singles), Luke Revels (a double and two singles), Haven Moody (1st home run of season and a double), Trevor Parr (double) and Luke Evors (double).

The Tigers defeated the Longhorn’s from Douglas by a score of 4-3 in game two. Nate White was the starting pitcher going three innings with four strikeouts, three walks and six hits. Luke Revels came in to finish the game with two strikeouts, three hits and no walks. Nate White had a double, Kris Wishall had two singles and two stolen bases, Luke Revels had a single and a double, Luke Evors had a double and Haven Moody had a double.

Players for the Tigers include Nate White, Jake Selph, Kris Wishall, Luke Revels, Trevor Parr, Justin Dixon, Luke Evors, Haven Moody, Rhett Peeples, Dylan Kelly, Hunter Pitts and Layne Ambrose.

The fall Bear baseball team kept its winning ways again today by defeating Mr. Rooter Plumbing from Douglas and Camden County 2 by scores of 6-0 and 7-4 today.

In game one against Mr. Rooter, neither team scored in the first inning and the Bears scored one in the second on a solo homerun by Matthew Aldridge. The Bears broke loose in the top of the third inning scoring five runs by Brandon Popham (single), Neal Hollis (hit by pitch), Holt Rowland (walk), Cole Dowling (bases loaded walk/rbi), Tim Huff (2 rbi single) and Aldridge (2 rbi single).

The Bears would score no more runs in the fourth and fifth innings but didn’t need to as Bear starter Will White was dominate in four innings striking out nine out of sixteen batters, giving up one walk and two hits. White started the fifth inning striking the first batter before turning it over to Huff to finish the game out. Huff walked his first batter, struck out the second and ended the game with a fly ball to left field.

In game two against Camden County 2, the Bears broke out in the top of the first on lead off singles by Will Lowman and Hollis when Drew Taylor came to the plate and spanked one over the left field fence for a three run homer. Not to be out done, Rowland came to the plate and bombed one over the centerfield fence giving the Bears a four run lead. Huff also had a single before Camden was able to shut the Bears down. Cole Dowling toed the rubber for the Bears as the starting pitcher striking out the first batter and getting the next two Camden batters on infield grounders.

The Bears scored two more in the second inning on appearances by Popham (single), Lowman and Hollis were both hit by the pitcher and Rowland hitting a two run single scoring Popham and Lowman. Dowling continued by striking out two, then walking two before striking out the fifth batter he faced.

The Bears sent five batters to the plate unable to score in the top of the third inning. Neal Hollis came in to pitch for the Bears getting the Camden batters on three straight infield grounders.

The Bears scored one more in the top of the fourth on a double by Hollis, a walk by Taylor, and a sacrifice fly by Rowland (rbi). Dowling and Huff also had walks in the inning. Brandon Popham came in to close the game for the Bears but had a rough outing as he faced eight Camden batters giving up four runs before being relieved by Hollis getting the last two Camden batters out to end the game.

The Bears play two games again next Saturday at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross at noon against Echols County and then against Camden 1. The Bears are currently 6-2 on the fall season and ranked third out of fifteen teams that are participating in the league.

The 12 & Under Blackshear Tigers continued their winning ways today by defeating the Bacon County Raiders by a score of 7-4 and then the Telfair Titans by a score of 11-8.

Layne Ambrose was the winning pitcher in game one against the Raiders with three strike outs. Nate White had two singles and a double; Jake Selph had a single and a double; Haven Moody, Luke Revels, Kris Wishall, Trevor Parr, Luke Evors, Dylan Kelly and Hunter Pitts all had singles and Justin Dixon had a homerun and two doubles.

In game two against the Titans, the Tigers set the tone with five runs in the first inning. Jake Selph was the starting pitcher with four strike outs before turning the ball over to Nate White in relief in which Nate had four strikeouts. White went three for three; Wishall, Dixon went two for three, Moody went two for two and Parr had a double.

Players for the Tigers include Nate White, Jake Selph, Kris Wishall, Justin Dixon, Luke Revels, Trevor Parr, Luke Evors, Haven Moody, Caleb Williams, Dylan Kelly, Hunter Pitts and Layne Ambrose.

The Tigers play again in Hazlehurst on Saturday, October 16th at 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.

Coach Keith Mobley was the guest speaker at the Blackshear Rotary Club luncheon last week. Coach Mobley is the new Pierce County High School baseball coach, taking over from Coach Greg Gay. During his introduction by Steven Paul,Coach Mobley was praised for his character and integrity and acknowledged for the significance of those attributes to the players and parents.

Mobley pointed out that he inherited a great program that was turned around by Coach Gay. The High School team has two regional championships
in the past four years and a 20 – 11 win/loss record last year. The outlook for the 2010 - 2011 season is good with one returning senior, seven juniors and two sophomores stated Mobley. He is very optimistic about winning the region this year because the overall program success factors of exceptional players, good coaching and supportive parents and community are in place.

The season starts on February 23, 2011.

(UPDATED 10/11/10) The Bears split two baseball games today at the Ware County Recreation Department’s season ending fall baseball league at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross.

The Bears defeated Echols County in Game 1 by a score of 5-0 behind the pitching performance of Will White (4-0) who struck out ten out of the sixteen batters that he faced in four innings. White only gave up two walks, one hit and one hit batsmen. The other two Echols batters ground out to second base and hit a fly ball to centerfield. Freshman pitcher Brandon Popham (three holds) closed the game for the Bears pitching the fifth and final inning facing four batters giving up one hit, one ground out and two fly balls to the outfield.

The Bears scored one run in the second inning by Drew Taylor that was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a single by Matthew Aldridge and scored when Will White reached first on an error by the Echols right fielder.

The Bears scored their remaining four runs in the third inning on walk by Tim Huff scoring on a triple by Cole Dowling who scored on a single by Holt Rowland who moved to second on a single by Aldridge when sophomore Harrison Hart smacked a double scoring Rowland and Aldridge.

The Bears suffered a heart breaking loss in Game 2 to Camden County by a score of 9-8. Matthew Aldridge (2-1) started the game for the Bears giving up six runs in the first inning before finding his groove and sitting the Camden batters three up and three down in both the second and third innings.

Down 6-0, the Bears battled back scoring two in the first, three in the third and took the lead in the top of the fourth inning scoring three more taking the lead by a score of 8-6. In the bottom half of the inning though, the Camden batters battled back scoring three runs winning the game by a score of 9-8.

Even with the loss to Camden, the Bears should hold on to their fourth place ranking in the fall league which plays its single elimination championship on Saturday, October 23rd. The Bears will face Camden County at 11:00 a.m.

You can follow all Pierce County baseball action on the internet by visiting www.leaguelineup.com/piercecountybaseball.

The Ware County Recreation Board voted tonight to pursue sanctioning with Little League. The approval is pending other S E Ga rec departments joining.

Play will continue with GRPA. Little League will allow our kids to possibly compete on the National level. The board hopes other area rec depts agree as well.

(Updated 10/18/10) The 12 & Under Blackshear Tigers won two more this past weekend in Hazlehurst, one by forfeit and the other by a blowout. It took a lot of small ball, smart base running and strong pitching to beat Jeff Davis on their home field and who had only lost one game throughout the fall ball season.

With Jeff Davis losing, the Blackshear Tigers have taken over 1st place in the standings. The league championship will be played November 5th at 6:45 p.m. and continuing on November 6th at the Jeff Davis County Recreation Complex in Hazlehurst. The highlights of the game were strong pitching by Seth Horton with six strike outs, no walks and giving up only three hits. Layne Ambrose came in for the hold, striking out the only three batters he faced.

Nate White had two singles and a double, Jake Selph and Haven Moody with one single each, Kris Wishall with two singles, Seth Horton had a single and a double, Luke Revels had three singles and a double, Trevor Parr and Luke Evors both with two singles. Caleb Williams had a sacrifice bunt scoring a run.

At the end Blackshear came out on top 9-0.

The Darton College Cavaliers with former PCHS Coach Greg Gay will battle the South Georgia Colege Tigers with former PCHS standouts Caleb Lairsey, David O’Neal and Ethan Parker.

The game will be played at East Georgia Community College in Cochran, GA on October 16th at 1:30 p.m.

If your in the area, go and support these folks.

We all share the sadness and grief with the passing of Layne Dixon and Holt Rowland. Our entire Pierce County family has lost two tremendous young men who were wonderful sons, brothers, nephews, friends and teammates to us all. Holt and Layne are now a part of God's Team - the greatest team ever assembled. They will never experience defeat, loss, or failure again!! Our heartfelt Prayers and Blessings go out to the entire Dixon and Rowland families.

For each of you, I hope you may find comfort and pride as I do in the Christ-Like "Foundation" that we have here in Pierce County. My heart is saddened and hurts for this tragic loss, but I find peace in knowing that this "Foundation" has and will continue to comfort each and everyone of us. GOD Bless Us All. I offer this Prayer:

"LORD, we don't know the future. But I want to declare that whatever it holds, YOU will be the focus of it all. Every dream, hope, accident, tragedy, disappointment, challenge, and desire......LORD, we pray that you will be right there in the center of our everythingness. We confess our inadequacy to do this thing called life on our own. May your grace carry us through terrible sorrows and unimaginable joys. We cling to each other as we cling to you, JESUS."

AMEN

GO BEARS!
Mike Woodard
Athletic Director
Head Football Coach
Pierce County High School
(912) 449-2055 ext. 144
mwoodard@pierce.k12.ga.us

Name:
James Holton "Holt" Rowland

Dates:
Birth date: May 15, 1994
Death date: November 10, 2010

Obituary:
Mr. James Holton “Holt” Rowland, 16 of Blackshear, passed away Wednesday (November 10, 2010) from injuries he received in an automobile accident in Pierce County.

Born in Waycross, GA on May 15, 1994, he had lived in Pierce County all of his life. Holt was a Junior at Pierce County High School where he was a member of the varsity baseball team and the leadership team of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He had also been a member of the 2006 11 & 12 year olds Midget Baseball State Championship Team. Holt was a member of Bridge Community Baptist Church but had also been actively involved with global mission work and the Youth Ministry through Emmanuel Baptist Church and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He was employed at Pierce Timber Company.

Survivors include his parents, Dave & Kim Ganus Rowland of Blackshear; a brother, Hunter Rowland of Blackshear; his maternal grandparents, Don & Barbara Ganus of Blackshear; his paternal grandparents, David & Joyce Rowland of Waycross; three aunts, Sandi & Kevin Sport of Patterson and Lisa & Les Evans and Pam & Tommy Sweeney all of Waycross; five cousins, LeAnna Evans, Leslie Evans, Kaitlyn Young, Kassie Milton and Kalyn Milton and several other relatives and friends.

Memorials:
The family requests that in lieu of flowers please make contributions in memory of Holt to FCA Baseball, 525 W. Magnolia Circle, Alpharetta, GA 30005. This will support FCA Ministry in the Dominican Republic.

Visitation:
Visitation for Holt will begin at 5 pm on Tuesday at the First Baptist Church.

Service:
Funeral services for Holt will be held at 3:00 Wednesday afternoon (November 17, 2010) at Emmanuel Baptist Church. Holt will lay in state at the church one hour prior to the service. Honorary pallbearers will be the 2010 & 2011 members of the PCHS baseball team. Please meet at the church by 2:00 o’clock.

Cemetery:
Interment will be in the Blackshear Cemetery.

Name:
Layne Garrett Dixon

Dates:
Birth date: October 23, 1995
Death date: November 09, 2010

Obituary:
Mr. Layne Garrett Dixon, 15 of Blackshear, passed away Tuesday evening (November 9, 2010) from injuries he received in an automobile accident in Pierce County.

Born in Brunswick, GA on October 23, 1995, he had lived in Pierce County all of his life. Layne was a freshman and honor roll student at Pierce County High School. He was a member of the PCHS football and baseball teams but was also an avid outdoorsman. He loved to hunt and especially enjoyed fishing with his grandfather Dixon. Layne was a member of First Baptist Church where he was very active with his youth group. He loved spending time with his friends and family.

He was preceded in death by his maternal grandfather, Jackson Allen Gunter, and by a special uncle, Charles “Randy” Morris.

Survivors include his parents, Randy & Teresa Gunter Dixon of Blackshear; a sister, Emmaline Dixon of Blackshear; a brother, Clark Dixon of Blackshear; his maternal grandmother, Lois Meeks Gunter of Blackshear; his paternal grandparents, Walker & Ann Morris Dixon of Blackshear; three aunts, Lee-Anne & Kemp Riggan of Fernandina Beach, FL, Jackie Gunter of Palatka, FL and Vickie & Darrell Staley of Waycross; three uncles, Ray & Jennifer Dixon of Blackshear, Glenn & Brenda Gunter of Waycross and Keith Gunter of Blackshear; five cousins, Rayna Dixon, Walker Dixon, III, Bailey Riggan, Gracie Riggan and Lander Dixon. There are several other relatives and numerous friends.

Memorials:
The family requests that in lieu of flowers please make contributions in memory of Layne to the Layne Dixon Scholarship Fund at Prime South Bank.

Visitation:
Visitation for Layne will begin at 5 pm on Saturday at the funeral home.

Service:
Funeral services for Layne will be held at 2:30 Sunday afternoon (November 14, 2010) at the First Baptist Church. Honorary pallbearers will be the freshman class of PCHS and the PCHS varsity football and baseball teams. Please meet at the church by 1:30.

Cemetery:
Interment will be in the Shiloh Cemetery.

Coach Scott Sims of the South Georgia College Tigers in Douglas has scheduled JUCO Baseball Showcase on November 13, 2010.

The showcase is for 2011 & 2012 high school grads who would like to receive professional and college instruction and evaluation. Players will have a chance to display their skills and receive professional instruction from scouts and coaches.

The cost of the showcase is $130.00 and will be limited to the first 40 players that register.

More information and a registration form about the showcase can be obtained by visiting the South Georgia College website at http://www.sgc.edu/athletics/baseball/index.html.

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is an accredited two-year institution in the University System of Georgia. Located in Douglas, Ga., the college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty. With over 20 majors and transfer opportunities, South Georgia College provides the finest education possible to the citizens of its service area.

Carrollton, GA - Pitching was the name of the game for the West Georgia Wolves in the 2010 fall signing period, as head coach Skip Fite announced the signing of four Georgia High School players to the West Georgia baseball program Monday.

Three of the four signees will finish their high school careers in the spring and one is a junior college transfer. The three high school players are: Marquise Vialet out of South Paulding High School; Dylan Griffin from Griffin, GA and Jake Graham from Blacksher. Seth McClure, of Blue Ridge, GA, is transferring from Chattanooga State.

"We were very fortunate this season to sign four players who will have a major impact on the future of our program," Fite said. "All four turned down scholarship offers at other schools to make a commitment to what we are doing here at West Georgia."

The signees all hail from the state of Georgia and Fite had pitching on his mind in delivering this recruiting class.

"Our goal was to improve our pitching staff with a few power arms and athletic players," said Fite. "Three of the four guys have a shot at contributing as position players as well as on the mound."

2010 Fall Signing Class
Marquise Vialet 5’11”/178 INF/RHP Fr South Paulding HS Douglasville GA Marquise is a very good shortstop that throws 88-90 mph off the mound. He will be an impact player for us both as a position player and pitcher.

Dylan Griffin 6’3”/205 1B/RHP Fr Spaulding HS Griffin, GA. Dylan has a power FB that has been clocked as high as 94 this summer. He will make an impact on our pitching staff and also is a very good hitter with a lot of power. Should develop into a great player for us.

Seth McClure 6’6”/190 RHP Jr Chattanooga State College Blue Ridge,GA. Seth has a FB in the upper 80’s with a very good breaking pitch. He will be a conference starter for last year’s World Series participant Chattanooga State, this spring. Throws a lot of strikes and should be a weekend starter for us in 2012.

Jake Graham 6’2”/192 RHP/Inf Fr Pierce County HS Blackshear , GA. Jake is a very good athlete that will be a two way player for us. He has a 84 to 86 MPH FB and is a very good hitter. Another pitcher that throws a lot of strikes and knows how to compete. Is the captain of his high school team and was the starting Quarterback on the football team. Should be another one that will play a lot early in his career.

ATHENS-----A limited number of spots remain for selected holiday baseball camps at Foley Field with one held in October and five slated for December. Georgia baseball coach David Perno along with members of his staff will play host to the six camps for boys ages 8-18.

Dec. 18: Holiday Hitting Camp (Ages 15-18)
Dec. 18-19: Holiday Hitting/Pitching/Catching Camp (Ages 15-18)
Dec. 19: Holiday Pitching/Catching Camp (Ages 15-18)
Dec. 20: Holiday Youth Top Dawg Camp (Ages 13-14)
Dec. 21: Holiday Advanced Little League Clinic (Ages 8-12)

The goal of the camps and clinics is to provide an environment to learn and improve mechanics and fundamentals in specific baseball skills; to enable campers an opportunity to showcase their individual talents; to offer the best instruction to ensure a positive baseball experience and prepare each player for their respective levels of competition.

Camp activities will be held at Foley Field, home of the Georgia Bulldogs, and other adjacent athletic fields for certain instructional times and specific needs.

Additional information and online registration can be found at www.georgiadogs.com. Then, go to the Georgia baseball page and click on the “Camps” link.

Scottie Graham and Jordan Sasser were the guest speakers at the Blackshear Rotary Club last week.

Graham is the Director of Pierce County Parks and Recreation and Sasser is the Athletic Coordinator. Graham has been in place for about a year, and Sasser has been with the rec department some 18 months.

They were pleased to report that our local area youth have been able to participate in all sports, with football being the largest so far. A joint soccer program with the YMCA started last season and had some 350 participants this year. The 2011 baseball season will have a noteworthy change. While the baseball program has been and will continue to be part
of the Georgia Parks and Recreation Association (GRPA), Graham announced that the baseball program will also be associated with the Little League International starting this next season.

Other significant program news is that the Recreation Department will be joining with the YMCA to have a local area swim team.

Darton Baseball will host a Winter Baseball Camp Dec. 27-30. The 27th & 28th will be for pitchers and catchers. Hitting & baserunning will be on the 29th & 30th. For more information please e-mail Coach Gay @ john.gay@darton.edu.

If you have any questions please contact the staff at:

Office 229-317-6969
Coach Huff 229-347-3924
www.cavs.darton.edu

December 27-31, 2010

Special Guest: Adam Wainwright #50 Starting Pitcher St. Louis Cardinal

Clinicians:
Richie Wasielewski #50 GCL Red Sox Pitcher
Current and Former Professional Players
College Coaches
College Players
Ages: 9-17
Cost: $750

Camp Introduction: A FCA partnership camp with the CIA Sports Club of Brunswick GA. http://www.ciasportsclub.net/ Register online at http://www.goldenislesfca.org starting September 27 - December 9, 2010. Limited to only 144 players.

Camp will consist of individual and multi-player drills including game experience. A great camp experience teaching player work ethic while having fun!! Fundamentals will be taught as well as advanced skills of baseball.

Infield Fundamentals, Outfield Fundamentals, Pitching Instruction, Catcher skills and drills, Throwing, Base running, Hitting, Mental preparation, Situational hitting including Bunting, Daily Games and more!

Players will receive a week of "Inspiration and Perspiration! Daily scrimmage games, Camp T-shirt, and a Camp Bible. Breakfast, lunch & dinner also included. Specific instruction for every position on the field. Night activities include praise and worship, chapel speakers, and an opportunity to develop lifelong friendships with fellow campers and coaches through huddle time. Adult Supervision will be provided on and off the field.

Camp Accommodations will be at Epworth by the in Sea Saint Simons Island, GA (www.epworthbythesea.org).

The Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department will be offering a winter baseball and softball league for ages 7-14. The league will be
pitching machine ONLY for all age groups.

Registration fees are $35. Registration forms can be accessed at the website by visiting pierceparksandrec.org or come by the office, located at 728 Ware Street. For information, please phone the office at 449-4791.

Be sure to mark on your calendars for March 5th for the 1st Annual Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department's "Fund" Run! All proceeds will go towards providing more innovative programming for the children and adults of Pierce County. We look forward to seeing you Saturday, March 5th!

For info on the run contact Jordan Sasser at 449-4791 or by email at jordan.sasser@piercecountyga.org. For info on spaces for the Downtown Market, contact Tommy Lowmon at 614-8419.

The Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department will be adding a new program this year called, Blast Ball! The program is tailored towards three (3) and four (4) year-old boys and girls and will introduce them to a very basic version of t-ball. No additional equipment will be needed from you, the parents. We will provide the equipment, uniform, and everything necessary for the children to have a "Blast!" Registration will be held with baseball and softball, starting February 1st. The cost is $35.00 and we look forward to seeing you this up-and-coming season!!

Parents,

It’s that time of year again! Registration is currently underway for our 2011 Baseball/Softball season. This year, we will be offering the following sports:

Blast Ball (co-ed) for ages 3 and 4 (age prior to May 1st)

T-ball (co-ed) for ages 5 and 6 (FEMALE: age prior to January 1st; MALE: age prior to May 1st)

Baseball pitching machine ages 7/8 and 9/10 (age prior to May 1st)

Softball pitching machine ages 7/8 and 9/10 (age prior to January 1st 2011)

Softball live pitch for ages 11/12 (age prior to January 1st 2011)

Baseball Little League for ages 10 thru 12 (age prior to May 1st), which will be live pitch.

Details regarding Blast Ball can be found on our website: http://www.pierceparksandrec.org. Registration forms can also be downloaded and printed off of the website to save you some time. The fee for each sport is $35.00, which includes cap (visor for girls), pants, and jersey. Our office hours are Monday through Friday, 9am – 5pm.

Have a blessed day,

Jordan C. Sasser
Athletic Coordinator
Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department
728 Ware Street, Blackshear, GA 31516
Office (912) 449-4791
Fax (912) 449-0886
Cell (912) 337-2083
jordan.sasser@piercecountyga.org

"He must become greater; I must become less." - John 3:30

If you don't have the best of everything, make the best of everything you have.
- Erk Russell

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (Jan. 28, 2011) – The Barons Baseball Team started its season off on the road Friday afternoon, and took two games from NAIA opponent Edward Waters College. The Barons starting pitching and hitting shined in the two opening games of the season.

The Barons took the first game 10-5, giving Daniel Jones his first win of the season. Jones gave up 4 earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, striking out 9. Jacob Evors lead the Barons at the plate, going 3-3 with 2 doubles, and 2 RBI’s. Derrick Fox also went 1-4, providing 2 RBI’s. Michael Pleau also had a great day, going 3-4, and 3 runs scored.

Game 2 went to the Barons 14-0 as Daniel Miller earned his first win of the season. Miller threw a complete game, scattering 3 hits with 6 strike outs. Right fielder Fernando Frias led the way for the Barons, going 3-3 with 2 RBI’s, and 2 homeruns. Fox also had a big game, going 1-2 with 4 RBIs. With the bases loaded in the third inning, he sent the fourth pitch he saw from Tigers’ starter Joey Razer over the right field fence for a Grand Slam homerun, giving the Barons an 11-0 lead. Randall Shepherd also had a nice game, going 2-3 with 2 runs scored.

The Barons are 2-0 on the year, and ranked 24th in the NAIA National Coaches Poll. Edward Waters College comes to town Tuesday, Feb. 8 for the Barons’ home opener. First pitch on Tuesday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. The second game of the double header will conclude the series for the year with Edward Waters College.

Toby Crews has about 75 tickets left for the FCA banguet next Thursday, February 10th at 6:30 p.m. on Jekyll Island. UGA Football Coach Mark Richt will be the speaker. Proceeds will benefit our local FCA! Please help him sell all of the remaining tickets! For more information contact Toby at tcrews@fca.org or 912-281-9510.

Tiger Baseball Off to 1-2 Start

The South Georgia College Tigers baseball team is off to a 1-2 start after splitting a double-header against Santa Fe Community College on opening weekend and then dropping a single game to Tallahassee Community College on Wednesday afternoon in Douglas.

The Tigers got a strong a pitching performance from Frank Ambrosino in game one against Santa Fe. Ambrosino surrendered four hits and two runs (both earned) in four innings of work. Reliever Dylan Wall finished up for SGC, throwing two innings without allowing a hit or a run. The Tigers lost the game 2-1; SGC’s lone run came in the fourth inning when shortstop Logan Gaines scored from second on a two-out single by catcher David Reid-Foley. Third baseman Jeremy Donaldson had two of the Tigers’ four hits.

In game two, SGC rallied for two runs in the top of the first to jump out to an early lead. After second baseman Wesley Morris and Gaines walked with one out, Reid-Foley singled to left, scoring Morris and moving Gaines over to third. First baseman Seth Foster scored Gaines on a ground out to first. The Tigers scored again when Donaldson singled in Gaines. That’s all the offense the Tigers would need; a trio of SGC hurlers – starter David O’Neal and relievers Brice Baker and Mikey Rodriguez – tossed a combined shut-out. O’Neal picked up the win and Rodriguez earned the first save of his college career.

SGC welcomed Tallahassee Community College to town for the Tigers’ home opener Wednesday afternoon. TCC didn’t prove to be very gracious guests, defeating SGC 7-1. TCC scored early and often, scoring three in the second, two in the third, and one each in the fifth and sixth. The Tigers managed just one run in the seventh inning. Wall, who started, took the loss for SGC.

The Tigers face St. Johns River Community College on Friday, Feb. 4, in Douglas for a double-header beginning at 3 p.m. On Sunday, Feb. 6, the two teams square off for another double-header, this time in Palatka, Fla.

On Thursday at 4 p.m., University of Georgia baseball coach David Perno will be LIVE on Georgiadogs.com to chat about the upcoming 2011 season.

The Bulldogs open the 2011 campaign Feb. 18 with a three-game series against Stetson in DeLand, Fla. Georgia's home opener will be Feb. 23 against Furman followed by a three-game set against 16th-ranked Baylor at Foley Field from Feb. 25-27. In 2011, Georgia once again will play one of the nation's toughest schedules with 31 games against teams that are preseason ranked.

Perno is in his 15th season back in Athens including his 10th as head coach. He has guided the Bulldogs to five postseason appearances, more than any other coach in program history including three College World Series.

Georgia welcomes back seven starting position players headlined by preseason All-American outfielder Zach Cone. Also, the Bulldogs return 12 pitchers from last season's club including veteran right-hander Michael Palazzone who made 13 starts as a sophomore in 2010.

The Barons Baseball team went on the road Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 9), and had an all-around dynamite performance against the University of South Carolina- Beaufort SandSharks. Both pitching and hitting were spectacular in the victory.

The Barons exploded with 13 runs and 15 hits. Pitching was also dominant, holding the SandSharks to 7 hits, and one earned run. Daniel Miller got the start, going 3 2/3. Miller allowed the 1 earned run in the third inning. The SandSharks' lone run came in the 4th on a sac fly. Ricky Rogers picked up the Win. Rogers went 4 innings of scoreless ball, giving up 4 hits, and 4 strikeouts. A trio of Jason Bailey, Reed Owens, and Ben Gillespie wrapped up the 8th and 9th innings.

The Barons offense jumped on the SandSharks starter Adam Miller early, scoring 3 in the first. Miller was pulled in the 6th after giving up 6 earned runs. The Barons continued to score off SandShark relievers. Jacob Evors led the way, going 3-5, 2B, and 3 RBI’s. Joshua Palmer went 2-5, 2B, and 2 RBI’s. Eight of the nine starting Barons had a hit in the game.

The Barons improve to 4-0 on the season. They travel to Orangeburg, S.C. on Saturday, Feb. 12 to play a double header with Clafflin University. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.

The Barons’ Baseball team’s offense exploded on Saturday (Feb. 12) for a total of 36 runs in two games against Claflin University, setting a BPC Baseball record with 27 runs in the first game of the double header, said Head Coach Greg “Boo” Mullins

Barons pitching also dominated on Saturday, only giving up 4 earned runs.

The Barons took the first game 27-1, with 25 hits, having a Record Day for the Brewton-Parker Baseball Program. Drew Parker got the win for Barons, throwing 3 innings, giving up 1 hit, and striking out 4. Barons opened up the game in the first inning with 5 runs. Nine runners crossed the plate in the 4th inning, highlighted by 3 doubles by Tony Voiro, John Hammock, and Jacob Otwell. Daniel Jones, Joshua Palmer, Robert Harris, and Michael Pleau each hit a home run.. The Panthers had two doubles in the 6th inning, scoring their lone run of the game. The Barons plated the 27th run in the 7th to complete the victory.

The Barons started the second game off with three runs in the 1st inning, highlighted by Fernando Frias’ third home run of the season. But the bats cooled down, only scoring 6 more runs in the 7 inning game. Jacob Gore picked up his second win on the season. Gore threw 5 2/3 innings, striking out 6, and giving up 2 earned runs. The Panthers scored 1 in the 4th inning and 2 in the 6th. Jacob Evors (28) led the way at the plate for the Barons, going 3-4, with a Double and a Home Run. The Barons offense combined for 36 runs and 33 hits in the Double Header.

The #24 Barons are now 6-0 on the year. Embry Riddle Aeronautical University comes to town this week for a three game series. The Eagles are ranked 6th in the NAIA National Coaches Poll. The showdown between two of the best teams in the country begins Monday, Feb. 14. First pitch is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. The series will conclude with a double header on Tuesday beginning at noon.

MOUNT VERNON—The Brewton-Parker Barons Baseball team took two of three from #6 Embry Riddle Aeronautical Eagles last week in games played at home on Baron Field.

The Barons, ranked 24th nationally, now sit 8-1 in pre-conference play.

“Taking two out of three from the #6 team in the country is a great accomplishment, but we still have a long way to go and need to work harder and get better at parts of the game,” said Head Coach Greg “Boo” Mullins.

In the first game of the series against the Eagles Feb. 15, Daniel Jones got the start. Jones threw 8 innings, giving up 2 earned runs, and striking out 4. The Barons led the entire game and found themselves up 3 to 1 in the ninth. But with one out, off of Barons reliever Ben Gillespie, the Eagles right fielder delivered a two-run home run to tie the game. The Barons failed to score in the bottom of the ninth. While in the top of the tenth, the Eagles plated 3 more runs on a single to left and another two-run home run by the shortstop Ben Kline. The two home runs proved to be too much for the Barons to overcome as they dropped the opener of the series, 6-3. The Barons had some missed opportunities at the plate early in the game. Jacob Evors went 1 for 5 with 3 RBI’s proving all the runs for the Barons.

Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Barons bounced back from a tough loss and took the first game 2-0. Ricky Rogers got the start on the mound. Rogers picked up his second win on season, throwing a complete game 1 hit shut-out. The Barons battled for 2 runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Daniel Jones led the way for the Barons at the plate going 3 for 3. Joshua Palmer and Errick Fox both had an RBI providing enough runs for Rogers masterful performance.

Game 2 on Tuesday completed the series against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as the Barons got the victory, 10-9. Daniel Miller made his third start of the season. Miller went 4-1/3, giving up 6 earned runs, striking out 5. The Barons offense jumped on the Eagles early, scoring 1 in the second inning and plating 7 in the fourth. The first run in the second came off the bat of Fernando Frias, as he hit his fourth home run of the season. The offense increased the lead with 7 runs in the 4th inning, highlighted by John Hammock’s grand-slam home run. But the eight run lead was narrowed to 3, as the Eagles scored 6 runs in the fifth inning. Jacob Gore came in relief in the fifth inning, giving up three earned runs, striking out 4. The Eagles third baseman, Steve Sabins, hit two 3 run home runs, one in the fourth and one in the top of the seventh. After Sabins’ second home run of the game in the 7th, Gore closed the door by striking out Eagles short-stop Ben Kline. Jacob Gore picked up his 2nd win on the season.

The sound of baseballs ringing off an aluminum bat and gloves popping as arms are loosened signifi es that spring is nearing. It’s America’s favorite pasttime. It bonds fathers and sons.

This season, though, it will be a time of healing for the Pierce County Bears. The tragic deaths of junior Holt Rowland and freshman Layne Dixon in the fall rocked the community. “We pray for them every day,” said first-year head coach Keith Mobley. “We pray for the Dixon and Rowland families every day, too. I miss them and the players miss them. Trying to keep moving on is going to be a big part of this year. We (team, coaches) talk about it every day.”

Rowland, who was a two-year starter at first base, and Layne, who was going to play on the junior varsity, will continue to be a part of the program. Both will be listed on the lineup sheet as subs for every game.

That first time will be Wednesday when the Bears open the season in Hinesville against Liberty County. The second comes in the home opener on Saturday when the Panthers make the trip here. “We’re going to deal with each first as they come,” said Mobley. “Saturday is really going to be emotional.”

A friend of the Dixon family donated two live oak trees that were planted near the stadium. Also, a 4 foot x 4 foot poster of both players will hang next to the window at the concession stand. “From anywhere on the field you can see them,” said Mobley, who was fighting back tears. “We just have to hold on to our faith that we’re going to see them again. We just have to focus on the task at hand and remember them.

“I can’t do first base drills because I was Holt’s position coach. I
was also Layne’s position coach (football) at the middle school.” There is also a dedication planned on Sunday, March 13, at 9 a.m. The Wesleyan baseball program, who is participating the in the Georgia-Florida Challenge in Jacksonville, will be in attendance.

Rowland, who had grabbed a special place in Wesleyan head coach Michael Shaheen’s heart through their FCA affiliation, has his squad wearing royal blue sweatbands for every game this year with “H.R. 10” embroidered.

During the morning service, a memorial boulder will be unveiled in the flower bed behind the backstop fence. Two home plates with a cross in the middle of each will be on the facing, which will be cut to a 45-degree angle.

The inscription will read, “In memory of two special Bears” above the plates and below will read, “They Are Home.” Both players’ name, jersey number, year and a bible verse will also be inscribed. “That is going to be a tremendously emotional service,” said a teary-eyed Mobley. “There is no way we could do this on a game day.”

PCHS Athletic Director (AD) Mike Woodard has received the 2011 Region 2-AA Athletic Director of the Year Award from the Georgia Athletic Director's Association. Beside's being the Region 2-AA AD of the Year in 2009, Coach Woodard was the AD of the Year for all AA classifications in the State of Georgia.

Congratulations Coach Woodard.

A change in leadership has not changed the goals for the Pierce County Bears’ baseball program with the 2011 season on the horizon. Keith Mobley takes over as the man in charge of a one time baga-bond program that was
turned into a perennial Class AA playoff participant by Greg Gay (104-36).

After five years, four straight 20-plus win seasons, three Elite Eight appearances and a Sweet 16, Gay left for the collegiate ranks joining
Darton College in Albany as the “head coach in waiting.” Now, Mobley, who was assistant during that time, gets his first opportunity as a head coach
when the Bears open the season on Wednesday at Class AAAA Liberty County.

“I don’t feel any pressure to continue on what Greg has built,” said Mobley, “because I was a part of that as well. The pressure I feel is making sure the field is nice when he comes back to visit.

“The wins and losses, I’ve played and coached for a long time, are part of the game. We have goals as far as making the playoffs, winning the region championship and winning a state championship. “What Greg did was great, but I want to do better. I want a state championship and nothing
less. I want to play in the last game of the season where they hand out a trophy.”

The Bears must replace four starters off a youthful team that went 20-11 and lost in the “Elite 8” to Blessed Trinity. Two graduated, one transferred and one was tragically lost in an automobile accident. Four-year starter Trey Thompson, three-year starter Ethan Parker and two-year
starters Nate Gay and Holt Rowland are no longer here.

Thompson and Parker are playing collegiately, Gay transferred to Lee County following his dad, with Rowland’s death rocking the community.
“The leadership that Trey and Ethan gave us is immeasurable,” said Mobley. “Nate’s departure left a big hole behind the plate. But you can’t imagine what Holt meant to the program and the void that is there.”

Putting the pieces back together for a team playing in Rowland’s memory is paramount for Mobley. “I believe God put me in this position for a reason,” he said. “I went to church with Holt and I’ve known these players for a long time. The only pressure I feel is doing the things the right way.

PITCHING
Senior right-hander Jayk Graham, the Region 2-AA Pitcher of the Year, anchors the pitching staff. Graham, a West Georgia signee, won 12 games last season. He has 22 wins over the past two years for a team that went 40-20 during that time. Junior southpaw Will Lowman and junior right-handed flamethrower Will White will be counted on heavily giving the Bears three top starters.

Classmate Michael D’Ambrosio, who pitched on the junior varsity last year, gives Pierce four quality arms. “This is probably the best we have ever been depth-wise,” said Mobley. “We have four guys that I have no hesitation of putting in the game. They are all throwing well right now and that makes me happy.”

INFIELD
Junior power-hitter Drew Taylor is expected to replace Rowland at first base. Taylor has played both corner positions with spot starts the first two years. “Holt was steady and had playoff experience,” said Mobley. “His bat was just starting to come around. Drew will do fine over there. Will (Lowman) and Jayk can also play the position.”

Pierce is pretty strong up the middle with sophomores Cole Dowling and Vince Elliott penciled in at second base and shortstop respectively. Dowling started all season with Elliott moving into a starting role when
Graham was not on the mound. Both Dowling and Elliott, who will also bat at the top of the lineup, should end up as four year starters which is unusual at the high school level.

“This is the first time in six years we’ve had the same two middle infielders in back-to-back years,” Mobley said. “Both are very good, but they are still sophomores. They are our motor at the top of the lineup.”
Junior Neal Hollis backs up Dowling and Graham can also play short.

Senior Matthew Aldridge, who backed up Parker last year, will get the nod at third base. “We also have Drew, who started a couple of games last year, who can play the position,” said Mobley, “as well as Jayk. He
can play pretty much anywhere on the field.”

Finding a replacement for Gay at the catchers position though, has been the toughest. Sophomore Hunter Skipper was expected to fill the role, but
shoulder surgery has wiped out his season.

Juniors Rod Kennedy and Tim Huff, along with freshman Micah Larson are in the mix as well as senior Xavier McGauley, who is still playing basketball.

Also, Cody Harris, who transferred over from Ware Magnet, has gotten some practice time behind the plate. None, however, have any varsity experience. “This has been our (coaches) main focus,” said Mobley. “There
is no varsity experience to replace Nate. Micah and Tim are the two leading candidates and each will catch in the first two or three games.”

OUTFIELD
The Bears will also be solid in the outfield with one starter back as well as two spot starters. Junior Brian Barefield has been a mainstay in left field for two years. Classmate Codi Dixon, who moved to center late in the season, has a lot of speed to cover from gap to gap. Lowman, when
not on the mound, will replace Thompson in right. Lowman did see some action in center last year.

“We are solid at every position except behind the plate,” Mobley said. “You don’t like heading into the season with inexperience back there behind the dish.”

REGION
Region 2-AA could be, perhaps, one of the toughest in the state. Three teams are currently ranked in the pre-season Top 10 Coaches Poll joining Region 6 (Lovett - third, Blessed Trinity -fourth, Buford -eighth) with the most ranked teams. “I can’t see anybody running the gauntlet in this region and going undefeated,” said Mobley.

“There are seven good teams and only four are going to make the playoffs. There will be two or three teams that don’t make the playoffs that would have in years past without Toombs’ and Vidalia’s presence.” Jeff Davis (18-13), who made the Sweet 16 a year ago, is the highest ranked at No. 6. Toombs County (27-7), ranked seventh, lost in the Elite 8 to eventual
champion Calhoun. Appling County (26-7), the defending two-time region champion, is ranked ninth and coming off an Elite 8 appearance as well that ended with a loss to Lovett.

Brantley County (15-14) fell in the first round of the Class AA playoffs to Toombs County. Long County (14-12), McIntosh County (12-14), Tattnall County (11-13) and one-time perennial power Vidalia (11-17) round out the rest of the region.

The PCMS Bears defeated the Jeff Davis Middle School Yellow Jackets this afternoon in Hazlehurst by a score of 7-2.

The Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department will host their first annual “fund” run beginning at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 5. The race will be held at Blackshear City Park.

Jordan Sasser, athletic director for the rec department, invites all families to join in the fun and participate in the fund run or 5K.
“All proceeds from the run will go to the rec department,” says Sasser, “and they will be used to help start new programs and provide growth within our existing programs.”

Registration on the day of the race will begin at 7:30 a.m., with the one-mile run kicking off at 8 a.m. The 5K race will follow, with an anticipated start time of 8:30 a.m. Entry fees are $15 for pre-registration, $25 on race day, and $10 for children 10 and under. A commemorative t-shirt is guaranteed to all who pre-register.

Medals will be awarded to the first, second and third place finishers in the one-mile event. Trophies will be presented to the overall male and female winners of the 5K, along with medals for first, second, and third place male and female finishers in each age division.

“We are also looking for race and runner sponsors,” Sasser added. Any interested sponsors should contact Sasser at the rec department.
Entry forms are available on line at theblacksheartimes.com or by contacting the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department at 449-4239.

After defeating St. Johns River Community College 5-1 on Monday afternoon, the South Georgia College Tigers have won three of their last four games and are just one game below .500. The Tigers benefitted from strong offensive performances by shortstop Logan Gaines and right fielder Zack Hula, and a combined four-hitter from starter David O’Neal (PCHS 2009) and reliever Mikey Rodriguez to handily beat the Vikings.

In the fourth inning, the Vikings broke a scoreless tie, plating their only run of the game on an SGC error. In the bottom of the frame, the Tigers knotted the contest at one when Gaines, who led off the inning with a double, scored on single by first baseman Seth Foster. SGC added three more in the bottom of the fifth on five hits. One inning later, Hula iced the game with a solo home run to left, his first homer of the season. Hula and Gaines each had two hits for the Tigers. O’Neal (2-2, 2.75) went 6 2/3 innings, surrendering unearned one run and scattering three hits. Rodriguez (2.84 ERA) retired the final Viking of the game in relief.

Over the weekend, SGC took two out of three from Central Florida Community College. The Tigers won game one of the three-game set on Friday night by a score of 13-6. Hula, who threw four innings in relief, earned his first win of the year in that game. Saturday, the two teams faced off in a mid-day double header. SGC won the first game 7-5 after the Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth to finally put the game away. Hunter Ross, who pitched just 1 1/3 innings in relief, was credited with the win. It was also his first as a Tiger. The second game of the double-header didn’t go well for SGC. The Tigers turned in a six-error performance and lost 6-4 despite a complete game from Frank Ambrosino (0-3, 3.51).

After two games on the road Saturday, the Tigers return home for a 2 p.m. contest against Lake Michigan Community College on Sunday.

The Pierce County Grizzlies dominated the 10 & under age division during the opening day of the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department’s spring baseball league. The Grizzlies scored a total of 49 runs compared to just nine runs by their three opponents. Out of 102 official-at-bats for the day, the Grizzlies had zero strike outs showing that this team is willing to swing the bat putting the ball into play.

Game one pitted the Grizzlies against the Altamaha Tarpons of Brunswick in which the Grizzlies won by a score of 18-2 in four innings. The Grizzlies scored nine, four, two and three runs in the first through fourth innings with Parker Peagler hitting a lead off home run in the top of the first to get the Grizzly scoring drive started. Defensively, the stellar glove work of the Grizzlies committed only one error giving up one un-earned run and one earned run.

Game two saw the Grizzlies going head to head with the Appling Heat from Baxley. The Grizzly bats came alive again scoring 16 runs in four innings. The Heat avoided the shut out in the bottom of the fourth inning scoring one run after the first two Heat batters reached on errors. In the third inning with Heat runners on first and second and no outs and both runners on the move, a line drive was hit to Grizzly second baseman Ben Baker catching the ball for the first out then flipping it to shortstop Matt Simmons covering the bag at second for out two who then threw it to first baseman Parker Peagler covering first for the third out giving the Grizzlies their first ever triple play.

Game three was against the Bacon County Bombers from Alma who scored six total runs off of the Grizzlies with five of them in the first inning. Not to be outdone, the Grizzlies matched the Bombers with five runs in the first, three in the second, two in the third and five more in the fourth. The Bombers scored their sixth run in the fourth.

Team members include Ben Baker, Greg Benfield, Mason Bennett, Nathan Carter, Todd Carter, Dalton Hall, Austin Jernigan, Avery Jernigan, Parker Peagler, Matt Simmons, Andrew Walsh and Johnny Waters. Coaches are Brandon Jernigan, Michael Carter and Mitch Hall.

Two games into the 2011 baseball season and Pierce County is still looking for that elusive first win for new head coach Keith Mobley.

But there’s no need to get overly concerned, though. There was more on the players’ minds than two non-region games against Class AAAA Liberty County. Playing that first game on the road and then coming home for the season opener with heavy hearts was very hard.

It doesn’t get any harder than hearing “starting at first base and batting fourth Holt Rowland. Batting fifth, the left fielder Layne Dixon.”
With tears flowing, caps the two players would have worn were placed on the field and eventually made their way to their respective positions on the diamond while the team loosened up.

Two pitches into the game, both intentional balls, Mobley called time and replaced the pair in the lineup. “That was extremely emotional,” Mobley said of the pre-game and the start to the game. “There is not a word that can describe the emotion that was felt by the team nor the supporters that were at the game.”

Even more remarkable was the fact that the two players inserted in Rowland and Dixon’s spot in the lineup both homered in the first inning. Drew Taylor hit a two-run blast deep into the pine trees in left and Brian Barefield followed two pitches later with a drive over the centerfield fence for his first career homer. “That was a God thing,” said Mobley.

Liberty Co. 9, Pierce Co. 8
The Panthers twice overcame three-run deficits to spoil the home opener here Saturday. Taylor (1-for-2) and Barefield’s (1-for-4) first inning homers staked Pierce to a 3-0 lead. Liberty got a run back in the second against Will Lowman, who worked the first two innings, and tied the score in the third against Will White, who pitched the next two frames.

PCHS opened up a three run lead in the bottom of the fourth. Lowman (4-for-4) doubled and moved up a base on Tim Huff’s (1-for-4) single. White layed down a sacrifice and was safe on an error to load the bases.

Vince Elliott (1-for-5) ripped a two-strike single into the left-centerfield gap scoring Lowman and Huff for a 5-3 lead. Jayke Graham (2-for-3) came through with a two-out single for a 6-3 advantage.

Liberty County scored six runs in the fifth inning, the first two against Michael D’Ambrosio and the last four against Graham (0-2), who took the loss.

PCHS pulled to within 9-8 in the bottom of the sixth. They left the tying run on third.

Cole Dowling (1-for-4) doubled to start the inning with Graham drawing a four-pitch walk. After a double steal, Taylor drew a another four pitch walk to load the bases.Following a strikeout, Lowman drilled a two-run single to left-center on the first offering. The Bears rally ended on a double-play on the ensuing pitch.

“Both Vince and Will had some big two-strike hits that drove in runs,” said Mobley. “That was huge for them and for us.”

Pierce went quietly in the seventh.

Liberty Co. 8, Pierce Co. 2
The Panthers spotted PCHS a 2-0 first inning lead before shutting the door in the season opener for both squads last Wednesday.

Pierce’s two-run first inning started when Dowling was hit by a one-out pitch. After Graham (2-for-3) singled, Barefield (1-for-3) delivered a two out, two-run single.

Liberty County righty Joe Watkins found his groove and was dominate from that point on. He set down seven straight following Barefield’s hit with six strikeouts which included a stretch of five in a row on just 18 pitches.

“Part of our struggles was letting him get into a rhythm,” said Mobley. “I, as a coach, should have had the guys back out to disrupt him some and not let him get that comfortable. That’s my fault.”

PCHS used four pitchers with Graham taking the loss. The senior righty (3 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3ER, 6 K, 1 BB) escaped unscathed in the first inning after surrendering a leadoff single. The second inning turned troublesome.

Graham nearly worked his way out of a jam after the first three batters reached plating a run. He came back to strikeout the next two hitters. A two-out single, followed by an error and a double gave Liberty a 5-2 advantage.

Lowman (1 IP, 1 H, 3 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 2 BB) gave up a homerun to Watkins culminating a three-run fourth for the final runs of the game.

White and D’Ambrosio each worked an inning apiece. White fanned one and walked one.

Huff and Taylor had the only other hits for the Bears. The Bears travel to Reidsville on Tuesday to meet Tattnall County in the first region game of the season. Pierce will host Toombs County on Friday and go to Glynn Academy on Saturday.

Pierce County’s junior varsity baseball picked up one win in three outings in the first week of the season. The Bears dropped a doubleheader to Jeff Davis last Wednesday and followed that up with an 11-1 rout of visiting Liberty County Saturday afternoon.

Jeff Davis 7, PCHS 2
The Yellow Jackets used two three-run rallies to claim the season opener and first game of a doubleheader last Wednesday afternoon at Bears Field. Jeff Davis took advantage of back-to-back errors in the second inning to open the door for its first three runs in a game the Bears would never get back into. PCHS starter Carter Turner (6 IP, 2 H, 4 R, O ER, 5 K, 2 BB) was the tough-luck loser as the Bears’ defense committed six errors behind him.

Down 3-0, Pierce got a run back in the bottom of the inning. Hunter Hewitt (2-for-4) doubled and came around to score when Jordan Handley (1-for-3) and Blake Aldridge (1-for-3) laced consecutive one-out singles.

Jeff Davis added an unearned run in the sixth against Turner and closed out the game with a three-run seventh against Brandon Aldridge. Pierce got its last run in the bottom half of the inning. Heath Highsmith (1-for-4) reached on an error to start the inning and raced home on Davis Lairsey’s (2-for-4) double.

Jeff Davis 9, PCHS 2
Jeff Davis scored seven times in the fifth inning to pull away from a 2-all tie and complete the sweep of the doubleheader.

The first six batters of the inning reached base against Lairsey, who worked four-plus innings before being pulled. Jeff Davis recorded six of its 10 hits for the game in the fifth against Lairsey and Highsmith.

Pierce scored both its runs in the first inning thanks to three errors by the Yellow Jackets. Jeff Davis tied the score in the third. Cody Harris had two hits in three at bats to lead the Bears. Highsmith, Hewitt, Aldridge and Brandon Popham each picked up a hit.

PCHS 11, Liberty Co. 1
The Bears spotted Liberty County a 1-0 advantage before plating the final 11 runs and winning in a five-inning shortened game. Hewitt’s third inning homer sparked a five run uprising that was followed by a six-run fifth. Turner evened his record at 1-1 with the win.

Three two-run innings was more than enough as Pierce County Middle School opened its season with a 7-2 win at Jeff Davis Middle School last Tuesday. The Bears’ second game of the week was postponed on Friday after rains drenched the playing field in Jesup.

Three different pitchers combined for the win. Madison Tuten pitched scoreless ball for five innings allowing just two hits to get the victory. He fanned eight and walked four.

Ganon Graham worked the sixth and Stetson Smith pitched the seventh. Each surrendered a run. Graham allowed two hits with Smith yeilding just one. Smith recorded a strikeout and walked three batters.

Pierce Middle scored in its first at bat of the season. Smith (2-for-3, three runs) led off the game with a double. He moved up a base on a single by Austin Allen (2-for-2, two runs).Zach Goble (2-for-3, two runs)doubled them home for a quick 2-0 lead.

The Bears added two more runs in the third inning. Smith singled and raced to third on a wild pitch. Allen lofted a sac fly making the score 3-0.

Goble reached after being hit by a pitch, stole second and sped home on Kyler Allen’s (2-for-4) single.

PCMS pushed the lead to 6-0 with its last two-run rally in the fifth. Austin Allen doubled and scored on Goble’s base hit. Dakota Martin’s (2-for-3) two out single knocked in Goble.

The Bears added their final run in the sixth. Smith drew a two-out walk. After he stole second and third, Austin Allen drew a walk. He would steal
second putting both runners in scoring position. Goble’s hit back to the mound was bobbled for an error allowing Smith to score.

Pierce Middle traveled to Waycross Middle on Tuesday (March 1st) and mercy ruled the Bulldogs by a score of 14-3 in five innings.

PCMS will play its first home game Saturday morning at 10 a.m., in a doubleheader against Appling County Middle School.

Pierce County athletic director and head coach Mike Woodard has been named the Region 2-AA Athletic Director of the Year for the third consecutive time. The Georgia Athletic Director’s Association (G.A.D.A.) Executive board made the announcement last Tuesday.

Woodard, who was not retained at either position during January’s Pierce County Board of Education meeting, is also up for the Class AA Athletic
Director of the Year, an award he garnered last year, as well as the all-classification A.D. of the Year. The G.A.D.A. will announce each of the state’s five classification winners at the state meeting in March along with the overall state winner.

“This is an awful nice individual award,” said Woodard, “but you have to have a good overall program with good assistant coaches and good players. It would be nice to win both awards and keep Pierce County being recognized state-wide.”

Pierce County High School has 17 athletic programs and the success has led to four consecutive Top 13 finishes for overall programs in Class AA. PCHS is currently 14th with the Winter sports just finishing and the Spring sports just getting started.

Woodard will vie against seven other Class AA athletic directors for the top position. The top athletic directors from each region are (Region 1) Trey Woolf of Early County, (Region 3) Sam Barrs of Bleckley County, (Region 4) Alvin Copeland of Northeast, Macon, (Region 5) Joel Rogers of Heard County, (Region 6) Ricky Turner of Blessed Trinity, (Region 7) Bradley Warren of Dade County and (Region 8) Grady Turner of Dawson County.

“High school athletics is now year round,” said Woodard. “Even though we are in a transition period right now, the show must go on. Everyone has bought into what we are doing and everything seems to be going smoothly.”

The transition is to new head coach Sean Pender, who was hired earlier this month to replace Woodard. Pender, who is still at Crisp County, met with prospective football players last week to discus spring practice.

EVALUATION TIMES:

THURSDAY, MARCH 10TH

5:30 P.M. 10-12 YEAR-OLD BOYS (LITTLE LEAGUE) Baseball

6:30 P.M. 11-12 YEAR-OLD GIRLS Softball

Blastball and T-Ball teams will be made the week of March 14th

MOUNT VERNON—The Brewton-Parker Barons Baseball team took two of three from #6 Embry Riddle Aeronautical Eagles last week in games played at home on Baron Field.

The Barons, ranked 24th nationally, now sit 8-1 in pre-conference play.

“Taking two out of three from the #6 team in the country is a great accomplishment, but we still have a long way to go and need to work harder and get better at parts of the game,” said Head Coach Greg “Boo” Mullins.

In the first game of the series against the Eagles Feb. 15, Daniel Jones got the start. Jones threw 8 innings, giving up 2 earned runs, and striking out 4. The Barons led the entire game and found themselves up 3 to 1 in the ninth. But with one out, off of Barons reliever Ben Gillespie, the Eagles right fielder delivered a two-run home run to tie the game. The Barons failed to score in the bottom of the ninth. While in the top of the tenth, the Eagles plated 3 more runs on a single to left and another two-run home run by the shortstop Ben Kline. The two home runs proved to be too much for the Barons to overcome as they dropped the opener of the series, 6-3. The Barons had some missed opportunities at the plate early in the game. Former Pierce County Bear standout Jacob Evors went 1 for 5 with 3 RBI’s proving all the runs for the Barons.

Tuesday, Feb. 16, the Barons bounced back from a tough loss and took the first game 2-0. Ricky Rogers got the start on the mound. Rogers picked up his second win on season, throwing a complete game 1 hit shut-out. The Barons battled for 2 runs in the fourth and fifth innings. Daniel Jones led the way for the Barons at the plate going 3 for 3. Joshua Palmer and Errick Fox both had an RBI providing enough runs for Rogers masterful performance.

Game 2 on Tuesday completed the series against Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, as the Barons got the victory, 10-9. Daniel Miller made his third start of the season. Miller went 4-1/3, giving up 6 earned runs, striking out 5. The Barons offense jumped on the Eagles early, scoring 1 in the second inning and plating 7 in the fourth. The first run in the second came off the bat of Fernando Frias, as he hit his fourth home run of the season. The offense increased the lead with 7 runs in the 4th inning, highlighted by John Hammock’s grand-slam home run. But the eight run lead was narrowed to 3, as the Eagles scored 6 runs in the fifth inning. Jacob Gore came in relief in the fifth inning, giving up three earned runs, striking out 4. The Eagles third baseman, Steve Sabins, hit two 3 run home runs, one in the fourth and one in the top of the seventh. After Sabins’ second home run of the game in the 7th, Gore closed the door by striking out Eagles short-stop Ben Kline. Jacob Gore picked up his 2nd win on the season.

The 10 & under Pierce County Grizzlies went to Homerville last Saturday (March 5th) winning three of four games. Saturday started early though for the youngsters as most of them participated in the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department 1 mile Fund Run and one of them (Dalton Malone) running in the 5k event. 4’ tall Todd Carter finished second in the 10 & under 1 mile run earning him a 5 foot tall trophy.

Game one of the day started at noon pitting the Grizzlies against the Ocilla Bombs. The Grizzlies came out flat in the first two and a half innings staking the Bombs to a 5-0 lead. The Grizzlies started a comeback scoring four runs off of hits from Mason Bennett, Dalton Hall, Todd Carter, Andrew Walsh, Greg Benfield, Austin Jernigan and Parker Peagler.

The Grizzly defense beared up and shut down the Bombs in the top of the fourth inning and the Grizzlies scored three more runs off of hits from Matt Simmons, Johnny Waters and Ben Baker along with sacrifices from Bennett and Hall giving the Grizzlies a 7-5 lead.

The lead however was short lived as the Bombs scored to in the fifth to tie it up and another in the sixth to win the game by a score of 8-7 handing the Grizzlies their only loss of the spring season.

Game two had the Grizzlies up against Clinch County. The Grizzly offense and defense dominated this game as Pierce defeated Clinch by a score of 13-0. Getting hits for the Grizzlies were Baker (3 for 3, 2 rbi’s), Benfield (1 for 2, one rbi), Bennett (3 for 3, five rbi’s,), Carter (2 for 3, two rbi’s), Hall (1 for 3), Avery Jernigan (2 for 2), Peagler (1 for 3), Simmons (2 for 3, one rbi), Walsh (1 for 2) and Waters (1 for 3).

Game three saw action between the Grizzlies and the Stingers from Cook County. Pierce County again dominated the game winning by a score of 20-3. Grizzly stats include Baker (2 for 3, one rbi), Benfield (2 for 4, 1 rbi), Bennett (2 for 3, two rbi’s), Carter (3 for 3, four rbi’s), Hall (2 for 2, one rbi), Austin Jernigan (2 for 2, one rbi), Avery Jernigan (2 for 3, 2 rbi’s), Parker (2 for 3, two rbi’s,), Simmons (1 for 2, one rbi), Walsh (1 for 2, 2 rbi’s) and Waters (3 for 3, one rbi).

Game four had the Grizzlies against the Valdosta Storm. This game turned out to be exciting as a football score broke out with the Grizzlies finally winning by a score of 35-30. Every one on the Grizzly team had at least one hit with Parker Peagler hitting one over the fence to lead off the fourth inning. The Grizzly defense broke down a little giving up seven unearned runs during points in the game that kept the Storm alive to keep from being mercy ruled.

The Grizzlies are now 6-1 for the season and will be playing again this coming Saturday (March 12th) at the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department.

The Pierce County varsity and middle school Bears shut out the Long County Blue Tide tonight in Blackshear. The varsity won by a score of 8-0 and the middle school won by a score of 15-0. The jayvee Bears traveled to Hinesville and defeated the Liberty County Panthers by a score of 14-5.

Sophomore designated hitter Brett DeLoach (PCHS 2009) went 3-for-5 with two RBI to lead a 14-hit attack as Georgia defeated Mercer 8-6 Tuesday at Claude Smith Field.

Mercer (11-4) went on top 1-0 with a leadoff home run from centerfielder Billy Burns off right-hander Ben Cornwell. However, the Bulldogs responded with a four-run outburst in their next at bat. Kyle Farmer and Jonathan Hester (4-for-5) got things started with a couple of singles including Hester executing a hit and run. Then in his first at bat of the season, DeLoach lined a run-scoring double off the leg of second baseman Blaine Matthews. On the play, right fielder Thomas Carroll’s throw was off the mark and allowed Hester to score for a 2-1 lead. Mercer starter Russell Moses retired the next two Bulldogs and then issued a walk to Curt Powell. Levi Hyams followed with a run-scoring single to make it 3-1. Mercer went to the bullpen as David Teasley came in to face junior Zach Cone. The Bulldog centerfielder put down a perfect bunt down the third base line for an RBI-single to cap the scoring.

Georgia (4-8) added a run in the third as DeLoach notched his second hit of the night and came around to score on a double by catcher Joey Delmonico for a 5-1 advantage. The Bears got one run back in the third on a couple of bloop hits and an RBI-groundout by Evan Boyd. Farmer made it 6-2 in the fourth with a two-out, run-scoring single off Teasley.

Powered by three doubles in the fifth, Georgia extended its lead to 8-2. Hester led off the frame with one and DeLoach followed with another for his third hit. Later with one out, Peter Verdin’s double down the left field line scored DeLoach.

Cornwell provided the Bulldogs with five innings, scattering two runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts before giving way to senior John Herman who started the sixth. Mercer responded by cutting the deficit to two, scoring four runs on five hits and sending nine Bears to the plate. Designated hitter Joe Winker connected for a two-run home run to highlight the scoring. Verdin made two key plays in the frame. He made a running catch with the bases loaded for the second out and threw out a runner at home to end the inning to keep Georgia in front 8-6.

“We got a good start from Ben Cornwell and the late-inning combination of Patrick Boling and Tyler Maloof is working well,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “John (Herman) wasn’t a great matchup for them and Patrick was able to come in there and maintain the lead and Tyler got another save.

“Offensively, we drove a lot of balls, got several doubles and a big inning early, and that’s what we’re hoping to start doing more,” Perno added.

To honor injured teammate Johnathan Taylor, Cone wore Taylor's number two jersey in the contest. Taylor underwent neck surgery Monday at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens after getting injured in a collision during Sunday’s baseball’s game against Florida State.

“Tonight was a big win for the team because we wanted to come through for J.T. (Johnathan Taylor),” said Perno.

Cornwell notched the victory to even his record to 1-1 while Maloof collected his fourth save, striking out the side in the ninth but not before the Bears had loaded the bases on a pair of hits and a walk. Boling provided 2.2 scoreless innings in relief of Herman. Moses dropped to 1-1 after surrendering four runs on four hits before being lifted in the second.

Georgia will be back in action Wednesday at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville where it will play Alabama at 7:06 p.m. The game will not count in the Southeastern Conference standings. It is part of the “Gwinnett Baseball Classic,” an event sponsored in part by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

Pierce County Middle School’s diamond crew moved to 5-0 on the season winning four times last week.

The Bears downed Waycross Middle last Tuesday, 14-3, and beat Arthur Williams of Wayne County on Wednesday, 9-2. Both games were on the road.

In the home opener on Saturday, Pierce Middle hammered Appling County Middle School 16-0 in the fi rst game of a doubleheader and escaped with a 4-3 win in eight innings in the nightcap.

PCMS hosted Walker Middle School of Ludowici on Tuesday with Brantley County Middle School visiting on Friday.

PCMS 14, Waycross Middle 3
The Bears scored 10 runs over the fourth and fifth innings to hand Waycross Middle its first loss of the season.

The Bears were clinging to a 4-3 lead through three innings before breaking the game open against three Bulldog pitchers. PCMS plated four runs in the fourth and six in the fifth to end the game.

Stetson Smith pitched a complete game for PCMS allowing five hits. He fanned eight and walked four to get his first win of the season.

The Bears scored twice in the first inning. Smith led off with a single and moved up on Dakota Martin’s walk. Both scored on Zach Gobles’ two-run double in the gap in left-center.

Waycross Middle answered with a run in the bottom of the first to make the score 2-1.

PCMS plated two runs in the second courtesy of a costly error by the Bulldogs. Ganon Graham and Caleb Turner each drew walks and scored on outfield error when a fly ball was dropped.

The Bulldogs answered scoring twice in the bottom half of the inning to pull to within 4-3.

A two-out, four-run rally in the fourth inning gave Pierce Middle some breathing room at 8-3. Smith ripped a double after the first two batters were struck out.

Martin drew a walk and Goble was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Madison Tuten walked to force home a run with Kyler Allen’s bases clearing double being the big blow.

The Bears put the game away in the fifth against two relievers. Logan Paul was hit by a pitch to start the inning. One out later, Smith reached on an error. Both runners advanced on a passed ball. Martin followed with a two-run single upping the lead to 10-3. Goble and Tuten drew consecutive walks to load the bases. After the second out, Weston Sapp and Graham followed with consecutive two-run base hits.

PCMS 9, Arthur Williams 2
Tuten tossed a two-hit complete game and Goble blasted a three-run homer to lead Pierce Middle over the Yellow Jackets.

The Bears scored twice in the second inning and never looked back in knocking off Arthur Williams on Wednesday in Jesup.

Martin (2-for-4, run) got the rally started with a single. Sapp (2-for-4, run) and Graham (1-for-2) followed with singles. Graham’s hit knocked in Martin. Paul’s grounder to short was bobbled allowed Sapp to cross the plate for a 2-0 lead.

PCMS broke the game open with a four run fourth. Sapp singled with Graham and Paul drawing back-to-back walks to load the bases.

Smith’s (1-for-4, run) ground out plated Sapp with Austin Allen’s (two runs) grounder to short being thrown away allowing two runs to score. Tuten (3-for-4) singled home Allen for a 6-0 lead.

The Yellow Jackets scored an unearned run in the bottom of the inning and added another run in the fifth against Tuten (6 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 4 BB).

PCMS scored its final runs in the sixth when Smith reached on an error, Allen walked and Goble (1-for-4) blasted his first homer of the season.

PCMS 16, Appling Middle 0
The Bears made quick work of Saturday morning’s first home game of the year winning in three innings.

PCMS totaled nine hits in its two at bats with Kyler Allen (2-for-2)hitting a grandslam in the first and driving in another run with a single in the second. Goble (2-for-2) drove in three runs doubling twice in the second.

Pierce Middle score six runs in the first. With one out, Austin Allen(RBI) walked, Goble was hit by a pitch and Tuten walked ahead of Kyler Allen’s first career homer.

After the second out was recorded, Sapp (two RBI) walked, Paul (RBI) was hit by a pitch and Turner drew a walk to load the bases. Smith delivered a two-run single.

PCMS broke the game open in the second with a 10-run rally. Kyler Allen, Martin (two RBI), Paul, Austin Allen, Goble and Sapp were all credited with RBI.

Smith pitched the two innings striking out one for the win. Tuten worked one inning with two strikeouts and a walk.

PCMS 4, Appling Middle 3
Austin Allen’s one-out RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning plated Turner, who delivered a pinch-hit double to start the inning.

PCMS scored three times in the second for a 3-0 lead. After Graham hit into a fielders’ choice, Nate White singled with Brandon Sapp coming through with a two out run scoring hit. An error on a grounder by Jake Self plated the next run. Weston Sapp followed with a run-scoring single.

The Rams got a two-out, run-scoring double in the third against Graham (4 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 K, 3 BB). They would tie the game in the seventh against Goble (2+IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 K, 4 BB) and Paul (W-2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 K, 1 BB).

The Pierce County Bears recorded their first win of the season and let two others slip from their grasp in the second week of the season.

PCHS (1-4 overall, 1-1 Region 2-AA) blanked Tattnall County on the road giving head coach Keith Mobley his first career win. The Bears followed that up with a 12-9 loss to Toombs County on Friday and a 6-4 setback to Glynn Academy on Saturday.

“We seemingly start innings off with an error and that comes back to bite us,” said Mobley. “We’ll get back to fundamentals on Monday and get this worked out.”

Pierce faced Long County at home Tuesday night (03-08-11) and travels to Appling County on Friday (03-11-11).

PCHS 8, Tattnall 0
Will White tossed a six-inning gem against Tattnall County allowing just a first pitch leadoff hit in the fourth inning last Tuesday.

The junior right-hander fanned a career-high 10 batters which included at least one in every inning. He came back after allowing the base hit to strike out the side in the fourth. Only one batter reached third while he was on the mound.

The Bears scored the only run they would need in the top of the second when Vince Elliott (2-for-3) took a 1-0 pitch deep for his first homer of the season.

PCHS added four runs in the fourth. Brian Barefield (2-for-4) singled to start the inning with Elliott following with a walk. Neal Hollis delivered a pinch-hit run-scoring single for a 2-0 lead.

Matthew Aldridge reached on an error and Will Lowman (2-for-5) reached on an error. Cole Dowling (2-for-5) and JaykGraham (1-for-4) lined back-to-back base hits to finish off the scoring.

The Bears got a little icing on the cake in the sixth. Lowman led off with a single and moved up when Graham drew a one-out walk. Drew Taylor (1-for-3) blasted a 1-1 pitch for a three-run homer, his second of the season, for the final runs of the game.

Toombs 12, PCHS 9
Seventh-ranked Toombs County battled back from an 8-3 third inning deficit to beat Pierce Friday night.

The Bulldogs used a six-run fourth to take a short-lived 9-8 lead then broke a 9-all tie in the sixth with a three-run rally.

“The bottom line is we made six errors,” said first-year head coach Keith Mobley, “and you can’t do that against a team like Toombs and expect to win. We just did not make the plays. If you get nine hits and score nine runs you should win.”

Toombs County scored twice in the top of the first against Graham (3+ IP, 6 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 5 K, 2 BB).

PCHS came right back with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Dowling drew a one-out walk and was safe at second on an error on a fielders’ choice off the bat of Graham.

Taylor grounded into a fielders’ choice at third and then stole second. Barefield plated both runners with a seeing-eye single up the middle.

Elliott laced a liner into the ally in right-center resulting in a triple, the first of his three hits on the night.

A double and a RBI single in the top of the second by the Bulldogs tied the score at 3-apiece.

The Bears answered once again, but the damage was minimal. Xavier McGauley
walked to start the inning with Codi Dixon (three hits) getting a base hit. Lowman walked to load the bases.

After Dowling drew a walkto force home a run, Graham ripped a standup double off the fence knocking in two more runs for a 6-3 advantage. The next three batters whiffed leaving two runners in scoring position.

Pierce scored twice more in the third stretching the lead out to 8-3. Tim Huff reached on an error and Hunter Hewitt walked. Both runners moved up on a fly out.

After Lowman walked to load the bases, Dowling’s grounder to third was thrown away allowing Terry Carter (courtesy runner for Huff) and Hewitt to stroll home.

The Bulldogs chased Graham in the fourth during the six-run rally. A two-run homer followed an error to start the inning. Toombs County added two two-run doubles to finish it off.

Elliott would tie the score at 9-all in the bottom half of the inning. He singled, stole second and scored on Dixon’s single.

Toombs County pushed across the decisive runs in the sixth inning against White (LP, 4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 K, 3 BB).

The Bulldogs got a bases loaded sac fly for the first run, a ground out for the second and a run-scoring single for the final run of the night.

Glynn Academy 6, PCHS 4
Glynn Academy built a four run lead through two innings and then withstood a no out, bases loaded jam in the seventh inning to win Saturday.

Graham reached on an error, Taylor (two hits) delivered s single and Barefi eld (hit) drew a walk to load the bases for the Bears (1-4) with nobody out.

PCHS failed to get any runs in with two consecutive strikeouts and a groundout to end the game.

“We gave up five runs in the first two innings,” said Mobley, “but we fought back and hada chance. We loaded the bases and could not get a hit. We’ve had a chance to win four of the five games we have played if we don’t beat ourselves.”

Lowman (LP, 3 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 5 BB) was a victim of too much movement on his pitches. The lefty had five pitches go off the catcher’s mitt for passed balls, two of which allowed a runner to score, and a balk that scored another.

Michael D’Ambrosio (2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB) and Jordan Woodard(one perfect inning) finished up. D’Ambrosio had a four-pitch fifth and Woodard had a nine-pitch sixth.

“Our pitching was fine,” said Mobley. “Will had to battle through the first two innings and pitched a great third. Michael struggled a little in his first inning, but came right back and did exactly what we have been working on all year in the second. Jordan did the same thing in his inning. Both have a lot of movement on their pitches.”

Glynn Academy scored twice in the first without the benefit of a hit.

Taylor singled to start the Bears’ second and moved up on a groundout. After stealing third, Taylor came home on McGauley’s run-scoring single.

The Terrors scored three times in the second to push the lead out to 5-1.

PCHS sliced into the lead in the top of the third scoring twice to cut the deficit to 5-3. Dowling reached on an error and after back-to-back walks to Graham and Taylor, Barefield delivered a two-run single.

Another run in the fourth pulled the Bears to within 5-4. Dixon reached on an error and took second on the play. Lowman and Dowling followed with back-to-back walks with Graham’s groundout scoring Dixon.

Glynn Academy plated the final run of the game in the bottom half of the inning against D’Ambrosio.

Pierce stranded 11 runners including six in scoring position. The Bears had just four hits to go along with seven base on balls.

Zach Cone went 2-for-4 with three RBI to lead Georgia to a 6-3 win over Alabama Wednesday at Coolray Field.

Georgia (5-8) exploded for four runs on five hits in the first. Before Wednesday, the Bulldogs had scored one run in the first inning all season. Cone keyed the outburst with a two-run single with shortstop Kyle Farmer driving in one and designated hitter Brett DeLoach collecting an RBI-double. In the second, Georgia added an unearned run as the Crimson Tide committed a pair of errors. The second miscue came with two outs and allowed Verdin to score from second.

In the fourth, Georgia made it 6-0 with a string of two-out base hits including an RBI-squeeze bunt from Cone. Alabama (8-5) made some noise in the top of the fifth after Bulldog left-hander Chase Hawkins had limited them to one hit to that point. However, Alabama delivered four straight one-out singles to score three runs and cut the deficit in half. Georgia turned to senior Eric Swegman who promptly put an end to the rally with a pair of strikeouts.

Alabama went to its bullpen in the bottom of the fifth as Charley Sullivan came on for Wolfe who allowed six runs on eight hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Hawkins gave the Bullldogs 4.1 innings and gave up three runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts. Leading 6-3 and with two on and nobody out in the top of the seventh, Georgia looked to sophomore Blake Dieterich in relief of Swegman. He got designated hitter David Kindred to hit one back to the mound, and the Bulldogs turned a double play. Then, he got Smith to flyout to center to end the threat. Sullivan pitched four shutout innings for the Crimson Tide.

Dieterich picked up his first career save, pitching the final three frames, allowing two hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Swegman got his first win of the year while Wolfe saw his record drop to 1-1. The Bulldogs banged out 11 hits including a career-high 4-for-5 performance from third baseman Curt Powell.

"We did a great job tonight, and we had tremendous approaches at the plate the last two nights," said Georgia coach David Perno. "We are getting closer to putting together a good streak. The key tonight was Eric (Swegman) bailed us out of a jam and Blake (Dieterich) came in and got the double play and went on to close out. He is really pitching well.

"Curt (Powell) is a special player, and he's starting to get comfortable at the plate, and I'm proud of him tonight," Perno added.

The Bulldogs now head to California for their next three games as they take part in the Dodgertown Classic. They will face #10 UCLA on Friday, Southern California on Saturday and Saint Mary's on Sunday. First pitch Friday against the Bruins is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.

There will be plenty of baseball action Friday and Saturday. The PCMS Bears host the Brantley County Herons Friday at 4 p.m. in Blackshear while the PCHS varsity Bears travel to Appling County for a 6 p.m. start.

Saturday will be a busy day in Blackshear at the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department as the 8 & Under Bears, 10 & Under Grizzlies and 12 & Under Cubs and Tigers are all slted for action. Scroll down to the bottom of this page to see all of the upcoming game times.

Go out and show all these players your support.

UPDATE: The PCMS Bears defeated the Brantley County Herons by a score of 15-0 in 3 innings. The Bears are now 6-0 on the year with two games left. The Bears have one their last three games out scoring their opponents by a score of 46-0.

Unfortunantly, the PCHS varsity Bears fell to the Appling County Pirates by a score of 10-4.

This past Saturday saw a lot of baseball action as the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department entered into it's second week of the spring baseball league.

The 8 & Under Pierce County Bears moved to six wins and two losses. The Bears defeated the Valdosta Batmen, Tattnall County and the Wayne County Misfits by a score of 23 to 12. The lone Bear loss came at the hands of the Bacon County Raiders by a score of eight to five.

The 10 & Under Pierce County Grizzlies moved to nine wins and two losses so far this season. The Grizzlies defeated the Bacon County Bombers, Wayne County Storm and the Altamaha Tarpons by an overall score of 36 to 16. The lone Grizzly loss came at the hands of the Alma Assassins by a score of 15-13.

The 12 & Under Blackshear Tigers split their two games losing to the Altamaha Grinders by a score of seven to five and the defeating the Cubs by a score of 11 to eight. For the Tigers, Jacob Woodard hit two home runs and Kris Wishall hit a grand slam and a three-run homer during the day.

Both the Bears and Grizzlies are scheduled to play in Homerville this Saturday while the Tigers travel to McRea so if you are in any of those areas, go out and support these young athletes.

Georgia ran its winning streak to four in a row with a 5-3 victory over Southern California Saturday at Dedeaux Field. The Bulldogs (7-8) got another stellar pitching performance from junior Michael Palazzone and junior Tyler Maloof picked up his sixth save. The Bulldogs’ four wins this week have all come on the road, beating Mercer in Macon, Alabama in Lawrenceville at Coolray Field and now UCLA and USC here in Los Angeles. Georgia pushed across a run in the first, but the Trojans answered with three runs on four hits off of Palazzone in the bottom of the frame. Ricky Oropesa, Alex Sherrod and Matt Foat collected RBI for USC to build its early 3-1 edge. The Bulldogs cut the deficit to one by manufacturing a run in the third. Junior Levi Hyams led off with a bunt single that catcher Kevin Roundtree threw away allowing him to advance to second. Pinch-hitter Lance Martin, who entered the game for Zach Cone, put down a sacrifice bunt to get him to third and Hyams scored on a sacrifice fly by Chase Davidson. Cone has been battling an illness and managed to play the entire game against UCLA Friday and tried to go Saturday before leaving in the third. For the second straight game, Cone wore jersey number two for injured teammate Johnathan Taylor. The Bulldogs tied the game in the fourth by taking advantage of USC’s third error on the night and a couple of walks including one with the bases-loaded to Hyams. The Bulldogs grabbed a 4-3 lead in the fifth. With two outs, Jonathan Hester was hit by a pitch. Designated hitter Brett DeLoach (PCHS 2009) lined a run-scoring double to left field. It was his fifth hit of the year including his fourth double since making his 2011 debut this past Wednesday. Palazzone pitched around a miscue by Davidson in the fifth. With one out, Omar Cotto Lozada lined a single to right that got past Davidson and allowed him to race to third. Palazzone got two straight ground ball outs to end the threat, the final one coming on a diving stop by junior third baseman Curt Powell. In the sixth, Davidson came through with a two-out, run-scoring single to bring in Peter Verdin who led off with a walk, stole second and advaced to third on a groundout. USC turned to its bullpen in that inning as Chris Mezger came on for Austin Wood with the Bulldogs up 5-3. Meanwhile, Palazzone settled in, and for the second week in a row, tied his career-high in going seven innings. After that first frame, Palazzone surrendered no runs on three hits with six strikeouts before giving way to sophomore left-hander Blake Dieterich in the eighth. The Bulldog defense came up with three stellar plays to retire the Trojans. Powell came up with one at third for the first out. Oropesa smashed a double to the gap in left center and tried to stretch it to a triple but was thrown out by the combination of Martin-to-Farmer-to-Powell. Then, freshman Conor Welton made a running catch in the gap in left to send it to the ninth. “Michael (Palazzone) has been great, he only gave up one big inning there in the first and then he threw up zeros the rest of the way,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “Curt (Powell) did a super job at third base tonight, and we got our offense going especially in the top of the order. Zach (Cone) had a relapse and couldn’t go very long tonight, and we had some other guys step up. We’re playing some good baseball now, and the guys are really focused and excited to win another game for J.T. (Johnathan Taylor).” Dieterich started the ninth and got the first two Trojans before USC tried to rally. The next two reached on a pair of walks, one off of Dieterich and one off Maloof and both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. However, Maloof battled back to retire Cotto Lozada as he grounded one to third for the final out and picked up his sixth save. Palazzone improved to 2-1 while Wood dropped to 1-2. The Bulldogs conclude play in the Dodgertown Classic here Sunday with a game against Saint Mary’s. First pitch at Dodger Stadium is slated for 1 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs will start junior left-hander Craig Gullickson (0-1, 7.71 ERA) while the Gaels counter with junior right-hander Kyle Barraclough (0-2, 5.52 ERA).

Pierce County recorded an 8-0 win over Long County last Tuesday in its only win in three outings. The Bears (2-6 overall, 2-2 Region 2-AA)dropped a 10-4 decision to Appling County on Friday and lost 9-2 to Class AAAA Richmond Hill Monday night.

Junior left-hander Will Lowman pitched three-hit shutout ball over 6 2/3 innings to lead Pierce over visiting Long County. Lowman recorded a career-high 12 strikeouts and walked just three batters in the longest outing of his career. Michael D’Ambrosio came on to throw one pitch to get the final out and preserve the shutout.

PCHS captured this one despite registering just three hits. What the Bears did was take advantage of the Blue Tide’s fielding woes. Long County’s defensive collapse resulted in nine errors. The Blue Tide pitching staff allowed seven more runners with five walks and two hit batters.

Pierce was charged with one error, that coming on an errant pickoff attempt by Lowman in the third inning. That runner was eventually stranded at third.

The Bears scored all the runs they would need in the bottom of the first. After Cole Dowling grounded into a fielders’ choice, Jayk Graham walked and Drew Taylor reached on an error to load the bases. Vince Elliott’s pop to short-center was misplayed into a bases clearing single as it fell unscathed to the turf for a clean single.

PCHS added two more runs in the third in building a 5-0 lead. Graham led off the inning reaching when his fly to right was dropped for an error. After Taylor was plunked on the next pitch, Brian Barefield layed down a sacrifi ce bunt to advance the runners.

Following a strikeout, Hunter Hewitt’s check swing bouncer to the right side was misplayed by the first baseman and rolled onto the outfield grass allowing Graham and Taylor to stroll across the plate.

In the fifth, Taylor doubled and stole third. He scored when Barefield’s fl y to right was booted for a two-base error. After Elliott was hit by a pitch, Codi Dixon’s fly to center was botched allowing Barefield and Elliott to score the final runs of the game.

The Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department and the Pierce County High School baseball team will be holding a FREE baseball clinic this Saturday, March 19th, from 9:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. at the W.H. Wall Complex (Recreation baseball complex) on Ware Street says PCRPD Atletic Coordinator Jordan Sasser.

Infield, outfield, hitting, throwing, base-running, pitching, and catching will be some of the key areas Coach Mobley and his players will teach to our recreation participants. We are encouraging ALL youth (male and female), ages 5 to 17, to come out, meet the team, and learn many valuable tips from our very own PCHS Baseball players! Kids should bring their own baseball bat and glove. We look forward to seeing all of you this Saturday!

The PCMS Bears defeated the Bacon County Raiders by a score of 20-0. They are now undefeated with a 7-0 record and have out scored their opponents by a score of 81-7.

The PCHS Bears defeated the McIntosh County Academy Bucaneers by a score of 9-5 for a Region 2-AA match-up.

Pierce County Middle School continued to dismantle conference competition beating both Walker Middle School and Brantley County Middle School by identical 15-0 scores in three innings.

The Bears (7-0 overall, 6-0 conference) have won their last three conference games, all at home, by a combined score of 46-0 in a total of nine innings. The pitching staff has yielded but one hit during that time.

“We’re hitting the ball pretty good if we’re not walking,” said head coach David Lanier. “We’re getting good pitching and playing pretty good defense as well.”

PCMS traveled to Alma Tuesday to face Bacon County Middle School in a non-conference game. The Bears return home on Friday to face Ware County Middle School.

PCMS 15, Walker Middle 0
Madison Tuten and Dakota Martin combined on the shutout facing just two batters over the minimum. Tuten worked the first two innings recording three strikeouts to go along with two walks. Martin worked a perfect third.

Tuesday’s onslaught started quickly. Stetson Smith drew a leadoff walk, stole second and went to third on an error by the Wildcat catcher. Austin Allen (1-for-3) reached on an error allowing Smith to score the only run Pierce Middle would need.

Zach Goble (2-for-2) singled and Tuten (1-for-3) followed with a run-scoring double for a 2-0 lead. After Kyler Allen (1-for-1) walked, Martin(2-for-2) drove in two runs with a single before the first out was recorded. Two more walks and a base hit by Austin Allen led to three more runs.

Goble led off the second with a base hit and moved up on a ground out. He would come around to score on two wild pitches. Five more walks, a hit by pitch and an error helped pave the way for four more runs and a 13-0 lead.

PCMS loaded the bases in the third on a double by Kyler Allen, walk to Martin and single by Weston Sapp (1-for-2). A throwing error on the next batter scored the final two runs ending the game before darkness settled in.

PCMS 15, Brantley Middle 0
A 13-run first inning that included 10 hits got the rout going against the visiting the Herons.

Smith and Austin Allen started the bottom of the first with back-to-back doubles for the only run the Bears would need. Goble singled home Allen and stole second ahead of Tuten’s walk. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch.

After the first out, Martin was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Sapp reached on an error driving home the third run of the inning.

Logan Paul singled home a run with Caleb Turner reaching on the second error of the frame scoring the fifth run.

Smith cleared the bases with his second extra base hit of the inning, a triple, for an 8-0 advantage.

Allen followed with a second straight run-scoring hit and Goble laced an RBI double. Tuten singled home Goble pushing the lead out to 11-0.

Tuten, who eventually reached second, scored on Martin’s two-out RBI single. Sapp ended the scoring bonanza with an RBI double.

Following a scoreless second, the Bears ended the game scoring twice in the bottom of the second.

Gannon Graham singled and moved up on a passed ball. After back-to-back walks to Kyler Allen and Martin loaded the bases, Paul and Brandon Sapp followed with consecutive one-out walks forcing home the final runs.

Smith allowed one hit in two innings of work with three strikeouts and two walks. Paul pitched the third recording two strikeouts to go along with a walk.

The Satilla Miracle League is a non-competitive baseball league for people with special needs to have the opportunity to play baseball.

The league is open to players ages five and older. Games are planned for Saturdays beginning April 9, and the season will last six weeks.

To obtain a registration form, email satillmiracleleague@gmail.net or call Clay Parker at 218-4780. The cost is $20 for each player, and the players will receive a team shirt and cap. Registration forms must be received by March 26.

Coach Mobley is continuing the announcement of the Scholar Athlete of the Week program that was started a couple of years ago.

Earning the designation for the varsity in week one was Brian Barefield with a GPA of 99.94. Neal Hollis earned the designation in week two with a GPA of 99.41 and Codi Dixon for week three with a GPA of 96.44.

Blake Aldridge of the junior varsity squad has been the only jv player earning the honor with a GPA of 98.67.

If you see any of these young men, congratulate them on the hard work they are doing in the classroom as well as on the playing field.

The jayvee and varsity Bears played a double-header today against the Charlton County Indians for a non-region match-up.

The jayvee won the first game of the day by a score of 10-6 with Carter Turner pitching the complete game for the win.

The varsity closed the day by winning in a six inning run ruled game by a score of 12-2. Will Lowman was the winning pitcher with Will White coming on in relief.

The PCHS Bears travel to Waycross to play a double header against the Gators. The jayvee game starts at 11 a.m. and the varsity game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m.

The 10-U Pierce County Grizzlies travel to Homerville Saturday to play five games against various teams from south Georgia.

The Pierce County Middle School Bears rolled to their eighth victory of the year by defeating the Ware County Gators by a score of 12-2. The Bears are now 8-0 on the season and will travel to Jesup next Tuesday (03-22-10) to play Martha Puckett Middle School.

The 10 & under Pierce County Grizzlies baseball team travelled to Homerville last Saturday to play in the Swampland Classic winning the championship after playing eight games over a 16 hour period starting at 9 a.m. Saturday morning and ending Sunday morning at 1 a.m.

The drawing of brackets didn’t favor the Grizzlies as they drew the Alma Assassins who had defeated the Grizzlies last week and did it again during this tournament by a score of 18-11 placing the Grizzlies in the loser’s bracket.

Not to be outdone, the Grizzlies then showed everyone in Homerville what Pierce Pride was all about and defeated the Ware County Bandits (31-2) and the Bainbridge Young Guns (14-0) to find out they had to play the Assassins again for the third time in just seven days. The Grizzlies opened up a 13-6 lead by the third inning but the Assassins came storming back but fell one run short giving Pierce the win and the opportunity to keep playing.

The Grizzlies the defeated the Clinch County Panthers (11-2) and the Patriots by a score of 20-8 to earn the bid to the championship game against the Ocilla Bombs who had defeated the Grizzlies two weeks ago by one run.

The Bombs came to the championship game playing only four games and Pierce playing six and for Pierce to win the championship, they would have to defeat the Bombs twice in back to back games.

Game one started out with both teams hitting the ball over the place including over the fence but the end, the Grizzlies prevailed winning by a score of 25-23. Tired and hungry, the Grizzlies said enough was enough putting the Bombs away by a score of 15-7 earning the championship trophy.

The Grizzlies are now 16-3 on the spring season and will be playing in Blackshear this coming Saturday (03-26) at the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department.

The West Georgia Wolves took their best shots at the fourth ranked West Florida Argonauts here Saturday. However, it wasn’t enough to pull the upset in either game. West Florida took both ends of their GSC East double header from the Wolves. The opener went the Argonauts’ way, 6-4; the second game score was 4-1. In the opener, the Wolves found themselves trailing by a 6-1 margin, before rallying in the final two innings. The eighth inning rally began with back-to-back hits from Garrett May and Danny Bodziak, and May later scored on a Trey Thompson (PCHS 2010) ground out. In the ninth, UWG whittled away at their four-run deficit. Justin Croft began the inning with a hit, followed by a David Buchanan double. Croft scored on a Keith Borger groundout, while Buchanan came home when a Bill Redmon ground ball was misplayed by the Argonauts’ shortstop. However, the rally fizzled with Buchanan and Redmon in scoring position as Stuart Drew took a called third strike to end the game. The Wolves had but six hits in the game, including two each from Croft and Buchanan. Walker White (0-2) worked the game’s first four innings, and suffered the loss for West Georgia. Jason Postill, now 6-0, worked eight innings to pick up the win for West Florida. Game two saw more struggles for the Wolves’ offense. UWG had but four base hits: two from Andy Marinelli and one each from Buchanan and josh Whitehead. The Wolves’ lone run came in the top of the fifth. Buchanan led off with hit, followed by Redmon reaching on a botched sacrifice bunt. May then brought Buchanan home with a sacrifice fly to center, tying the game at 1-1. West Florida answered back with three in the bottom of the inning to take control of the game. Brandon Crumbley, who worked into the fifth, was the victim of the Argonauts’ and suffered the loss to drop to 3-2 on the season. Ben Hawkins earned the win for UWF.

The 11 & Under Pierce County Cubs travelled to Brunswick this past Saturday and defeated five other teams to win the Peach State Diamond Sports' Surf & Turf tournament.

The Cubs will be playing in Blackshear this coming Saturday (03-26) at the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department.

For the first time all season, the Pierce County Bears had their first inning week capturing two of three games.

The Bears (4-7 overall, 3-2 Region 2-AA) held off McIntosh County 9-5 on Tuesday ending a third two-game slide. They followed that up with a 12-2 pounding of non-region foe Charlton County on Thursday.

Unfortunately, the week did not end on a good note as Ware County blasted four homers accounting for 11 runs in a 13-9 win on Saturday.

“You can’t give a good-hitting club extra outs,” said head coach Keith Mobley after the six-error performance against the Gators. “You also can’t
give up fat 0-2 pitches because those go a long way and we did it twice. We made bad pitches, pure and simple.”

In the first two games, Mobley was pleased with the way the team played.
“We hit the ball a little better,” he said, “but the big thing is we have to play with more confidence. Our approach at the plate was better, but there’s still room for improvement.”

Pierce hosted Brantley County on Tuesday and travels to Vidalia on Friday.

Bears 9, McIntosh County 5
Senior Jayk Graham picked up his first win of the season taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning.

The Bears nearly let a 7-0 lead get away before hanging on in this region matchup.

Graham ( 5.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 6 K, 2 BB, 2 HBP) had the no-no spoiled with a leadoff single in the sixth and the Bears comfortable ahead 7-0.
He walked in the first run and surrendered consecutive RBI base hits.

Will White (S, 1.1 IP, 3 K, 1 BB) came on and picked the runner off first for the final out before throwing a pitch. He fanned the side in the seventh to get his fi rst save of the year.

Pierce jumped out to a 3-0 first inning lead on a three-run homer by Drew Taylor, his third blast of the year.

Graham’s RBI double into the gap in right-center scored Matthew Aldridge in the second. The Bears would not score again until the fifth.

After Brian Barefield started the inning with a single, pinchrunner Rod Kennedy raced to third on a hit-and-run by Will Lowman. A couple of pitches later, Lowman stole second with Kennedy getting credit for a steal of home on the throw to second.

Vince Elliott then drew a walk with Neal Hollis executing a sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position. Hunter Hewitt delivered a pinch-hit, two-run single pushing the margin out to 7-0.

Following the Bucs’ five-run sixth, Pierce answered in the bottom half of the inning scoring the final two runs of the night.

Lowman doubled home Barefield and later scored on a wild pitch.

Bears 12, Charlton Co. 2
A five-run first inning was all Lowman would need in winning his second game of the season. Lowman (5 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 8 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP) was the beneficiary of a 16-hit attack by Pierce, a season high. Three players had three hits each and two others added two apiece.

Lowman (1-for-3, two runs) got credit for an RBI on his hard hit to third that was bobbled allowing Dowling (1-for-4) to score the first run of the game. Elliott (3-for-4, three runs, three RBI) drove in Taylor (3-for-4, three runs, two stolen bases) and Barefi eld (2-for-3, two runs) with double.

Hollis (3-for-3, run) legged out an infield hit scoring Lowman and Xavier McGauley (1-for-3) drove in Elliott with a single. The Indians scratched out a run in the third inning with a two-out, bloop single PCHS added three runs in the bottom of the fourth. Taylor lined a two-out, run-scoring double with Barefield adding a run-scoring hit and Lowman finishing off the inning with another double for an 8-1 lead.

The Bears, leading 8-2 in the bottom of the fifth, got a two out, two-run double from Graham. They would end the game an inning later.

Ware Co. 13, Bears 9
The Gators hit three three run homers and a two-run shot in rallying from a 9-4 deficit. Bryant Hayman hit two of the three-run home runs and got credit for the win pitching four innings of one-hit relief.

Pierce used five pitchers in relief of White, who got the start. Elliot (3-for-4, RBI, run) wound up as the only Bear with a multi-hit game at the plate.

Taylor gave PCHS an early 2-0 lead with his fourth homer of the season in the first. Ware County responded with four in the bottom half of the inning against White for a 4-2 lead.

The Bears scored the next seven runs to build a 9-4 advantage. Dowling’s RBI single in the second cut the deficit in half and then Pierce plated three runs in the third to take a 6-4 lead. Barefield scored in the fifth
on Elliott’s single. A pair of wild pitches in the fifth plated Codie Dixon and Graham for the Bears’ final runs of the afternoon for a five-run lead.

Ware got a three-run homer from William Golden and a two run blast from Mac Arnold in taking a 10-9 lead in the bottom half of the inning. Hayman, who homered in the first, added his second of the game in the bottom of the sixth for the final runs of the game.

The offensive jauggernaut that is Pierce County Middle School inched its way closer to a perfect regular season with two wins last week. PCMS (9-0 overall, 7-0 conference) pounded Bacon County Middle School 20-0 in three
innings on Tuesday in Alma and capped the week with a 12-2 decision against visiting Ware County Middle School on Friday.

PCMS 20, Bacon Middle 0
For the fourth time in five games, the Bears played just three innings making quick work of the Red Raiders. Stetson Smith (WP, 2 IP, 5 K, 2 BB) and Ganon Graham (1 IP, 1 K, 1 BB) held Bacon Middle hittless.

Pierce Middle scored four times in the fir rst inning with Weston Sapp (2-for-4) and Logan Paul (2-for-2) each driving in a run with base hits. Smith (3-for-3) led off the game with one of his three doubles.

The Bears added five runs in the second inning with Smith, Martin and Paul picking up hits. Bacon Middle pitchers hit two batters and walked two
more with the defense committing an error.

An 11-run third inning ended the game early. Pierce Middle registered six hits and drew six walks to do the damage. Zack Goble, Jake Self, Kyler Allen, Sapp, Smith and Martin were credited with the base hits.

PCMS 12, Ware Middle 2
The Bears spotted Ware Middle a 2-0 first inning advantage before taking control of the game in the second and ending it in the fifth. Madison Tuten (5 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 10 K, 2 BB, 2 HBP) surrendered four hits in the first and wiggled out of a no out, bases loaded jam with just two runs allowed. He would do the same in the second as the Gators left the bases loaded once again.

PCMS scored five times with a two-out rally in the second. Paul reached on an error in left field that followed a pop up and ground out to start the inning. Smith and Austin Allen delivered back-to-back runscoring
doubles to tie the score at 2-all.

After Goble walked, Tuten’s RBI single gave the Bears the lead for good at 3-2. Both runners moved up on a passed ball and each scored on an error in center to finish off the inning. Allen led off the fourth with a single, moved up on a passed ball and stole third. After Goble walked, Tuten’s groundout to first scored Allen and moved Goble into scoring position. He raced home on another error in center pushing the lead to 7-2.

The Bears ended the game in the fifth when the first six batters reached.

The PCHS varsity Bears defeated the Vidalia Indians in a Region 2-AA match up in Vidalia Friday night by a score of 18-2. The victory gives the Bears an overall season record of 6-7 however they have a 5-2 record in the region vaulting them into 3rd place behind Jeff Davis and Appling.

The Bears next game is Friday, April 1st in Blackshear against Tattnall County.

The 10 & under Pierce County Grizzlies moves to a 19 win and 3 loss season by playing sound fundamental baseball. The Grizzlies won all three of their games this past Saturday at the Pierce County Recreation Department. The Grizzlies ended up playing the Altamaha Tarpons three times as the Bacon County Bombers and Jesup Storm were unable to attend the tournament.

The Grizzlies won game one by a score 9-5 never giving up the lead from the beginning of the game.

Game two however was a little scarier as the Tarpons led the first five innings before the Grizzlies tied it up in the sixth inning sending the game into overtime. The Tarpons scored twice in the top of the seventh giving them the lead again. In the bottom of the seventh, the Grizzlies scored twice tying the game, put two more runners on base and with two outs, Parker Peagler hit a walk off homerun giving the Grizzlies the victory by a score of 11-8.

The Grizzlies cruised to victory in game three winning by a score of 10-5.

The PCMS Bears cruised to 11-0 victory over the Brantley County Herons to earn a final four berth in the Southeast Georgia Middle School Championship tournament. The single elimination tournament will be held on Saturday, April 2nd at Pierce County High School.

The number one seeded Bears will play Appling County (four seed) in game one at 10 a.m. and Arthur Williams Middle School of Wayne County (three seed) will play Waycross Middle (two seed) at 12:30 p.m. The winner of each game will then face off at 3:00 p.m. to determine the Conference champion.

Go Bears!

Baseball is a fickle game. A slump can be contagious spreading throughout a squad. And then, the 2.864788975” sphere will look like its the size of a big ole’ beach ball with everyone teeing off with shots ricochetting all over the yard.

That’s the way it must be looking right now for the Pierce County Bears after blasting Brantley County and Vidalia in back-to-back Region 2-AA contests by a combined 35-9 score.

The Bears (6-7 overall, 5-2 region) climbed into a second place tie with Appling County after winning for the fourth time in five outings. PCHS banged out 27 hits and blasted six home runs in the two games.

First baseman Drew Taylor did most of the damage. He hit three of the “big flies” and drove in 11 runs. Taylor, who has seven dingers on the season, tied a school record and set two more in Friday’s win at
Vidalia.

The junior cranked out a three-run homer and a grandslam in a 13-run sixth inning tying the record for most homers in an inning. His RBI total for the frame set a new mark as did his eight RBIs for the game.

Jayk Graham, Cole Dowling and Brian Barefield joined the “long ball parade” as the Bears hit three homers in both games.

Bears 17, Brantley 7
Pierce County scored in five of its six at bats backing the complete game performance of Will White in beating rival Brantley County on Tuesday. The Bears were credited with 15 hits in battering the Herons’ pitching staff.

“We jumped on them (Herons) early and they made a comeback to get back in the game,” said head coach Keith Mobley. “Will wasn’t sharp, but he battled all game. I’m pleased to get the win because it was a big one against a rival.”

The Bears wasted little time jumping on Brantley County in this one. Taylor (2-for-4, two runs, three RBI) followed a one-out walk to Dowling (3-for-3, four runs, four RBI) with a two-run homer to left-center.

Barefield (2-for-2, three runs) walked and advanced to second on a ground out. He moved to third on a passed ball ahead of Vince Elliott’s (1-for-3, run, RBI) walk. Elliott stole second with the throw going into centerfield allowing Barefield to score. The throw from centerfield to third to nab Elliott bounced away allowing the speedster to gallop home for a 4-0 lead.

PCHS added another fourspot in the second. Graham (2-for-4, three runs) followed Matthew Aldridge’s (2-for-3) leadoff double with a two-run homer to left, his second of the season, for a 6-0 lead. Will Lowman (2-for-4, three RBI) and Elliot added run-scoring hits.

White (6 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 11 K, 6 BB) ran into some trouble in the top of the third surrendering a pair of three-run homers. Dowling drove in a run in the bottom of the third and hit a three-run homer in the fifth as the lead grew to 13-6.

Brantley scored its final run in the top of the sixth. In the bottom of the sixth, Taylor drove in a run with Lowman ending the game on a two-run double.

Bears 18, Vidalia 2
Pierce County scored 12 runs after two were out in the sixth inning in blowing open a tightly contested game with the Indians.

Lowman (4.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 K, 1 BB, 5 HBP) and White (1.2 IP, 0 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 K, 1 BB) combined on a twohitter with Lowman picking up his third win of the year.

The game was just 5-1 entering the sixth when the Bears exploded. “For five innings this was a great game,” said Mobley. “We were patient at the plate and manufactured some runs. Once they pulled their starter, the roof just caved in on them.”

PCHS scored two runs with two outs in the second on just one hit. Elliott (2-for-3, three runs) doubled and moved up on a passed ball. Hollis (1-for-2, 3 runs) walked and stole second. Another passed ball allowed Elliott to score with Hollis eventually crossing the plate on a delayed double steal.

A two-run fourth extended the lead to 4-0. Elliott lined a one-out single and raced to third on a hit-and-run by Hollis, who then stole second. Elliott raced home on a throwing error by the catcher and Hollis scored on an error two batters later.

A two-run fourth extended the lead to 4-0. Elliott lined a one-out single and raced to third on a hit-and-run by Hollis, who then stole second. Elliott raced home on a throwing error by the catcher and Hollis scored on an error two batters later.

Taylor’s (3-for-5) RBI single in the fifth scored Dowling (1-for-4, three runs), who singled and moved to second on a passed ball. The Bears loaded
the bases after Taylor’s hit, but an inning ending double play limited the damage. After Vidalia scored in the bottom half of the inning, PCHS went to work in the sixth.

Tim Huff (2-for-2, two runs) lined a one-out single, took second on an error in right and reached third on a passed ball. Codi Dixon (1-for-2, two runs) walked and both runners moved up on a passed ball for a 6-1 lead.

After a strikeout for the second out, Dowling drew a walk and Taylor launched the first of his two homers, a three-run shot to center. Barefield (1-for-3) followed with his second of the season, this one to left, pushing the lead to 10-1.

Lowman, Elliott and Hollis drew consecutive walks to load the bases. Huff doubled in two and Dixon singled in two more for a 14-1 advantage.

Graham (1-for-5) singled and Dowling reached on an error to load the bases. Taylor followed with his “granny” to right-center to cap the inning.

Pierce is off until Friday when Tattnall County visits at 6 p.m. The Bears go to Jeff Davis on Saturday for a 2 p.m., date with the region-leading Yellow Jackets. PCHS travels to Toombs County on Tuesday.

“Three games in four days is really going to stretch our pitching,” said Mobley. “These are three tough games.”

The NAIA released the 2011 NAIA Baseball Coaches’ Top 25 Poll March 29 unveiling some big changes from the Pre-Season Top 25 Poll. Five teams made a double-digit move, highlighted by the Brewton-Parker Barons jumping 19 spots from No. 24 to 5. The Southern States Athletic Conference leads the way with five listed squads in No. 2 Lee, No. 5 Brewton-Parker, No. 10 Faulkner (Ala.), No. 15 Southern Poly Tech (Ga.) and No. 21 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.).

When asked what it has taken to jump 19 spots from #24 to #5, Head Coach Greg “Boo” Mullins, replied, “Last year’s season of winning the conference tournament and going to the national championship has helped. And, this year having the toughest schedule in the country with 20 games against nationally-ranked teams has also helped. We have a record of 11 and 3 against those opponents. We feel that we have put ourselves in the top 5 because of the hard work in practice and the execution in big games. All of our guys are working hard and the 23-7 record shows it.”

The Barons are in the top of many pitching, hitting, and fielding categories in NAIA Baseball. The Barons offense has been impressive all year, ranked fifth in batting average and runs scored/per game. They also have the fourth most home runs in the nation with 39. Leading the way for the Barons is second baseman Errick Fox, who boasts a .478 batting average, which is the fifth best in the country.

The #5 Barons travel to Cleveland, Ga., on Saturday to begin a three-game series with SSAC opponent Truett-McConnell College. Saturday’s double header begins at 1 p.m. and the series continues on Sunday with games starting at 1 p.m.

by John DuPont
"In The Game" High School Sports Magazine

Many athletes as talented as Pierce County High senior Jayk Graham might take their physical gifts for granted, but that's not the case say those closest to Graham. "It's never good enough for Jayk," says PCHS head baseball coach Keith Mobley. "He always thinks it can be better. Jayk could pitch a no-hitter with a walk and all he'd be thinking about afterward is the walk."

A two-sport standout for the Bears, Graham has been an integral part of a golden era of PCHS baseball. Since his sophomore season of 2008, the Bears have tallied 68 wins and won a region championship. Graham also wrapped up his prep football career as a three-year starter at quarterback. "We always knew Jayk was going to be very athletic," says his mother, Kandi Turner. "We always tease him that [when] he came out, he was holding a ball. When he was 18 months old, he had a small golf set. He would pick the ball up and hit it like a baseball. So we knew it was going to be baseball early on."

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree in Graham's family, which is crowded with athletes. His father, Greg Graham, a member of three state championship baseball squads at Coffee High School, played at South Georgia College and later at Jacksonville State. Graham's mother was a cheerleader at Pierce County High School and his older brother, Caleb Lairsey, played baseball at PCHS and later at South Georgia College. The 6'3", 195-pound Graham, who bats and throws right, has already committed to play baseball at the University of West Georgia next season. "Jayk has always loved sports and always worked hard at it," says his father. "A lot of times when I didn't want to get out in the yard, he was always ready. People would tell me, 'You're going to burn him out on sports,' and I'd say, 'He's the one pushing me.'"

By sixth grade, Graham was starting at second base for Pierce County Middle School ahead of several eighth-graders. As a freshman, he frequently appeared in varsity games alongside his brother, who was a senior. As a junior, Graham was named the Region 2-AA Player of the Year. He crafted a 12-2 record on the mound with a 1.35 ERA and 102 strikeouts. He also copped Best Offensive Player honors for PCHS after hitting .412 as a junior with seven homers and 33 RBIs. He also clubbed 11 doubles and logged a .725 slugging percentage. "Probably my best game was when I hit my first home run in high school," Graham says. "It was against Jeff Davis at home. They had already beaten us in the first game of the season series at their place and we had a chip on our shoulder. I went 4-for-4 with two doubles, a single and a homer, and we won, 8-2."

Graham picked up basketball in seventh grade and showed immediate promise on the court. As a point guard, he once scored 20 points in a middle school contest and was a varsity contributor by his freshman season. However, he shelved hoops after his sophomore campaign. "In baseball, it takes a lot of conditioning for my arm," he says. "Basketball would always run into the first baseball game and my arm would never be in shape."

Graham kicked off his football career in eighth grade and started at quarterback, but he took the year off as a freshman. He returned to the gridiron as a sophomore at the behest of Greg Gay, who served as the head baseball coach at PCHS for five seasons before accepting an assistant's job at Darton College last August. Gay also served as an assistant football coach while at PCHS and Graham says his former mentor's prodding was relentless. "Football was never a sport that my family had played," says Graham. "Coach Gay thought football demanded a lot of you and thought that would improve my baseball abilities. He would rag me every day. After I heard that for a year, I went out there. Then I loved it, so I stuck with it."

Going into his sophomore campaign, Graham was fourth on the quarterback depth chart, but a series of unfortunate events for the Bears pushed Graham to the top of the ladder. "Going into the summer, we were counting on Brett DeLoach to come back but after having surgery late in the summer, that ruled him out," says Mike Woodard, head football coach from 2006 through this past fall. "Andrew Cuneo was next going into the opener but he got hurt right away. Then Cody Dixon came in and hurt his ankle. So Jayk became the starting quarterback after the first drive of the first quarter of the first game."

The Bears lost that ill-fated opener to Cook in 2008 but rallied to victory in four of the next nine games with Graham at the controls. The first win came in week four, a 28-27 victory over Benedictine. A key play from that game stands out as one of the crowning moments of Graham's career. "It was the first drive of the game when I threw my first varsity touchdown," he says. "It was about 70 yards to Chris Durr, a seam across the middle."

Wins have been at a premium since then for hard-luck PCHS, but Graham has enjoyed high moments here and there. As a senior this past fall, he helped lead his team to victory over Windsor Forest for the first win in school history over a class AAAAA team. Graham completed 61-of-164 passing attempts for 808 yards and four touchdowns in 2010. He rushed 40 times for 102 yards and one touchdown, a 62-yard jaunt against Tattnall County, a run that stands as Woodard's favorite play of Graham's career. "Jayk would be the first one to tell you he's not an option quarterback," Woodard says. "When we went to the I formation this last year, he was a happy person. So it's funny that he scored his only touchdown of the season on an option play."

The 6'3", 185-pound Graham clocks in at 4.9 seconds in the 40-yard dash and 6.95 seconds in the 60-yard dash. Just as football coaches favor the shorter sprint versus the longer one mandated for baseball, the quarterback/pitcher says there are differences between the delivery of the pigskin versus that of the horsehide. "In football, it's a lot more about if you can throw it with better touch passes and sometimes how far you can throw it. And in baseball, you change the grip instead of with your arm."

On the mound, the rangy right-hander pulls from a four-pitch repertoire: fastball, curve, change-up and cut fastball. The latter is his most effective pitch. "My cutter is what does it for me. We played Tattnall County at home last year and we won in extra innings, 5-4. The last two innings, I had five strikeouts and on all five, the strikeout pitch was my cutter."

Graham has found success with nontraditional methods. In 2008, he played an integral role in the Bears' series-opening, 7-6 playoff win against Wesleyan. Explains Mobley: "He was playing with the knuckler in practice and we thought we could use it. We used it as part of the game plan in the first game. But he hasn't thrown it since. He came in and threw knuckleballs because that's what we asked him to do. He is a good baseball player and by the time he gets to college, he is going to be a great player."

Last season, Graham displayed his offensive talents down the stretch for a PCHS team that went 20-11 and advanced to the Elite Eight. The Bears swept a round two series against Howard as Graham went 7-for-8 with a homer and a pair of doubles. "In a word, he's consistent," says Mobley. "There's nothing unique or uncanny about Jayk. He just does everything well."

Graham also tosses up impressive numbers in the classroom. A Beta Club member since his sophomore year, he carries a 3.75 grade point average and scored 1650 on the SAT. He is also a member of the yearbook staff. Graham's favorite subjects are math and physics. He won the Bennett Insurance Math Award for the highest math average in eighth grade. "When he was in second or third grade, they wanted to test him for gifted classes," says Turner. "They said usually a child is gifted in math or reading, but Jayk had high scores across the board."

In college, Graham hopes to major in pre-med with thoughts of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. "I asked him where he was going to college," says Graham's mother. "And he said, 'Wherever they'll let me play ball.'" More than one school fit that bill, including Darton, where Gay recruited the PCHS star. Graham says several factors contributed to his final decision. "In my mind, it had to do with West Georgia being a Division-II school, a four-year school and being farther off," he says. "I love Coach Gay, but going to Carrollton – I think that's where I should be."

Always at home on the diamond, Graham has assisted the Miracle League of Waycross in its baseball outreach. "They have mentally-challenged folks," he says. "We toss them the ball and let them hit it, toss it to first and run the bases." Graham has also assisted youth camps through Emmanuel Baptist Church in Blackshear, although he attends Faith Christian Fellowship in Blackshear, a small family church pastored by his cousin, Keith Hughes.

Family is never far from the playing fields. Graham's second cousin, Micah Larson, is vying to replace him as the Bears quarterback next fall. Graham's younger brothers – sophomore Carter Turner and eighth-grader Gannon Graham – are also part of the Bears baseball program.

Graham's closest gridiron pals include Dixon and Brian Barefield. On the diamond, Trey Thompson, Ethan Parker and Matthew Aldridge have been his closest contemporaries. But Graham says he and the Bears are motivated by the memory of two fallen teammates. Holt Rowland and Layne Dixon died last November from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. "We say something about Holt every day. We say something about Layne every day. We don't try to act like it didn't happen. They are in a better place and even if they could come back, they wouldn't," Graham says.

Inspired by their late teammates, the Bears look to capture their third region title in six years. Graham will carry a great deal of the load, though he doesn't anticipate getting as much spotlight this season as a pitcher as he did in 2010. "Last year, I had to throw a lot because Will White and Will Lowman didn't throw a lot of strikes, but this year they have matured," he says. "That's how I wound up with 12 wins. I have to be ready to throw every game but we'll be able to share the pitching more among the three of us now."

Last season, Graham played every position on the field except catcher. This season, the plan is to plug him in at third, second and in the outfield when he's not pitching. Regardless of where he's stationed on any given day, PCHS can count on getting big-time play. Says Mobley: "When you've got a game to win, that's who you want on the mound and that's who you want at the plate." •

Junior Michael Palazzone provided 8.2 strong innings and the Bulldogs hit a pair of home runs to post a 4-3 win over 24th-ranked Mississippi State here Saturday to clinch another Southeastern Conference series.

Georgia (13-14, 5-3) has won four straight SEC games and improved to 8-9 against ranked teams this season. Last week, they took a series from ninth-ranked LSU. MSU fell to 19-8 overall, 4-4 in the SEC.

It was a pitcher’s duel until two outs in the fifth when State pushed across a run off of Palazzone. Designated hitter Trey Johnson smacked a double and shortstop Jonathan Ogden followed with a base hit up the middle to make it 1-0. MSU right-hander Chris Stratton had allowed just two hits with one walk and five strikeouts up to that point.

With one out, Georgia shortstop Kyle Farmer reached on a base hit and went to second a wild pitch. Zach Cone followed with a single to the left side that Ogden was able to keep from going in the outfield as Farmer had to stay at second. Then on a 3-1 count, sophomore designated hitter Brett DeLoach brought the crowd of 2,496 to their feet when he smashed a three-run home run to left field. It was his first home run of the season and third of his career. Junior first baseman Jonathan Hester followed by hitting the first pitch from Stratton over the centerfield fence to make it 4-1. It was Hester’s third home run of the year and marked his first SEC hit of the year. He was 0-for-16 in league play until that at bat. It was the first back-to-back home runs by the Bulldogs since last season’s Furman contest on March 24 when Colby May and Cone did it.

“It’s been pretty neat to rally behind our starting pitchers like we have the last few games,” said Georgia head coach David Perno. “We’ve got a little bit of a softball staff going and hopefully you’ll see more of the same tomorrow. (Michael) Palazzone did a fantastic job and I wanted to leave him in to get the complete game but we felt like we needed to turn the ball over to (Tyler) Maloof for matchup purposes. Tyler came in and got the last out. Palazzone has repeatedly given us the innings that we have needed and it’s great to have your Friday and Saturday starters able to go deep into games and give you great innings.”

Palazzone improved to 4-1 overall including 2-0 with a 1.16 ERA in three starts against top 25 SEC teams. He has not allowed a walk in his last 25 innings pitched, a span of four games. This streak began in his final 1.2 innings against Southern California in Los Angeles and has continued versus fourth-ranked South Carolina and at home against the Tigers and Bulldogs.

In the eighth, Ogden connected for a one-out triple off the centerfield wall. Right fielder Jaron Shephered notched an RBI on a groundout to first to make it 4-2. State closed the gap to 4-3 with an unearned run in the ninth. Maloof came on with one on and two out and struck out Adam Frazier for his SEC-leading 10th save. Maloof is 10-for-10 in save opportunities this year.

The series concludes Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 2 p.m.

Georgia completed an SEC sweep over 24th-ranked Mississippi State Sunday, posting a 4-1 victory in front of a crowd of 2,502 at Foley Field.
Georgia (14-14, 6-3 SEC) capped a stretch of 11 consecutive games against ranked opponents Sunday, going 6-5 and evened their overall record at 14-14. Eighteen of Georgia's games this year have been against ranked teams, and they are 9-9 in those contests.

Mississippi State (19-9, 4-5 SEC) got on the board first in the second inning when Jonathan Ogden scored on a sacrifice ground out from Adam Frazier which put State ahead 1-0. Georgia pitcher Craig Gullickson (3-1) was able to fight out of a jam in the third inning, getting a ground out and a strikeout with runners on second and third to end the inning, keeping the score at 1-0. Georgia designated hitter Brett DeLoach put the Bulldogs out in front with his second home run of the series, a two-run shot to make it 2-1. Cone was on board after drawing a walk from Nick Routt. The left-hander dropped to 0-1, leaving with one out in the fourth after surrendering two runs on three hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Gullickson recorded his longest start of his Georgia career, going 5.2 innings en route to his third win of the season. He improved to 3-1, allowing just one run on six hits, striking out three and walking two.

State went through a total of eight pitchers, totaling six walks and six strikeouts. After entering into play in the fourth inning, State's bullpen did not allow a run until the seventh inning when Kyle Farmer singled in Levi Hyams to extend Georgia's lead to 3-1. In the eighth inning, Georgia added one more run when Peter Verdin drove in Brandon Stephens, who led off the inning with a double for his career-high third hit of the game.

Junior Tyler Maloof picked up his league leading 11th save of the season retiring all three batters he faced in the ninth inning to complete the sweep.

"We felt like if we could make (Mississippi State) earn what they got then we would have a chance late and that's exactly how it worked out. (Craig) Gullickson really settled in after a couple of innings, got the tough outs and then (Blake) Dieterich and (Tyler) Maloof finished it out for us" Georgia head coach David Perno said of his pitchers in the series finale.

"I feel like today was our best fielding game of the season," Perno added. "Zach (Cone) had a great catch, and we were just solid all around. This is a special group of guys and I think we might be on to something here."

The Bulldogs return to action Tuesday April 5, 2011 against Charleston Southern at 7 pm at Foley Field in Athens.

10 year Parker Peagler hit his first career grand slam this past Saturday at the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department. Peagler’s grand slam came during game three of the day against the Hinesville Heat. The Pierce County Grizzlies defeated Hinesville by a score of 17-0. The Grizzlies also defeated the Bacon County Bombers and the Appling County Heat by scores of 15-5 each. The Grizzlies are now 22-3 on the spring season.

The Pierce County Bears split two Region 2-AA affairs over the weekend beating Tattnall County and falling to Jeff Davis.

Pierce’s (7-8 overall, 6-3 region) 6-4 win over Tattnall County on Friday may be costly with the loss of offensive leader Drew Taylor. The junior slugging first baseman, who leads the team in batting average, slugging, homers (seven), RBI and stolen bases, separated his shoulder in the second inning on an attempted steal. It is not known how long Taylor will be sidelined.

The Bears’ offense was held in check Saturday afternoon as region leader Jeff Davis posted a 2-0 win. Pierce’s schedule doesn’t get any easier this week.

The Bears traveled to seventh-ranked Toombs County on Tuesday, visits Long County on Friday and will host Ware County on Saturday.

PCHS 6, Tattnall County 4
The Bears completed the season sweep of Tattnall County with a two-run decision at home. Pierce won the first meeting 8-0 on March 8 behind the one-hit pitching performance of Will White.

PCHS would again one-hit the Battle Creek Warriors in this one. Senior Jayk Graham surrendered a hit in the second inning for the lone safety of the game. However, he would suffer an injury on his pitching hand and inning later forcing him from the mound.

White came on to work 4.2 innings of hitless relief to get the win. The pair combined to strikeout 10 batters with four walks and one hit batter. Pierce’s undoing was five errors that led to all the runs being unearned.

PCHS took a 1-0 lead in the first on Brian Barefield’s two-out single scoring Taylor, who had tripled a couple of pitches earlier. A single, sacrifice bunt and error allowed Tattnall to tie the score in the top of the second.

Pierce took the lead for good in the bottom half of the inning. Neal Hollis walked followed by Codi Dixon’s single. Graham blasted a three-run homer for a 4-1 advantage. Taylor singled two batters later dislocating his shoulder attempting to steal second.

PCHS would get one hit the rest of the way. As if that wasn’t enough, Graham had a finger on his pitching hand sliced on a play at the plate in the top of third forcing his removal from the game as the Warriors pulled to within 4-2.

The Bears got their finals runs in the bottom of the fourth. Tim Huff drew a walk with courtesy runner Terry Carter stealing second. He scored on Graham’s single. Graham, who took second on the throw to the plate, scored when Xavier McGauley’s grounder to short was thrown away. Three consecutive one-out errors in the fifth by Pierce allowed the Warriors to score their final two runs.

Jeff Davis 2, PCHS 0
Pierce County had its three-game winning streak snapped with Saturday’s road loss. Senior Jake Lytle provided the only run Jeff Davis would need with a third inning solo shot off losing pitcher Will Lowman (5.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 5 K, 4 BB, 2 HBP). The Yellow Jackets added an insurance run in the sixth inning.

“Will did not make a horrible pitch,” said head coach Keith Mobley. “The pitch rode back in over the plate and Lytle went the other way with it. Any time you hold a team like that to three hits you’re pitching pretty good.”

Lowman hit a batter in the sixth, who was sacrificed to second and came around to score on two passed balls.

Pierce had just two scoring chances in this one. Graham was gunned down at the plate in the top of the first inning on a perfect relay throw to the Jeff Davis catcher.

In the sixth, Cole Dowling (two hits) and Vince Elliott lined back-to-back one-out hits. The pair moved up on a passed ball, but were stranded as the Bears went down on consecutive strikeouts.

“We had chances,” said Mobley, “but we just did not put the ball in play striking out 11 times. We just did not get the job done ... we didn’t have a lot of opportunities. “Jeff Davis has a good team and they got a great pitched game. If we get a hit here or a hit there then it could have been a different game.”

As has been the norm throughout the region prior to the first pitch, the home team has honored Holt Rowland and Layne Dixon. This time, however, the Jeff Davis Yellow Jacket Dugout Club went a step farther. Jeff Davis took 25% of the gate receipts and 25% of the concession from Saturday’s game and will make a donation to the FCA chapter in honor of Rowland.

“That just transcends sports,” Mobley said. “All over the region everyone has honored their lives as great Christian kids ... it’s just been amazing.”

Pierce County Middle School’s quest for the Southeast Georgia Middle School Athletic Conference baseball title fell short Saturday in the championship game. The Bears (11-2), the top seed for the tournament, was knocked off by third seed Arthur Williams 15-4 denying PCMS a fourth title on the diamond. Pierce Middle, who has championship banners from 2004, 2005 and 2008, now has three runner-up finishes (’06, ’09 and ’11) in an eight year span.

“Overall, it was a good year,” said head coach David Lanier. “This group we had lost three game in the last two years. I thought they (Jackets) played some really good defense. We always want our guys to play perfect, too, but it doesn’t always work out that way. “We’ve really had a good run of kids come through the program during this run. The last four years we’ve reached the semis winning a championship and finishing as runner-up twice.”

The Bears advanced through the tournament with wins over Brantley County Middle School (11-0) and Appling County Middle School (10-9). Arthur Williams reached the finals by virtue of a 15-9 semifinal win over second seed Waycross Middle in Saturday’s second game.

Championship
Arthur Williams 15, PCMS 4
Pitching, defense and hitting had not been a problem for the Bears’ juggernaut until the finals. The Yellow Jackets belted out 13 hits against a pitching staff that had recorded four no-hitters on the season, the latest coming in the tournament’s first round.

Defensive miscues, as well as mental miscues, did not help the cause. The offense was held in check with just seven base hits. “I can deal with physical errors, but we were really frustrated with the amount of mental errors,” said Lanier. “We also had problems spotting our curves and were choking our change-ups a bit. They were sitting on our fastballs and just took advantage. We were not consistently hitting our spots and they were an aggressive, good hitting team.”

Arthur Williams scored three times in the second inning against starter and loser Madison Tuten (3IP, 7 R, 5H, 2K, 6 BB). Tuten was relieved in the third and came back in the fifth.

Ganon Graham doubled and later scored Pierce Middle’s first run in the bottom half of the inning cutting the deficit to 3-1. After the Jackets scored two more in the third against Tuten and Stetson Smith, PCMS got one run back when Zack Goble singled home Austin Allen (2-for-2, two runs, two RBI) in the bottom of the inning. Arthur Williams scored six more runs over the next two innings pushing the lead out to 11-2.

In the bottom of the fifth, Allen launched a two-run homer over the rightfield fence closing the gap slightly at 11-4. The Jackets put an end to the game scoring four more runs in the sixth to have the “mercy rule” enforced.

Semifinals
PCMS 10, Appling Middle 9
Kyler Allen’s sacrifice fly to center scored Goble breaking a 9-all tie in what proved to be eventual game-winning run in the bottom of the sixth inning.

The Bears jumped out to a 2-0 lead on Appling Middle, when Austin Allen (2-for-3, two runs) and Goble, (3-for-3, three runs) scored on Kyler Allen’s (1-for-1, run, four RBI) single. The Rams overcame the deficit scoring twice in the second, once in the third and two more times in the fourth to grab a 5-2 advantage. PCMS then put a seven-spot on the board in the bottom of the fifth in claiming a 9-5 lead. Appling Middle rallied for four runs in the sixth to tie the game at 9-9.

Smith (3.0 IP, 6H, 5R, 5K,1 BB) started on the mound for the Bears before yielding to Graham (2.1 IP, 5H, 4R, 2K). Tuten (1.2 IP, 1H, 3K, 2 BB), picked up the win in relief for the Bears.

PCMS turned two double plays against the Rams and ended the game with a 4-6-3 twin killing.

First Round
PCMS 11, Brantley Middle 0
After a slow start, the Bears picked up steam over a two-inning stretch to rout Brantley Middle last Tuesday. Tuten and Graham combined on a no-hitter through five innings.

“We got our usual performance out of Madison,” said Lanier. PCMS scored two runs in the first on a wild pitch and a passed ball. The Bears would put the game away with three runs in the third and six in the fourth.

Pierce over Toombs 6-2

Appling over Jeff Davis 2-1

Tattnall over Long 9-4

The Barons Baseball team will take on the Lee University Flames this weekend in a 3-game series. Fans who are unable to attend the games will be able to watch live video and stats, which will cover Friday night's match only. Barons Baseball is currently ranked 4th in the country, with an impressive 28-7 overall record.

If you are interested in following the game you can visit: http://www.ssacsports.com/liveEvents.php.

Pierce County continues to keep pace in the Region 2-AA standings picking up two big road wins last week. The Bears (9-9 overall, 8-3 region), who fell 2-0 to region leader Jeff Davis last Saturday, bounced back to knock off eighth-ranked Toombs County 6-2 in Lyons on Tuesday as Will White tossed a one-hit complete game gem. The victory helped Pierce get a split in the season series.

PCHS followed that up with a 10-0 whipping of Long County behind the combined two-hit pitching of Jayk Graham and White. The Bears’ decision completed the season sweep of the Blue Tide.

However, the week had a sour ending when Ware County posted an 11-0 victory Saturday morning completing the season sweep. The Gators, who hit three three-run homers in the first meeting, a come-from-behind win, hit three two run blasts in this one.

“We’re in good shape as far as the region standings go,” said head coach Keith Mobley following the loss to Ware. “We’ve got seven games left and five of those are region games. You never like losing to Ware County, but Tuesday’s home game against Appling County is the one that counts.”

PCHS 6, Toombs County 2
Pierce County used a four-run fourth inning to overcome a 2-1 deficit and beat the Bulldogs on the road.

“We played well,” said Mobley, “and Will gave up just one hit and that was to their number two batter in the first. We did not hit the ball great, but we got some timely hits when we needed them. We’ve been doing a better job of that lately.”

PCHS took an early 1-0 lead in the fi rst inning. Cole Dowling (1-for-3) lined a one-out single with Brian Barefield (1-for-2) and Will Lowman drawing back-to-back two-out walks to load the bases. Tim Huff’s (2-for-4) grounder back to the mound was misplayed allowing Dowling to score the initial run of the game.

Toombs County tied the score in the bottom half of the inning. A one-out single and three errors allowed the run to score. The Bulldogs took the lead in the second. After consecutive walks to start the frame, White got the next two batters. Another error allowed a second run to cross the plate.

The Bears finally recaptured the lead in the fourth. Neal Hollis drew a one-out walk with Codi Dixon (2-for-2) and Jayk Graham (2-for-5) following with singles to load the bases. Vince Elliott (1-for-5) drove in two runs with a two-out single and Barefield followed with a two-run double for a 5-2 lead.

Pierce’s final run came in the sixth. Lowman drew a two-out walk and raced to third on a single by Huff. A double steal allowed Lowman to cross the plate.

PCHS 10, Long County 0
Graham and White combined on a two-hit shutout as Pierce County blanked Long County on Friday night. “We went over there and just got the job done,” said Mobley. “Jayk threw well for three innings and Will came in to finish it up.”

Pierce scored three runs in the first on just one hit and four Blue Tide errors. Dowling (2-for-4) and Barefield were each credited with and RBI in the frame.

The Bears stretched the margin to 7-0 after the second with a four-run rally. Graham, Dowling, Barefield and Will Lowman (1-for-2) each drove in a run.

PCHS picked up another run in the third. Xavier McGauley (2-for-3) singled, stole second and moved to third on Tim Huff’s (2-for-3) bunt. Dixon’s (fl y to left scored McGauley putting the lead at 8-0.

Dowling’s two-out, two-run single in the fifth put the finishing touches on the rout and completed the season sweep of Long County. Graham and White combined for six strikeouts, two walks and hit four batters.

Ware County 11, PCHS 0
Visiting Ware County blasted three two-run homers against three different pitchers in rolling to an easy win on Saturday. The Gators jumped on Pierce’s “Johnny Wholestaff” scoring in every at bat in a game shortened to five innings.

“We played like we got in late,” said Mobley referring to Friday’s road trip.

The Gators got a run in the first and two in the second against starter and loser Brandon Aldridge (1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 K, 4 BB). Chase Morris hit the first of the two-run homers in the second for a 3-0 lead.

Ware added two more runs in the third against Michael D’Ambrosio (1.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 K, 1 BB). After retiring his first four batters, D’Ambrosio issued a walk and served up a line drive two-run homer to left by Will Wilson as the lead grew to 5-0.

The Gators added a run in the fourth against Jordan Woodard (1.1 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 K, 1 BB). They would add five runs in the fifth against Woodard and Will Lowman (.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 BB). Mac Arnold’s two-run blast in the inning came against Woodard.

Huff and McGauley had the only hits for Pierce.

The Kelly Jones Memorial Race will take place Saturday, May 7. The 5K and one mile fun run will begin at 8:30 a.m. at Blackshear City Park. Fees are $15 in advance and $20 on race day.

Register by mail or in person at the C. Bennett and Johnson Agency, P.O. Box 363, The Cotton Exchange, Blackshear.

Proceeds from the race will benefit the Kevin Rigdon family.

The Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department invites boys and girls ages 7-14 to come out from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, April 16 for a Pitch, Hit, and Run competition.

The event will provide youngsters an opportunity to participate in an exciting baseball/softball skills competition.

They will have a chance to showcase their pitching, hitting and running abilities. Boys and girls will compete separately at all levels of competition.

Contact the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department at 449-4791 for more details.

Will the county pay for play?

Local recreation department officials are wondering where their operating money will come from, how much there will be — and if it will be coming at all, as county government is just two months away from assuming complete control of the local recreation department. The funding was called into question at last week’s regular meeting of the recreation board. Moose Jowers, long-time board member and a former recreation director, noted the final payment from the City of Blackshear is set for June.

“What we need to know,” said Jowers, “is whether the county will increase their funding in order to keep the rec department budget funded at the previous level.” “And if they intend to do so, we need to know when this increase will begin?”

Based on an agreement made between the county and the City of Blackshear in September, 2009, the county will take over responsibility for funding, administration and staffing of the department, effective July 1. The county is to assume all costs for the operation of the rec department, including salaries, benefits, workers compensation insurance, and maintenance of all property and facilities used in connection with recreation activities.

Under the proposal, Blackshear has incrementally reduced its funding from $70,000 in 2009 to $40,000 in 2010 and $20,000 in 2011. The city’s line item will be zeroed out in fiscal year 2012, and the county becomes solely responsible for funding. Blackshear would also be removed from the name of the department.

According to rec board member Steven Paul, as funding from the city decreased, the county did not increase their funding. However, some rec department expenses were absorbed by the county. “When former rec director Scottie Graham was hired, his salary package was picked up by the county, freeing up money in the rec budget,” Paul says.

He added that other rec expenses, such as upgrading pitching machines and other baseball equipment, have been paid for with Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) monies.

“The county has picked up rec expenses during the time that city contributions were diminishing, and that has been a great help,” Paul added. “But with the commission taking up the recreation budget in coming weeks, we wanted to be certain the city’s previous contributions would be matched by the county,” Paul continued.

The rec department budget was $182,632 last year. The department’s budget request for the upcoming year is $225,082, a 23 percent increase.

County commissioners, facing a bleak economy, have indicated on more than one occasion that across the board, county funding will be set no higher than last year’s budget. They have further indicated additional cuts may be on the way. Chairman Mitch Bowen says the commission has not yet addressed the recreation budget. “When we do,” the Chairman adds, “we will look at adequately funding that department.”

Paul noted that if the county declines to boost the rec budget, the deficit created with the loss of city funding could mean they will not be able to hire a new athletic director.

Paul explains that having both positions is important for the success of the local recreation program. The athletic director works along side the rec director in implementing and overseeing overseeing programs. The rec director is typically on the job during office hours, from 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. Games and practices don’t usually start until around 5 p.m. and run until 9 or 9:30 p.m. The athletic director usually comes in later in the day, and stays until games are completed.

“Because of the number of programs and the number of kids participating, having both positions has really become necessary for us,” says Paul.

In addition to hiring needed staff, Paul explains the increase reflects not only the replacement of funds once provided by the city, but also funds to make needed improvements to the recreation complex. “Replacing lights on our baseball and softball fields is just one of the improvements that must be addressed,” he said.

The No. 28 ranked Georgia baseball team returns to action Friday when it plays host to fourth-ranked Florida. First pitch will be at 7:06 p.m., and the game will be televised by CSS. Saturday’s game will be televised by ESPNU and begin at 5:03 p.m. Sunday’s contest will be a 2:06 p.m. start and be televised by CSS.

The Bulldogs (18-16, 8-4 SEC) have played the nation’s toughest schedule with 19 of its 34 games this season coming against ranked opponents. Georgia is 9-10 in those games. That’s the most games and wins versus Top 25 opponents by a Southeastern Conference team this year. The Gators (26-8, 9-3 SEC) have been a consensus top five team throughout 2011 after returning a majority of their team that advanced to the 2010 College World Series. In records dating back to 1950, Florida holds a 160-73-2 edge in the series history. Georgia last won a series over Florida in 2006 when they swept the Gators in Gainesville.

Last week, Georgia and Florida won SEC road series. The Bulldogs defeated Ole Miss 2-1 while the Gators claimed a 2-1 series victory over Mississippi State. This past Tuesday, Georgia fell to ninth-ranked Georgia Tech 5-3 in Atlanta while eighth-ranked Florida State beat Florida 3-1.

Probable Pitching Matchup Friday: 7:06 p.m. (CSS-TV)
UGA Alex Wood, LHP, So. (4-3, 3.66 ERA)
UF Hudson Randall, RHP, So. (5-1, 1.56 ERA)

Probable Pitching Matchup Saturday: 5:03 p.m. (ESPNU-TV)
UGA Michael Palazzone, RHP, Jr. (5-1, 2.28 ERA)
UF Brian Johnson, LHP, So. (5-1, 2.54 ERA)

Probable Pitching Matchup Sunday: 2:06 p.m. (CSS-TV)
UGA Craig Gullickson, LHP, Jr. (3-2, 5.86 ERA)
UF Karsten Whitson, RHP, Fr. (4-0, 2.01 ERA)

Radio/TV Information For The UF Series
Radio: Georgia Bulldog Sports Network from IMG College
Play-by-Play: David Johnston, Jeff Dantzler
Station: 960 AM-WRFC

TV: CSS (Friday, Matt Stewart, Brian Jordan); ESPNU (Saturday: Dan McLaughlin, Nomar Garciaparra); CSS (Sunday: Matt Stewart, Jay Powell)

Ticket Information: Reserved Seat Tickets: $8; General Admission Tickets: $5
Order online via www.georgiadogs.com or by calling 1-877-542-1231
Foley Field Ticket Booth: Open 2 hours before each game
UGA Student Tickets: Free Admission with valid UGA Student ID Card
UGA Student Gate is located off Rutherford Street, Gates Open two hours before each game

Special Promotions During UF Series:
Saturday: First 2,000 fans receive koozies
Sunday: First 1,000 fans receive a Georgia Baseball t-shirt; There will be a post-game autograph session; Kids 13 and under can run the bases after the game

The Johnathan Taylor Fund: Georgia junior outfielder Johnathan Taylor (J.T.) sustained a neck injury March 6 in a collision with outfielder Zach Cone during a game against #5 Florida State. On March 7, Taylor had neck surgery at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens to stabilize his spine. On March 11, he was transferred to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta where he is currently a patient.

To honor J.T., the Bulldogs are wearing “JT-2” decals on the back of their batting helmets; “JT-2” is painted on the Foley Field wall in left center; they carry a framed picture of J.T. with them for their dugout; Cone, Levi Hyams and Peter Verdin have worn Taylor’s #2 jersey in games.

Fans can donate to the Johnathan Taylor Fund through the UGAA website, georgiadogs.com, at the spring football G-Day game Saturday, or at each home baseball game as Diamond Darlings will have a station set up outside the gates and will be in the stands collecting too. For more information, please click on this link:

http://www.georgiadogs.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/031011aaa.html

Fourth-ranked Florida held off No. 28 Georgia 5-4 Friday to take game one of an SEC series in front of a crowd of 2,432 at Foley Field.

Florida (27-8, 10-3 SEC) got on the board first when Nolan Fontana scored from third on a one-out Preston Tucker single in the top of the first inning. Fontana had doubled with the help of a bad hop then advanced to third thanks to a passed ball.

Georgia (18-17, 8-5 SEC) knotted the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first. Junior Zach Cone drove in Conor Welton on a one-out sacrifice fly to center field.

Georgia starter Alex Wood and Florida's Hudson Randall tossed three scoreless innings until the Gators broke through in the top of the fifth with two runs and did the same in the sixth to build a 5-1 advantage. Austin Maddox (3-for-4, 2 RBI) delivered a bases-loaded single into center field, scoring Josh Adams and Preston Tucker to give the Gators a four-run cushion.

In the seventh, Georgia gained some ground, putting two runners across the plate to make it 5-3 and chase Randall. Brett DeLoach scored off of a Brandon Stephens (1-for-3, 1 RBI) blooper into right field, and Jonathan Hester reached home on Peter Verdin one-out pop fly to left that was dropped by Daniel Pigott. Hester had gotten aboard on a walk, only the second base on balls of the season for Randall, who left the game in the hands of Florida reliever Nick Maronde. Randall had not walked a batter in his last 36 innings. Randall picked up the win, finishing the game with three runs on six hits, one walk, and one strikeout to improve to 6-1.

Earl Daniels took over the mound for Wood, to start what would be a scoreless eighth. In seven innings, Wood, who got the loss to fall to 4-4, allowed five runs on 12 hits, recording five strikeouts and a walk. Daniels pitched 1.1 scoreless innings to give him a stretch of 5.1 scoreless innings pitched over his last three appearances.

Georgia was able to cut it to 5-4 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth off Maddox. Curt Powell smacked a one-out double and with two outs, he scored on a base hit by Verdin. Then, Florida looked to Steven Rodriguez who struck out Levi Hyams to record his second save of the year.

"We were right there," said Georgia coach David Perno. "We just needed a couple more hits. We've just got to keep putting ourselves in good positions, and some of these will go our way. I wanted us to play good baseball, and I thought we did tonight. We gave up a few to many two-strike hits and Florida scored when they had their chances. I am encouraged with what our bullpen did tonight and Alex gave us another good start and hung in there."

The series continues Saturday at Foley Field with first pitch slated for 5:03 p.m. as the game will be televised by ESPNU.

The 9-10 year old Pierce County Grizzlies baseball team won the Road to the World Series tournament this past weekend in Homerville earning a free entry into the Peach State Diamond Sports’ Wheel Pitch World Series in Brunswick on June 3-5, 2011.

In pool play, the Grizzlies defeated the Valdosta Storm (11-0), the Colquitt Wild Hogs (18-1) and the Alma Assassins (17-9). The Alma Assassins fought their way back through the loser’s bracket to face Pierce again with Alma winning game one by a score of 18-7 giving Pierce its first loss setting up the final game for the championship. Pierce jumped out to an early 5-0 lead and Alma came fighting back scoring four. Pierce earned another run going up six to four in the top of the sixth. Alma scored once in the bottom of the sixth coming up one short giving Pierce their second championship trophy in a month’s time.

The Grizzlies currently are sporting a 26 win and four loss record since February 26th, is leading the 10 & under division in the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Departments Spring League and will be slugging it out on April 30th for that championship too.

Kneeling: Easton Hall, Austin Jernigan, Ben Baker, Nathan Carter, Todd Carter and Greg Benfield.

Standing: Matt Simmons, Avery Jernigan, Mason Bennett, Parker Peagler, Johnny Waters and Dalton Hall.

Coaches: Michael Carter, Brandon Jernigan and Mitch Hall.

Brett DeLoach earned a shaving cream pie to the face during his ESPNU post-game interview after recording four RBI to lead Georgia to a 7-2 win over fourth-ranked Florida Saturday.

A season-high crowd of 3,011 saw Bulldog junior Michael Palazzone register his third win over a top 10 foe this year, tossing eight innings and allowing one run on six hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Palazzone's 6-1 record this year now includes wins over No. 4 Florida, No. 5 Florida State and No. 9 LSU. On Saturday, he carried a shutout to the eighth before allowing a one-out, solo home run to Bryson Smith. It tied the game and then Georgia responded with a six-run outburst in the bottom of the frame.

Florida (27-9, 10-4 SEC) was the first to threaten with a runner in scoring position with just one out in the third. Palazzone snagged a comebacker up the middle to retire Nolan Fantana. Smith then lined a base hit into right field and Josh Adams tried to score from second, but a terrific throw by Kevin Ruiz beat Adams home, ending the inning.

Georgia (19-17, 9-5 SEC) got on the board first in the fourth inning. Third baseman Curt Powell reached on a leadoff walk and later scored on a sacrifice ground out by DeLoach (3-for-4, 4 RBI).

In the fifth, Palazzone surrendered his first walk in his last 38.2 innings pitched when Adams reached. It was just the fourth issued by Palazzone on the year, and the first since March 12 at Southern California when he led the Bulldogs to a 5-3 win. Georgia's Jonathan Hester led off the fifth inning with his sixth double of the season; however, Brian Johnson struck out the next three batters to eliminate the threat and keep it 1-0.

Adams nearly tied the game in the seventh but left fielder Peter Verdin made a tremendous leaping play at the wall to bring the ball back but it bounced out of his glove and back on to the warning track, resulting in a two-out double. Palazzone battled back to strikeout Kamm Washington. After DeLoach singled to start the Bulldog seventh, Johnson was lifted in favor of Anthony DeScalfani.

In the bottom of the eighth, Levi Hyams reached on a walk and Powell collected a single. Junior shortstop Kyle Farmer put the Bulldogs in front 2-1 with an RBI-double to score Hyams. After an intentional walk to Zach Cone, Florida went to the bullpen again, calling on Tommy Toledo. DeLoach cleared the bases with his second career triple to make it 5-1.

Georgia's eighth inning rally continued as Conor Welton singled in DeLoach to push the lead to 6-1. Later, Verdin drove in Welton with an RBI-single to cap the scoring.

DeSclafani got the loss to fall to 4-2 after allowing four runs in 1.1 innings. Florida tacked on its final with two outs in the ninth off of relief pitcher Blake Dieterich. Pinch hitter Tyler Palmer drove in Austin Maddox on a double into left center to make it 7-2.

"We needed this one today," said Georgia head coach David Perno. "I can't tell you how proud I am of Michael (Palazzone). He was really on his A game even though he had a few uncharacteristic walks. But he was really making great pitches all game long.

"I wasn't comfortable with a 2-1 lead and Brett DeLoach really gave us that extra surge we needed," Perno added. "He had a solid day at the plate and really gave us everything we needed."

Junior Craig Gullickson (3-2, 5.86 ERA) takes the mound for the Bulldogs Sunday at 2:06 pm., as the Bulldogs go for another SEC series victory. Florida had won nine in a row over the Bulldogs until Saturday. Georgia last claimed a series over Florida in 2006 when they swept the Gators in Gainesville. The Gators will start freshman Karsten Whitson (4-0, 2.01 ERA) Sunday. The game will be televised by CSS.

Fourth-ranked Florida hit three home runs, including a grand slam by Preston Tucker in the eighth, and defeated 28th-ranked Georgia 14-7 Sunday in front of 3,004 at Foley Field.

The series loss to Florida snapped Georgia's SEC-series winning streak at three, with their last series loss coming at the hands of #3 South Carolina in Columbia on the weekend of March 18-20.

"We were in a position to win today and I don't think I would have asked for much more than to be able to have Blake Dieterich come in with the lead," said Georgia head coach David Perno. " I don't think that I could ask for much more than that coming from a team standpoint, especially coming back from four runs in the first and getting the ball to our late-inning guys. We pitched so well yesterday and we just need to get our guys back to where they need to be. I've got a lot of confidence in (Craig) Gullickson, and we just need to get him back to being as sharp as he was in the fall."

Gullickson started and immediately got into trouble in the top of the first inning as the Gators batted around in the inning, scoring three runs before Georgia recorded an out. Florida centerfielder Bryson Smith lined a single to right, which was followed by successive walks to shortstop Nolan Fontana and catcher Mike Zunino (3-for-4, three runs). Smith scored from third on Gullickson's second wild pitch of the inning to give Florida a 1-0 lead. A passed ball by catcher Joey Delmonico on ball four to Preston Tucker allowed the second Gator run to score. Third baseman Austin Maddox followed with an RBI-single to center scoring Zunino and extending the lead to 3-0. A sacrifice fly by designated hitter Brian Johnson (3-for-4, home run, three RBI) drove in Tucker before Gullickson retired Josh Adams and Tyler Thompson to end the inning.

Zach Cone (2-for-5, double, triple, two RBI) led off the bottom of the second inning with his first triple of the campaign. Cone's triple was the 10th of his career, which is tied for the fourth most in Georgia history. An infield single by Jonathan Hester scored Cone from third and cut the Gator lead to 4-1.

Gullickson was unable to corral the Gator bats, allowing four runs on five hits over two innings of work. He walked three and hit one batter, free passes that all came in the four-run first inning. Sophomore Chase Hawkins induced a double-play ball off the bat of Adams and struck out Daniel Pigott to end the frame. In his first SEC appearance of the year, Hawkins retired the first seven batters he faced until Florida staged a two-out rally in the fifth. A sharp single off the bat of Maddox brought Johnson to the plate. The Gator designated launched the Hawkins offering over the right-centerfield wall to give Florida a 6-1 lead.

A one-out double by rightfielder Peter Verdin gave the Bulldogs yet another scoring opportunity in the fifth. Verdin, who advanced to third on a Whitson wild pitch, scored on a ground-rule double off the bat of Levi Hyams, trimming the lead to four. A bunt single by Curt Powell moved Hyams to third and once again brought up the heart of the Bulldog order with runners on. Cone ripped a two-out RBI-double down the left field line, scoring Hyams and cutting the lead to 6-3. Brett DeLoach made a valiant effort to tie the game but Bryson Smith reeled in a deep fly ball on the left-center warning track to end the Bulldog rally.

Hawkins turned the ball over to right-hander Earl Daniels in the sixth. Hawkins provided the Bulldogs with three quality innings, allowing three hits with the only two runs coming on the homer by Johnson. Daniels recorded a quick 1-2-3 inning, with a leadoff single erased by a 6-3 double play.

Florida starter Karston Whitson gave way to lefty Alex Panteliodis in the bottom of the sixth. Whitson allowed three runs on six hits over five innings of work, while walking two and striking out five. The Bulldogs welcomed the change, as three straight hits including a double by Hester and an RBI-single by pinch hitter Kevin Ruiz (3-for-3, double, RBI) moved Georgia within two of the lead. Verdin (2-for-4, two runs) legged out a bunt single to load the bases for the Dogs and Florida was forced to make a pitching change. Panteliodis was lifted after allowing four runs on four hits without recording an out. Gator lefty Steven Rodriguez was called upon to face the top of the Bulldog order. Rodriguez struck out Hyams on three consecutive pitches to record the first out of the inning but missed on four straight to Powell whose RBI-walk brought the score to 6-5. Kyle Farmer then slapped the first pitch the saw up the middle for an RBI-infield single, scoring Ruiz and evening the score at 6-6.

Florida (28-9, 11-4 SEC) called upon their third pitcher of the inning, Greg Larson, to face Zach Cone with the bases still loaded. Cone hit a sharp liner to the shortstop Fontana who mishandled the ball but had the ball bounce directly to the second baseman for an RBI-fielder's choice, giving Georgia a 7-6 lead.

Georgia (19-18, 9-6 SEC) handed the ball to Blake Dieterich after Daniels allowed a leadoff single in the top of the seventh. Preston Tucker smashed a two-run homer on the Dieterich's first pitch to regain the lead at 8-7. The sophomore lefty recovered, striking out Johnson and inducing a double-play ball to escape the inning.

Dieterich (1-2) allowed a leadoff single before being pulled in favor of junior righty Tyler Maloof. Maloof walked Fontana and hit Zunino with a pitch to load the bases with two outs before Tucker (2-for-5, two home runs, six RBI) scorched a line-drive grand slam to right, his second home run of the game, to extend the Gator lead to 12-7. The Gators tacked on one more run in the inning on an RBI-single by Josh Adams off of reliever Patrick Boling.

Maloof, who leads the nation with 12 saves, has had trouble in his three non-save appearances this year. In those outings, he has allowed 12 runs on seven hits while walking five, striking out five and hitting five batters in three innings of work.

Florida added their 14th run after a sacrifice fly by Fontana scored Tyler Thompson to lead off the top of the ninth. Georgia reliever Cecil Tanner walked Thompson to start the inning and the Gator leftfielder promptly stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. The run was the first earned run allowed by Tanner this season.

Greg Larson (1-1) pitched the final 3.2 innings for the Gators, allowing no runs on five hits on his way to his first win of the season.

"The bright spot was our offense and our defense this weekend," stated Perno. "I think we did a great job this weekend offensively and the way we fought back and hung in there was great. We wanted to put our guys in a place to win and we got the ball to our late game guys and unfortunately, they couldn't close it out for us today. Dieterich and Maloof have to stay sharp and we need them to get back to where they were before."

Georgia hit .327 in the series and fielded a perfect 1.000 in 122 total chances. Florida's SEC-leading offense hit .368 with four home runs against the Bulldogs.

Georgia will return to action against 23rd-ranked Clemson on Wednesday at Foley Field. The Bulldogs will look to even the season series with the Tigers, who won the first meeting 11-6 in Clemson, S.C. First pitch in scheduled for 7:06 p.m. and the game will be televised by CSS. Live stats will be available on georgiadogs.com.

Coaches and Parents,

We’ll be hosting the 2nd Annual Randy Bass Memorial Tournament this year on May 28th, 2011. The event will take place at the Pierce County Recreation Department. We’ll have the following divisions:

8u Wheel
10u Wheel
12u Live Arm

Entry Fees:
Wheel Pitch $150.00
Live Arm $225.00

Please email, text, or call Brandon Jernigan for further details

Thank you,
Brandon Jernigan
(478) 268-2330 Cell
(912) 807-0267 Home
bjernigan@pierce.k12.ga.us

Last week didn’t start on a good note, but it shore ended on one as Pierce County split with Region 2-AA foes Appling County and McIntosh
County on the diamond.

The Bears (10-10 overall, 9-4 region) dropped a 16-11 affair to the visiting Pirates last Tuesday committing a season high eight errors that led to the first six runs being unearned. They would run-rule the Bucs in Darien hitting a season-high four homers, including two pinch-hit ones in a 16-2 rout.

Pierce stopped a mini two game slide with Friday’s win staying entrenched in third place in the region standings behind first-place Jeff Davis and second-place Appling County. Both programs were ranked in the pre-season Top 10, but early season struggles knocked both out.

The loss to the Pirates gave them the season sweep and the tie-breaker if the two programs end the season tied in the region standings. The victory over MCA completed a season sweep.

Appling 16, PCHS 11
A five-run seventh inning proved to be the difference in this wild affair. “Every time we made a mistake they took advantage of it,” said head coach Keith Mobley afterwards. “They scored 10 of their 16 runs off walks or errors and you can’t give good teams extra at bats. Appling took advantage of our miscues like good teams do.

The Pirates, who scored in every inning, grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first against Will Lowman (2+ IP, 2 H, 6 R, 0 ER, 2 SO, 1 BB, 1 HBP) with an unearned run. The advantage was short-lived.

Jake Graham (1-for-3) drilled a 1-1 pitch over the fence in center leading off the bottom half of the inning. Vince Elliott drew a one-out walk, stole second and moved to third on a groundout. Lowman (1-for-3)was issued a free pass putting runners on the corners setting the stage for Neal Hollis (1-for-3).

The junior left-handed batter lofted a fly ball into the wind blowing towards left clearing the fence for his first career homer and a 4-1 Bears’ lead.

The Pirates tied the score in the third with a three-run rally, thanks to four miscues, chasing Lowman. Will White (4 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 7 K, 3 BB, 2 HBP) took his turn on the mound.

Pierce came right back with two runs in the bottom of the inning.

Appling had a second straight three-run rally to grab a 9-8 lead through the top of the fourth. Once again, the Pirates’ advantage would be short-lived with PCHS scoring twice.

After the Pirates scored on a two-out error to tie the score in the top of the fifth, PCHS grabbed its final lead in the bottom half of the inning.

Dowling scored when Lowman came through with a clutch two-out double giving the Bears an 11-10 advantage.

The Pirates roughed up Graham (1 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 K, 1 HBP) in the uprising.

PCHS 16, McIntosh 2
Graham and White combined on a three-hitter and the Bears blasted four homers as part of their 16-hit attack to win easily on Friday.

Graham (2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 6 K, 4 BB, 3 HBP) worked the first four innings to get the win with White (1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 K, 1 BB) coming in to get the final three outs.

Elliott and Graham each hit homers leading off the third and fourth innings respectively. Drew Taylor, who missed the past couple of weeks with a separated shoulder, hit a two-run pinch-hit homer, his eighth of the year, in the third and freshman Micah Larson capped the night with a pinch hit grandslam, the first of his career, in the fifth.

PCHS scored twice in the first with Carter, courtesy running for Graham, scoring on a wild pitch and Lowman executing a suicide squeeze to bring in Dowling. The Bears added a run in the second when Graham’s two-out double knocked in McGauley.

After Elliott’s blast to start the third, Brian Barefield singled and scored on Taylor’s one-out, pinch-hit bomb pushing the margin to 6-0.

Following Graham’s round tripper PCHS added three more runs in the inning. Larson capped the six-run sixth inning with a grandslam.

Pierce traveled to Folkston on Monday to face Charlton County in a non-region game.

Senior Matt Duffy delivered a walk-off single to lift Tennessee to a 5-4 win over Georgia in 10 innings Friday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Tennessee (22-15, 5-11 SEC) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the third, sending seven men to the plate and collecting three hits. The No. 8 and 9 hitters ignited the rally. Davis Morgan led off with a base hit and then Chris Fritts was hit by a pitch. After a sacrifice bunt by Andrew Toles, Zach Osborne made it 1-0 with a run-scoring single. The second run came home on a balk by sophomore left-hander Alex Wood. Then, Duffy capped the scoring with a two-out, bloop single to center.

The Bulldogs (19-20, 9-7 SEC) got a run back in the fourth and fifth frames, however left-hander Steve Gruver avoided a big inning with key strikeouts with runners in scoring position. Georgia’s first run scored on a passed ball by Ethan Bennett. In the fifth, a sacrifice fly by third baseman Curt Powell brought Levi Hyams home after he led off the inning with his first career triple. At that point, Georgia was 0-for-8 with four strikeouts and just a sacrifice fly with men in scoring position. Hyams extended his hitting streak to nine games with a leadoff single to start the contest. However, shortstop Kyle Farmer saw his career-best 16-game hitting streak end after going 0-for-4 and was hit by a pitch in the ninth.

In the bottom of the sixth, Khayyan Norfolk reached with a single on a 0-2 pitch and then stole second and third base. He leads the league with 24 stolen bases. With one out, Tyler Horne lined an RBI-single left to make it 4-2 and then Josh Liles followed with another base hit to put runners at the corners. Bennett lined sharply to Powell who caught it and stepped on the third base bag for an inning-ending double play to keep it a two-run game.

In the eighth, Georgia tried to rally again with one out. Zach Cone smacked a single to right and Brett DeLoach (3-for-4) was hit by a pitch to bring up Kevin Ruiz who was 0-for-3 at that point. With a 2-2 count on Ruiz, Tennessee lifted Gruver in favor of freshman right-hander Nick Williams. Ruiz worked a walk to load the bases for junior Jonathan Hester. Williams battled back to strike out Hester. Georgia turned to its bench and sent up freshman pinch-hitter Conor Welton for catcher Brandon Stephens.

Welton ran the count full, fouled off two straight 3-2 offerings and then lined a two-run single up the middle to tie the contest at 4-all. It marked Georgia’s first hit with runners in scoring position, making them 1-for-10 plus a walk and sacrifice fly on the night in that situation. Georgia junior Lance Martin came in to run for Ruiz at second as Verdin stepped up to the plate. He popped out to end the outburst.

Neither starter figured in the decision. Wood allowed four runs on seven hits with no walks and two strikeouts. Gruver went 7.1 innings and surrendered four runs on eight hits with one walk and seven strikeouts.

Georgia went to its bullpen to start the bottom of the eighth, bringing in sophomore Blake Dieterich. Zach Osborne reached with an infield single but the Bulldogs kept it a tie game going to the ninth. With two outs, Farmer was hit by a pitch and Cone lined a single to left to bring up DeLoach who bounced out as the Bulldogs had stranded 10 runners on the evening.

In the bottom of the 10th, Chris Fritts reached on a leadoff walk and then Toles moved him to second with a sacrifice bunt. Georgia lifted Dieterich in favor of closer Tyler Maloof to face Osborne. He bounced one to the left off Maloof that tipped off his glove and resulted in an infield single to put runners at the corners. Georgia opted to intentionally walk Norfork to load the bases for Duffy who ended the game with a walk-off single that banged off the right field wall.

“We had too many missed opportunities, they had a big inning early and we never did,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “Alex (Wood) pitched a pretty good game, he battled back after that early three –spot and gave us seven innings. We had too many holes in our lineup. We didn’t get enough good at bats in several places. We got a big pinch-hit from Conor Welton, in fact the freshmen have done well the past two games. We had 11 punch outs, we didn’t hit with runners on, and we didn’t apply enough pressure tonight. We’ve got to get it going on Saturday for sure.”

The series continues Saturday at 4 p.m. The Bulldogs will start junior right-hander Michael Palazzone (6-1, 2.13 ERA) while the Volunteers will counter with senior left-hander Rob Catapano (2-3, 4.70 ERA).

The PCHS Bears started the weekend with a 7-5 win over region foes Brantley County. The win should place the Bears with a solid 3rd place in the region standings.

The Bears have two more region games against Vidalia on Tuesday (April 26) and Jeff Davis Friday (April 29); both games are in Blackshear with a scheduled start time of 6:00 p.m.

If Jeff Davis can lose to Tattnall & Pierce wins on Tuesday, then the region championship will be decided in the final regular season game vs Jeff Davis in Blackshear on Friday.

The 12 & under Pierce County Bears started the Peach State Diamond Sports (PSDS) Team Appreciation Weekend in Brunswick Friday night too. The young Bears faced a tough Savannah Bulldog team coming out with a 13-4 loss to start their weekend. (See article at top of page)

The 10 & under Bears will be heading to Brunswick Saturday morning to start their weekend play. (See article below)

The 12 & under Pierce County Bears finished second in the PSDS Team Appreciation tournament in Brunswick this past weekend.

After finishing win a win and a tie in pool play, the young Bears went into the single elimination tournament as the number three seed out of five teams.

Pierce had to face the #2 seed Rincon Lightning with Pierce getting the win allowing them the opportunity to play the Sand Gnats in the championship game.

The Sand Gnats earned their way to the championship as the number 5 seed after losing both of their pool games however, defeated the Altamha Rampage (four seed) and the Wolfpack (one seed).

Even with the extra game, the Sand Gnats ended up wth the victory over Pierce with the Sand Gnats being declated the champions and Pierce the runner-ups.

Georgia scored seven two-out runs Saturday to defeat Tennessee 8-6 and even the SEC series at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Junior Michael Palazzone improved to 7-1 after going a solid 8.2 innings, spoiled only by Davis Morgan’s ninth-inning, three-run shot down the left field line that was ruled a home run. Palazzone’s final line was six runs (four earned) on eight hits with two walks and three strikeouts. He had allowed just one earned until the ninth. Junior Tyler Maloof came on to get the final out and record his 13th save. UT starter Rob Catapano got the loss to fall 2-4 after allowing five runs on six hits before leaving in the fourth.

Georgia (20-20, 10-7 SEC) jumped ahead 2-0 in the first, rallying with two outs. Junior shortstop Kyle Farmer got it started with a base hit and then junior Zach Cone followed with a single. Designated hitter Brett DeLoach brought them home with a two-run double. It gave him a team-high 15 RBI in SEC action. The Volunteers got one run back in their half of the first. Andrew Toles reached on an infield single, took third on a single by Zach Osborne and scored on a groundout by Khayyan Norfork.

Georgia got the run back in the second with another two-out RBI. Third baseman Curt Powell reached with a two-out single and took second on a wild pitch. Junior second baseman Levi Hyams made it 3-1 with a run-scoring single and gave him a 10-game hitting streak. The Bulldogs extended their lead to 5-1 in the fourth. Right fielder Kevin Ruiz began the inning with a walk and went to second on a base hit by Jonathan Hester. Tennessee went to the bullpen, lifting Catapano in favor of Carter Watson. He struck out Joey Delmonico who was trying to bunt. Then, Powell followed with an RBI-double. UT removed Watson for a sidearm left-hander in Hunter Daniel. Hyams grounded one to second for Georgia’s fifth run as Hester scored.

In the fifth, Tennessee (22-16, 5-12 SEC) trimmed the deficit to 5-3 by taking advantage of a couple of two-out Bulldog errors, their first miscues in the past seven games. Chris Fritts and Toles singled with two outs and advanced 90 feet with stolen bases. A miscue by Powell at third allowed one run in and a failed pickoff attempt by right-hander Palazzone resulted in the second run coming home. Overall, Powell was busy at the “hot corner” Saturday, registering one putout and five assists.

The ninth inning was entertaining to say the least. UT got 4.2 shutout innings from Jon Reed including the first two outs in the ninth. Then, the Volunteers went to their bullpen again to bring in Dalton Saberhagen. He walked Hyams and gave up a single to Hyams. UT then went to Zack Godly to face Farmer. The junior shortstop belted a three-run home run to give the Bulldogs an 8-3 advantage. Palazzone was looking for his third complete game of the year. He gave up a leadoff single to Tyler Horne and then got Josh Liles to pop out. Ethan Bennett reached with a base hit to bring up Morgan. He lined a shot down the left field line that appeared to be to the left of the foul pole. However, it was ruled fair and that made it 8-6. After a mound visit by Georgia coach David Perno to calm the Bulldogs down, Palazzone retired Chris Fritts. Toles followed with a sharp grounder to Farmer that he couldn’t handle and that brought the tying run to the plate. It was Farmer’s first error in the past 15 games. Georgia brought in Maloof to face Zach Osborne. He laced a ball up the middle that Hyams snagged raging to his right and threw him out to end the game.

“I feel bad for Michael, he pitched great even though the boxscore doesn’t look like he did,” said Perno. “We did a much better job of two-out hitting today, and we won a lot of full-count battles. Kyle’s home run in the ninth was huge. Our error streak came to an end, I know we ended up with three errors but we actually played pretty good defense today if you saw the game.”

“The play to end the game was spectacular by Levi, and it was good to see Tyler come in and get going with another save,” Perno added.

The rubber game of the series will be Sunday at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs will start junior left-hander Craig Gullickson (3-2, 6.67 ERA) while the Volunteers counter with sophomore right-hander Nick Blount (1-0, 2.55 ERA).

Two weeks ago during the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department's Spring League action, a new group of 9-10 year old Pierce County youths stepped on the field with no practice together and played competitive baseball barely losing to the Altamaha Tarpons and the Bacon County Raiders and defeating the Waycross Sting.

This group of players stepped onto the diamond again this past Saturday in Brunswick to play in the Peach State Diamond Sports' Team Appreciation Weekend tournament, again with no practice.

The team finished with one win (Sea Rays 12-0) and one loss (Claxton Express 17-9) in pool play. Once all pool play games were completed, the single elimination tournament bracket was set with Pierce set as the fourth seed and scheduled to play the Sea Rays. Pierce was victorious again by defeating the Sea Rays by a score of 9-2.

The Bears had to face the #1 seeded Diamond Dogs from Alma in the semi-finals. Alma defeated Pierce last week in Blackshear in extra innings but Pierce would turn the table this week and won this game by a score of 10-9 sending Alma home and Pierce to the Championship round.

Waiting for Pierce was the Claxton Express. The game was tied 1-1 going into the third inning when Claxton got a hit and another runner on base by a Bear error and then one of the Claxton batters sent a three run bomb over the fence sealing the Bears fate and losing the game by a score of 4-1.

For a team that has yet to practice together on the field, finishing second and your only losses are to the champion shows what talent their is in Pierce County.

Kneeling is Sergey Steedley, Avery Jernigan, Ethan Herrin, Dalton Malone and Kayden Todd. Standing is Andrew Walsh, Jeremiah O'Hara, Gunner Yeomans, Jackson Clough, Bryson Wheeler and Zane Goble. The coaches are Kirby Malone and Jonathon Todd. Not shown is Alan McIntosh.

The team is sponsored by Cobblestone Realty and Todd Timber.

Junior Kyle Farmer tied a career-high with four RBI and the Bulldog bullpen threw seven shutout innings to register a 5-3 SEC series-clinching win over Tennessee Sunday at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

“We did it the hard way here, losing an extra-inning game on Friday and then coming back to win the series with good wins Saturday and today,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “Kyle had another big day for us and the bullpen was outstanding.”

Junior second baseman Levi Hyams led off the game with a double to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 11 games. Tennessee sophomore right-hander Nick Blount came back to strike out freshman Conor Welton. Then, Farmer (2-for-3, 4 RBI) smashed a two-run home run, his second blast in as many at bats, to put the Bulldogs in front 2-0. In Saturday’s 8-6 win over the Volunteers, Farmer delivered a three-run home run in the top of the ninth. Farmer now has a team-leading six home runs and 41 RBI. Zach Cone followed with a single and then moved into scoring position with his 10th stolen base of the year. After retiring Brett DeLoach on a flyout, first baseman Jonathan Hester lined a 3-2 pitch into center for a run-scoring single and then was thrown out trying to go to second to end the outburst.

Tennessee (22-17, 5-13 SEC) looked to answer in the bottom of the first after a leadoff double from Andrew Toles. However, junior left-hander Craig Gullickson retired the next three Volunteers to maintain the 3-0 edge. Tennessee came through in the second after loading the bases with one out on two hits and a walk. Gullickson struck out Wes Walker for the second out and then gave up a two-run single to Toles on a 3-2 offering. After a mound visit by Georgia coach David Perno, Gullickson got Zach Osborne to hit a soft grounder back to him to keep the Bulldogs in front 3-2.

In the third, the Volunteers tied the game and chased Gullickson. Khayyan Norfolk led off with a single and scored on a double by Matt Duffy to make it 3-3. After going 2-0 on Horne, Georgia went to the bullpen in junior left-hander Chase Hawkins. Horne drew a walk and then Hawkins got Davis Morgan to bounce to third when Curt Powell started a double play. Hawkins got the Bulldogs out of further trouble in that frame as the Volunteers stranded their fourth runner in scoring position in the game.

Georgia (21-20, 11-7 SEC) reclaimed the lead with a two-out rally in the fifth. Hyams and Welton reached on a pair of walks and then Farmer continued a productive day with a two-run double off Jerod Pepper for a 5-3 lead. Hawkins cruised through the fourth and fifth frames before allowing two straight hits to start the bottom of the sixth and after a sacrifice bunt, Georgia went to sophomore right-hander Earl Daniels to face pinch-hitter Ethan Bennett with two men in scoring positiong. He got Bennett to pop out to Farmer and then Toles put a charge in to one to right that Peter Verdin hauled in up against the wall to keep it 5-3 Bulldogs.

In the seventh, Tennessee put two on with one out against Daniels, and then he battled back to strike out the next two Volunteers in Horne and Daniel Morgan to send it to the eighth. Daniels tossed 1.2 scoreless innings and then sophomore left-hander Blake Dieterich pitched the final two innings, allowing just one hit with two strikeouts to pick up his second save. Hawkins began the streak of scoreless innings by the bullpen, going 3.1 to collect his second win of the year and his first career SEC victory.

Georgia will be back in action Tuesday when it travels to Turner Field in Atlanta to face ninth-ranked Georgia Tech (30-11) at 7 p.m. on SportSouth. The ninth annual “Spring Baseball Classic For Kids” raises more than $200,000 annually for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and its Brain and Spinal Cord Tumor Program. Since 2004, there have more than 20,000 tickets sold annually. Georgia holds a 6-2 edge in the series at Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves.

Forsyth Central sports will have a new lead Dawg when the next school year begins.

Mike Woodard will be Central’s next athletic director, replacing Jerry Cauley after two decades at the school.

Woodard, 44, was introduced to coaches and boosters during a short reception in the Central gymnasium on Thursday. He has been head football coach and athletic director at Pierce County High School in Blackshear for five years, and has spent a total of 23 years at schools around south Georgia. In addition to football, he has been a head coach in baseball and wrestling, as well as a weightlifting coordinator.

Principal Rudy Hampton pointed out several traits that made him feel like Woodard was the man for the job — a devotion to family, a history of working with successful athletic programs and Pierce County’s status as an AP achievement system, an academic achievement that mirrors Forsyth County.

“We have somebody coming to us who has a great deal of experience, but also a great deal of time spent with some extremely good programs,” Hampton said.

“[Another] major thing to me was that Mike is coming from a system who values academics as much as they value athletics, and that’s the way Forsyth County is.”

In addressing the crowd, Woodard said he’s had an eye on Forsyth County for a while.

“Down in south Georgia, we look up here. We see and we copy. Five years ago when I got introduced in front of a crowd as the head football coach and AD [in Pierce County], my principal used the saying ‘We want to be the Forsyth County of south Georgia,’” Woodard said.

Woodard talked about the warm welcome he received from people around the county, and compared the local community to what he’s familiar with in south Georgia.

“When you turn off [Highway] 400, it’s still Atlanta, but it doesnt take long to come over that hill right there and you see a community,” he said.

“I haven’t accomplished a single thing here and look at the turnout, so that makes you want to go out and make sure you do the right things.”
Central’s current AD has been with the school for 20 years as a teacher, coach and administrator. Cauley spent 16 years coaching softball, including a Class AA slow pitch state championship in 1996. He was girls basketball coach for nine years, and coached golf for five years.

In 10 years as athletic director, he has won six region AD of the year awards and was named state AD of the year in 2009 for Class AAAA.

“As much as I love it ... it’s time for a new chapter in life,” said Cauley, 59.

Woodard said he sees himself as being responsible for helping students leave the school with good memories.

“I’m for the kids, number one. I want to make sure that they’re given the opportunity to make some memories. There’s too many that graduate and don’t go on to play at the next level for us to forget about that,” he said.

Woodard and his wife Wendy have four kids — Austin, Jordan, Jacob and Mackenzie.

He said they plan to be in town by June 1 at the latest.

“If we had a big enough truck, we would have brought all our stuff tonight and stayed,” he said Thursday.

The Pierce County Bears’ baseball program has endured a lot over the last year. First up was replacing head coach Greg Gay who resigned after four consecutive state playoff appearances. Second was overcoming the tragic loss of two team members.

First-year head coach Keith Mobley, an assistant during Gay’s tenure, has bridged the change in coaching philosphy as well as helped with mending the wound of the other.

And following a slow start, Mobley has quietly guided Pierce County (12-11 overall, 10-4 region) back into the playoffs punching their Class AA state ticket with a 7-5 victory over Brantley County on Friday night.

PCHS is currently tied with Appling County (15-9, 10-4) for second in the region standings behind Jeff Davis (14-9, 12-2). The Pirates hold the tie-breaker with a season sweep if the two teams are still tied at the end of the regular season.

“We have a good chance to finish second if we win out and get a little help,” Mobley said in reference to the Brantley-Appling two-game series this week. “We’re in the playoffs and that’s big, but we need some help for seeding purposes.”

Neal Hollis, who hit his fi rst career homer a week earlier, provided the game-winner against the Herons with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning breaking a 5-all tie.

Pierce added an insurance run in the seventh when a two out error allowed Drew Taylor to score from third.

“This was a great win against a very good ball club,” said Mobley afterwards. “It is always tough to beat them (Herons) at their place. There was a great crowd at the game that got to see an exciting game and an exciting finish.”

Pierce closes out its regular season with two home games. The Bears hosted Vidalia on Tuesday and close against the Yellow Jackets on Friday on Senior Night.

The Bears finished off their non-region schedule splitting with Charlton County and Richmond Hill. PCHS completed the season sweep of the Indians with last Monday’s 12-10 win before dropping a 5-3 decision to Richmond Hill.

Pierce went 2-7 in non-region games. The Bears were swept by the Wildcats, Ware County and Liberty County. They lost to Glynn Academy in the only matchup between the two programs.

PCHS 7, Brantley Co. 5
The Bears escaped in this one with a noisy flyout and the tying runs in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh.

Senior Jayk Graham (3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 K, 1 BB), who came on in relief of Will Lowman in the fourth inning, picked up his biggest win of the season with an outstanding relief job.

The Bears grabbed a 1-0 first inning advantage when Taylor blasted his area-leading 10th homer of the season with two outs off losing pitcher Dalton Moore. Brantley County came right back in the second to grab a short-lived lead with a two-run rally against Lowman (3.1 IP, 1 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 7 K, 5 BB, 1 HBP), who entered the game with a miniscule 0.38 ERA in region games.

PCHS answered in the top of the third with three runs on three hits and two walks. Cole Dowling lined a one-out single and stole second ahead of Taylor’s walk. Both moved up on a passed ball and scored on Brian Barefield’s two-run single for a 3-2 lead.

After Barefi eld was caught stealing, Lowman walked, stole second and scored on Vince Elliott’s base hit.

The Bears pushed the margin to 5-2 in the fourth. Graham ripped a two-out double and scored when Dowling followed suit.

Brantley chased Lowman in the bottom half of the inning scoring three times to tie the score at 5-all.

Barefield started the fifth with a single, was sacrificed over by Lowman and reached third on a passed ball. After Elliott walked and stole second, Rod Kennedy was inserted as a pinch-runner for Barefield with Hollis coming to the plate.

PCHS 12, Charlton Co. 10
The Bears nearly blew a 10-0 lead as they escaped the upset bid of Charlton County last Monday.

PCHS blasted four homers for the second straight game and had 15 hits against the Indians’ pitching staff. Graham (3-for-4, four runs) hit a three-run homer in the third and a solo shot in the fifth for his first career multiple homer game. Dowling (1-for-4) hit a three-run homer in the
second and Taylor (4-for-4, two runs) blasted his ninth, a two run shot, in the first inning.

The Bears scored three runs in each of the first two innings and four times in the third for a 10-0 lead. Charlton County scored its first run off Lowman in the bottom half of the inning.

After pushing the lead back to a 10-run cushion at 11-1, Pierce surrendered three unearned runs in the fourth.

Graham’s second homer in back-to-back at bats gave PCHS a 12-4 lead. Charlton County picked up a run in the fifth against White and added five in the sixth, only two of which were earned, to make things interesting.

Barefield and Elliott finished with two hits each for the Bears. Lowman, Huff and Dixon picked up a hit apiece as all but one player registered a hit.

Richmond Hill 5, PCHS 3
The Wildcats spotted Pierce a 3-0 first inning lead before rallying over a three-inning stretch for the non-region win.

PCHS loaded the bases in the first as the first three batters (Graham, Dowling and Elliott) all reached. Barefield (2-for-4) following with a two-run single. Lowman walked to load the bases and Hunter Skipper was hit by a pitch forcing home the final run.

A strikeout and a 6-4-3 double play quickly killed the rally. The Bears did not get another runner to third until the sixth and again in the seventh.

Richmond Hill pulled to within 3-2 in the second and took the lead for good with a two-run third. The Wildcats plated their final run in the fourth.

Matthew Aldridge joined Barefield as the only players with two hits. Dowling, Elliott and Lowman added a hit apiece.

Richmond Hill managed just four hits.

The 2011 PCHS Bears will travel to Madison, GA Friday to visit the Morgan County Bulldogs for Round 1 of the GHSA state baseball play-offs.

The first game is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. and game two at 6:30 p.m. If necessary, game three will be played on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Morgan County High School is located at 1231 College Drive, Madison, GA 30650.

The entire AA state play-off bracket can be downloaded from the GA Prep Country website at http://ga.prepcountry.com/?t=7&wy=2011&s=21&class=2

The Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department's 14 & under junior boys baseball team defeated the Ware County Gators twice tonight. Pierce won game one by a score of 3-1 and then won game two by a score of 8-6.

Pierce will face the green Gators on Friday, May 6th in Blackshear starting at 6 p.m. at the Recreation Department located on Ware Street.

Pierce County closed out the regular season splitting its final two baseball games to finish third in the Region 2-AA standings.

Needing to win out in the fi nal week to have a chance to finish second, the Bears (13-12 overall, 11-5 region) downed Vidalia 11-7 last Tuesday and fell to regular season region champion Jeff Davis on Senior Night, 8-3.

The loss to the Yellow Jackets on Friday gave Appling County the second seed from the region and at least one first round series at home.

Meanwhile, Pierce will open up on the road in the first round for the first time in five years. The Bears’ first round opponent will be eighth-ranked Morgan County Bulldogs (22-3), the second seed in Region 4, on Friday in Madison. The first game is scheduled to start at 3:30 p.m. and game two at 6:30 p.m. If necessary, game three will be played on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Morgan County High School is located at 1231 College Drive, Madison, GA 30650.

PCHS 11, Vidalia 7
Down 5-2 entering the fourth inning, the Bears scored nine runs over a two-inning span to complete the season series sweep of Vidalia.

“This was a great come-from-behind win,” said head coach Keith Mobley. “The guys stuck to the game plan at the plate and we got their(Indians) pitcher’s pitch count up.”

The Indians feasted on starter Will White (3.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 K, 5 BB, 1 HBP) knocking him around in the first two innings to take a 3-0 lead.

The Bears got a run back in the bottom of the second when Tim Huff (1-for-1) delivered a run-scoring single with Will Lowman eluding the tag at the plate.

Jayk Graham (2-for-3) led off the bottom of the third with his seventh homer of the season and fourth in four games to close the margin to 3-2.
Graham (WP, 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 4 K, 1 BB) came on in relief of White in the fourth. By the time he got out of the inning the score was 5-2.

Vince Elliott (1-for-3) got the four-run fourth started by drawing a leadoff walk. After Neal Hollis (1-for-2) executed a sacrifice bunt, Huff drew the fi rst of his three walks on the night. One out later, Graham delivered a two-run double scoring Elliott and courtesy runner Terry Carter to close the gap to 5-4.

Cole Dowling (2-for-4) followed with a run-scoring double to tie the score and Drew Taylor (2-for-3) ripped a single driving in the go-ahead run.

The Bears put the game away with a two-out, five-run fifth to open up an 11-5 advantage.

Hollis ignited a stretch of six consecutive PCHS batters reaching with a single after two quick outs to start the inning. Huff drew a walk with Codi Dixon (1-for-4) blasting his first career homer, a three-run shot over the centerfield fence. Graham walked and Dowling singled with both moving up on a passed ball. Taylor ended the inning with a two-run single.

Vidalia picked up two unearned runs in the top of the sixth inning for the final runs of the night.

Jeff Davis 8, PCHS 3
The Yellow Jackets broke a 2-all tie with a run in the top of the sixth and blew the game open with a five-run seventh against PCHS.

Jeff Davis won the first meeting 2-0 in Hazlehurst.

Lowman (LP, 6 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 7 K, 5 BB) surrendered two first inning runs and then handcuffed the Yellow Jackets for five innings. He retired 14 of 18 batters after Jake Lytle (1-for-4) delivered a two-run single in the opening frame.

While Lowman was doing his job on the mound to keep Pierce in the game, Stephen Farris was doing likewise for the Yellow Jackets. PCHS scratched out single runs in each of the first two innings and no more until the seventh.

The difference, though, was a couple of base running miscues by the Bears. They had the potential go-ahead run thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the fourth.

“I’ll take the blame for this one,” said Mobley. “I thought the ball got away from the catcher and rolled to the fence so I sent the runner. A play like that can change the course of the game and that play would have put some pressure on them (Jackets).

“Of course the ball didn’t get that far away. We also made some mistakes with the location of our pitches. But the bottom line is I take the blame.”

Down 2-0 before their turn at the plate, the Bears sliced the deficit in half. Dowling (1-for-4) drew a one-out walk from Farris with Taylor (2-for-4), Brian Barefield (1-for-4) and Lowman (2-for-4) lining consecutive base hits for one run.

PCHS could do no more damage with the bases loaded and just one out. A fielders’ choice and a pop to short ended the inning.

Huff (2-for-3) led off the second with a hustling triple. His fly ball to right just missed going out by a foot or so. Dixon (1-for-3) singled home the run tying the score at 2-a piece.

The Yellow Jackets scored the eventual game-winning run in the sixth inning with two outs. Xavier McGauley came up throwing just missing the runner at the plate as the Jackets grabbed a 3-2 lead.

Jeff Davis knocked around three Bears’ pitchers in the seventh to score five times. PCHS did threaten to get back in the game in the bottom half of the inning.

Taylor led off with a double and was thrown out going to third on Barefield’s chopper to short. Lowman doubled off the fence in right center putting two runners in scoring position. Vince Elliott (2-for-4), who just missed a homer in the sixth, singled home Barefield with Lowman being held at third.

The game ended on a slow chopper that Farris fielded at second, stepped on the bag and threw to first to complete the double play.

The Pierce County Park's & Recreation Departments 14 & under junior boys baseball team defeated the Ware County Gator green team tonight by a score of 13-4.

The Gators scored once in the first playing station to station on a walk, a passed ball, and a sacrifice fly to center field before Bear pitcher Dakota Martin gave up a run scoring single. The Bears tied the game in the bottom half as Martin hit a double and was moved around to score on a sac fly by Zach Goble.

The Gators were scoreless in the top of the second with Martin striking out three of the four Gators he faced while the Bears opened the lead scoring four more runs.

The Bears held the Gators scoreless again before sending "Johnny Wholestaff" to the plate scoring six more runs opening the lead to 11-1.

As the heat and humidity was bearing down on Martin, the Gators started to show some life scoring three runs in the fourth before Kyler Wade came in and closed the door the rest of the night on the Gators. The Bears scored two more in the fourth.

Wade gave up a lead off walk to the Gators in the fifth before getting three straight strikeouts to end the game giving the Bears their third win this week. The Bears had defeated the gold Gators twice this past Tuesday.

Pierce head coach Keith Mobley named region coach of the year.

Three pitchers combined to allow eight hits as Pierce County upset eighth-ranked Morgan County in the first round of the Class AA state playoffs on Friday.

The Bears (15-12) needed eight innings in Game 1 to win in Madison, 7-3, as Will Lowman (3.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 K, 4 BB) and Jayk Graham (WP, 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 K, 2 BB) combined to slow down the Bulldogs’ (23-5) offensive jaguarnat.

Will White (CG, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 8 K, 2 BB, 1 HBP) was even better in Game 2 as Pierce County rolled 9-1 to complete the sweep.

The win marks the fifth consecutive year, and the first on the road, that PCHS has advanced to the “Sweet 16”. Things won’t get any easier for the Bears, who landed in the hardest quadrant of the Class AA bracket which houses five of the Top 10 teams in the state.

Up next is a road trip to Nashville and a date against fifth-ranked Berrien High (26-2). The Region 1 champion Rebels knocked off Region 3 fourth-seed Southeast Bulloch.

Still remaining in the bracket is third-ranked Buford (23-3) and defending champion and sixth-ranked Calhoun (21-5), which are meeting in the other matchup.

“The guys played great,” said head coach Keith Mobley, named the Region 2-AA Coach of the Year, following his first series win as a head coach. “All three pitchers threw great. We played good, solid defense and came through with some timely hitting. It was just exciting.

“Now we play Berrien and we’re one of 16 teams left. The good thing is that Nashville is pretty close and we won’t have to spend the night. I think our fan support will be bigger in this series.”

Game 1 will be played Wednesday beginning at 2 p.m., with Game 2 to follow 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener. The “if” game will start at 5:30 p.m., on Thursday.

The series, as well as the rest of the state playoffs as long as Pierce County is playing, will be carried live by WWUF 97.7 FM. Mike Woodard will handle the play-b-play duties with Rick Head doing the color commentary.

Berrien, which unseated region kingpin Cook High for the title this year, has Larry Green in centerfield and Cal Simmons at shortstop as its top players. Green is expected to be one of the top picks in the June baseball draft. Simmons recently committed to play at Florida State.

“I think we match up really well with them,” said Mobley. “It’s going to be fun. We’re going to go over there and see what’s what. We’re just taking it one series at a time and hopefully we can keep playing well.”

Game 1
PCHS 7, No. 8 Morgan Co. 3
8 innings
Pierce County used a four-run
eighth inning to break the backs of
the Bulldogs and capture the all-important
series opener.

Tim Huff (2-for-3) delivered a two run single through a drawn-in infield scoring Vince Elliott (1-for-4) and Matthew Aldridge (1-for-2) to break a 3-all tie in the eighth inning. Graham (2-for-5) and Drew Taylor (2-for-4) added run-scoring singles.

“Winning that first game was the key,” said Mobley. “Game 1 is very important and we took care of business.” Elliott got the inning started with a single and raced to third on Aldridge’s double. Huff would take second following the biggest hit of his career with the play at the plate.

Micah Larson, the courtesy runner for Huff, scored on Graham’s single as the lead grew to 6-3. Cole Dowling (4-for-5) followed with a single and Taylor capped the uprising with his single that plated Graham.

The Bears recaptured the lead in the fifth. Taylor doubled and moved up on a groundout. He would score on a suicide squeeze with Lowman at the plate when the Morgan County catcher missed the pitch.

The Bulldogs tied the score in the bottom of the sixth against Graham. An error to start the inning was followed by a base hit. Both runners moved up on a passed ball putting the tying run 90 feet away and potential game-winner in scoring position.

A sacrifice fly to center was followed by a groundout and a lineout as Morgan County stranded the go-ahead run at third.

Graham allowed a base runner in the seventh and set down the Bulldogs 1-2-3 in the eighth to pick up the win.

Game 2
PCHS 9, No. 8 Morgan Co. 1
The Bears scored four times in the first two innings and White did the rest with a complete game performance.

Dowling (2-for-4) lined a one-out solo homer in the bottom of the first inning with Pierce opening up and insurmountable four-run lead following the second.

“Cole’s home run was a good start to the second game,” said Mobley. “Then we go out and added three more in the second inning and that was pretty much it for them the way Will was throwing the ball.

“I think what hurt them (Bulldogs) was not playing a lot of close games or facing the competition that we did..”

Lowman and Elliott (1-for-3) drew back-to-back walks with Neal Hollis reaching on an error to load the bases. Huff grounded out scoring Lowman for a 2-0 lead. Dixon (1-for-3) singled home Elliott and Graham (2-for-3) singled home Hollis for a 4-0 lead.

PCHS blew the game open and sent the home crowd home early with a five-run fifth inning.

Taylor (1-for-4) and Brian Barefield (1-for-3) started the inning with consecutive singles. They moved up on a passed ball. Elliott followed with a run-scoring single plating Taylor.

Aldridge (1-for-1) lined a run-scoring pinch-hit single for a 6-0 lead. Huff (1-for-3) followed with a run-scoring double and Graham capped the inning with a two-out, two-run triple for a 9-0 advantage.

Morgan County averted the shutout with a solo homer in the seventh inning.

Greg Gay will be returning as head coach of the Pierce County Bears baseball season next year.

The recommendation to return Gay to his old post was approved as part of a slate of coaching assignments at Monday night’s board meeting. Superintendent Terri DeLoach made the recommendation. Board members approved it without comment.

Gay left Pierce County last summer to take an assistant coach’s position at Darton College in Albany, but recently expressed an interest in returning.

He and his wife, Amanda, were hired last Thursday for teaching positions. Coach Gay will teach physical education at Blackshear and Midway Elementary, while Mrs. Gay will be the instructional lead teacher at Pierce County Middle School.

Gay will replace his long-time assistant, Keith Mobley, who served as head coach this season. Mobley led the Bears to a 15-12 season this year, including a berth in the “Sweet 16” in the state play-offs. Mobley will move back to the assistant’s position.

Gay became head coach in 2006 and over the next five seasons led the Bears to a best-ever 104-46 record, including four straight 20-win seasons.

Berrien’s special season came to a quick and stunning end far sooner than the Rebels could imagine.

Pierce County stormed into Dr. Frank Carter Field and swept away the home-standing Rebels’ dreams of a long playoff run with a pair of close wins in the second round of the playoffs on Wednesday.

The Bears came from behind when down to their last out to win game 1 5-2, then scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning of game 2 to win 9-8.

Pierce County was able to manage Rebels superstar Larry Greene, who went 0 for 4 in game 1 and walked three times in game 2. He was stranded on deck as the tying run of game 2 when Kalen Dillingham struck out to end Berrien’s season.

Pierce County will travel to Buford in the AA quarterfinals. Berrien only lost two games all year coming into Wednesday but lost twice in six hours to finish the season 26-4.


Game 1: Pierce County 5, Berrien 2
Game 1 ended in a disastrous way for the Rebels. Drew Harrelson pitched the first six innings without allowing a run, and he took a 2-0 lead into the top of the seventh. That’s when the wheels came off.

Harrelson walked the leadoff batter, and after getting a strikeout, gave up a single to put runners on first and second. The Bears gambled and gave up their second out when they had No. 9 hitter Codi Dixon sac bunt the tying run to third and go-ahead run to second.

The decision paid off when third baseman Kalen Dillingham unsuccessfully tried to backhand a hard grounder and Xavier McGauley scored from first to tie the game 2-2.

Cole Dowling followed with a hit to right that scored Micah Larson and put the Bears up 3-2.


Harrelson was taken out of the game and Kal Simmons entered, but the change didn’t help. Simmons gave up three consecutive base hits and two more runs scored to make it a five-run inning for the Bears. They scored four runs with two outs and took a 5-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh.

The Rebels started a rally in their half of the seventh when Bears starter Will Lowman walked the first two batters, but reliever Jayk Graham got a ground out and then got Dillingham to ground into a game-ending 4-6-3 double play.

Lowman got the win after pitching six innings and allowing two runs and four hits while striking out eight.

Harrelson’s outing was wasted, as he took the loss after allowing four runs, one earned, in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out seven and allowed just two hits in the first six innings.

The Rebels failed several times to expand their 2-0 lead. Their only two runs came on a sac bunt by Dillingham and a sac fly by Cole Stewart.

Their best scoring chance came in the fourth when they loaded the bases with no outs. However, they only got one run when Stewart plated Simmons on his fly ball left. Lowman got out of the threat when

Devonte Bass lined out to first and Spencer Johnson was doubled up after being caught too far off of second for a double play.


Game 2: Pierce County 9, Berrien 8

With time running out on their season, the Rebels put together a frantic and dramatic comeback only to watch the Bears steal the game away in the end.

Pierce County took a commanding 8-1 lead on a grand slam in the second inning by Vince Elliott, but the Rebels scrapped their way back to tie the game.

Simmons made it 8-3 with an RBI single in the fourth, then Spencer Johnson followed with a two-run single. Dalton McMillian made 8-6 with an RBI single of his own later in the inning.

The Rebels completed their comeback in the top of sixth. McMillian made it 8-7 on a sac fly, and Hunter Garrett belted a grounder down the third base line with two outs to score Johnson and tie the game 8-8.

The Rebels fought long and hard to get back into the game only to see the Bears take the lead right back in the bottom of the sixth. Brian Barefield and Will Lowman led off the inning with singles of off McMillian to put runners at the corners. After a popout, Tim Huff lofted a ball to Greene in center field. Pinch runner Hunter Skipper tagged, raced home and beat Greene’s throw to put the Bears up 9-8. Graham, who came on in relief for the Bears in the third, pitched a 1-2-3 seventh and ended the game with a pair of strikeouts. Greene watched the final one from the on-deck circle.

It was a tough loss for McMillian. He entered the game for Ashton Sparks with the bases loaded and served up the grand slam to Elliott.

Unfortunately for the Rebels, Elliott hit a grand slam and a seven-run deficit was too much to overcome.

Copied from The Valdosta Daily Times at http://valdostadailytimes.com/sports/x264248732/Swept-away

However, he settled in and gave the Rebels a chance by shutting the Bears down until the sixth.

Simmons started the game and was hit hard. The first two batters hit home runs, then Simmons gave up a single and a double before being taken out without recording and out.

Sparks, a freshman, allowed both inherited runners to score to make it 4-1, but he held the Bears in check the rest of the inning.

PCHS Bears baseball will start "Elite 8" playoff action Tuesday, May 17. Game 1 against the host Buford Wolves will begin at 4 p.m. Game 2 will begin 30 minutes after the end of the first game. Game 3, if necessary, will be Wednesday at 3 p.m. Games will be carried live on WWUF 97.7 FM.

The Wingate Hotel has a block of rooms for those making the trip. If interested in making a reservation, call (678)714-0248 and ask for Michelle Cerami and state you are with Pierce County baseball.

Wingate by Wyndham Atlanta - Buford
1355 Mall of Georgia Boulevard
Buford, GA 30519
(678) 714-0248

The fourth annual Pierce County Bears Baseball Camp will be held from 9 a.m.-noon Tuesday, May 31 through Friday, June 3.

The camp is open to students in 3rd-8th grade, and the cost is $50 per camper.

The focus of this camp is to provide three days of instruction on the fundamentals of baseball. For more information call 449-2068 or 288-3172.

Snacks and sack lunch provided each day.

Camp coaches include Keith Mobley, Brett Brooker, Tim Doster, Cole Walsh, the PCHS Bear baseball team and former Bear baseball players.

Five-run 7th rallies PCHS to 5-2 victory in Game 1

Pierce County got up off the mat with a dramatic seventh inning rally to beat fi fth-ranked Berrien High 5-2 in Game 1 of last Wednesday’s “Sweet 16” matchup.

The victory by the Bears in the series opener ended a 16-game winning streak by the Region 1 champs, who entered the second round with the best record in Class AA at 26-2.

PCHS was handcuffed by Rebels’ ace Drew Harrelson (LP, 6.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 7 K, 2 BB), a 6-foot-5 lanky southpaw, for six innings. Harrelson was twirling a two-hit shutout when things went awry.

“The scouting report on him was that he threw a lot of strikes,” said head coach Keith Mobley, “and you had to get his pitch count up. We went up to the plate in the seventh and did that.”

Down 2-0, Pierce’s Will Lowman drew a leadoff walk and raced to third one-out later on Matthew Aldridge’s (1-for-2) single to right-center. Huff (2-for-3) singled up the middle plating Lowman to slice the deficit in half with Xavier McGauley, running for Aldridge, stopping at second.

Codi Dixon’s sacrifice bunt moved McGauley and courtesy runner Micah Larson up 90 feet bringing up the top of the Bears’ order. Jayk Graham (1-for-3) hit a hard smash off Berrien third baseman Kalen Dillingham’s glove scoring McGauley with the tying run.

Cole Dowling’s (2-for-4) RBI single to right-center scored Larson with the go-ahead run and chased Harrelson from the mound. Drew Taylor (1-for-4) and Brian Barefield (1-for-3) greeted reliever Kal Simmons, who has verbally committed to Florida State, with back-to-back first-pitch RBI singles pushing the lead out to 5-2.

“The guys just never quit,” Mobley said. “I told them before we went to the plate in the seventh that we had to get the first game. We did not panic. Cole came through with a great single to give us the lead.”
Lowman (WP, 6+ IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 7 K, 5 BB, 2 HBP), who matched Harrelson pitch for pitch, was pulled after walking the first two batters of the seventh inning. Graham, who had one save for the season, threw four pitches to get his second.

The West Georgia signee got Berrien’s leadoff batter to hit into a fielders’ choice and the second to bounce into a game ending double play. Dowling, Pierce’s second baseman, fielded the chopper up the middle and shuffl ed the ball out of his glove, without the use of his free hand, to shortstop Vince Elliott. Elliott caught the ball bare-handed crossing the bag and threw on to first in a highlight-reel play.

“Lowman did an outstanding job,” said Mobley, “and he wanted to finish. He was around 110 pitches heading into the seventh and finished with 122. Jayk came on and did a great job and the double play was amazing. Those two work on that every day at practice and today they were able to do it in a game.”

Pierce threatened only once during the first six innings, that coming in the second with runners at first and third and two outs.

The Rebels pushed across the initial run of the game on a squeeze play in the bottom of the third. Their second run came in the fourth after Lowman hit the first two batters. A bloop single loaded the bases ahead of a sacrifice fly and before Taylor, who plays first, snared a line drive on a hit-and-run play and threw to Elliott to double up the lead runner.


Pierce hangs on for wild 9-8 decision in Game 2

Tim Huff’s sacrifice fly with one out in the bottom of the sixth inning snapped an 8-all tie as Pierce County completed a series sweep against homestanding Berrien High last Wednesday.

“Wow,” said head coach Keith Mobley afterwards. “This is hard to put in to words. We just made the plays … you have to do that against quality opponents.”

Huff’s one-out sacrifice fly in the sixth inning came after the Rebels scored seven unanswered runs to overcome an 8-1 deficit following the first two innings.

Brian Barefield (2-for-3) got the inning started with a single to right-center off Dalton McMillan (LP, 4.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 K, 0 BB), the third Berrien hurler of the game. Will Lowman (2-for-2) followed with a single to nearly the same spot as Terry Carter, pinch running for Barefield, sped around to third.

After the first out, Lowman stole second with pinch-hitter Neal Hollis working a walk to load the bases. Huff hit the next pitch to left-center where MLB prospect Larry Greene made the catch.

Greene’s subsequent frozen rope throw to the plate was just up the third base line allowing Carter to cross the plate standing for the eventual game-winning run.

Jayk Graham (WP, 4.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 1 ER, 6 K, 3 BB), who came on in relief of a struggling Will White (2.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 K, 6 BB) in the third inning, set Berrien down 1-2-3, his only stress-free inning, in the top of the seventh fanning the final two batters.

“Will struggled early and Jayk came on and did a great job,” said Mobley. “You wouldn’t expect anything less from a senior. When I asked him about going out for the seventh he told me to go away. He just reached back and had a little extra on his fastball and more bite on his curve in that last inning.”

Berrien grabbed a quick 1-0 lead in the first against White with a walk and two singles.

Graham (1-for-4) tied things on the sixth pitch of the bottom half of the inning against Kal Simmons (O IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 K, 0 BB), the Rebels’ No. 2 starter, with a blast to leftcenter, his ninth of the year. Cole Dowling gave the Bears the lead three pitches later with a homer just inside the left field foul pole, his fourth of the year.

Drew Taylor (2-for-4) and Barefield (2-for-3) lined backto-back singles chasing Simmons just four batters into the inning. Freshman Ashton Sparks (1.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 K, 4 BB) walked Lowman to load the bases and enticed Vince Elliott (1-for-4) to hit into a run-scoring fielders’ choice. Codi Dixon (1-for4) capped the outburst with a two-out, run scoring single for a 4-1 advantage.

In the second, Taylor lined a one-out single with Barefield and Lowman drawing consecutive walks to load the bases knocking Sparks from the mound. Elliott greeted McMillan with a grandslam homer on the second pitch, his third round-tripper of the year and first career granny, extending the lead to 8-1.

That would be all PCHS could muster against the righty, who would allow just two more hits until the sixth.

Meanwhile, the Rebels started their long comeback in the third. White issued three consecutive one-out walks to load the bases as he fought
control problems. Graham was tagged for a run-scoring single to his first batter before getting the final two outs on swinging strikes.

Berrien scored four times after two were out in the fourth. An inning ending grounder to second was booted. Following a walk, the Rebels scratched together three consecutive run scoring hits to close the gap to
8-6.

An error to start the fifth did not come back to roost. A sacrifice fly and an error in the top of the sixth, though, allowed Berrien to tie the score at 8-apiece.

Maybe it was Buford’s motivation taken from the disappointing exit in the second round of the Class AA state playoffs a season ago.

Or perhaps it was the Wolves’ nine-game winning streak entering Tuesday night’s quarterfinal match up with Pierce County.

Or just plain old dumb luck brought on by the full moon that rose at the conclusion of Tuesday’s games. Whatever the reason, Buford is playing some good baseball right now.

With a doubleheader sweep of Pierce County, 11-8 and 12-1, the Wolves extended that winning streak to 11 and earned a spot in the Class AA state semifinals, where they will host the winner of the Hart County-Appling County series next Monday.

“We’ve played our best baseball the last four weeks,” Buford head coach Tony Wolfe said. “As a coach, I worry about the week off between rounds but we’ve been able to hold on to that momentum.”

Game 1 starter Josh Heddinger took the win, but it wasn’t easy, as the Georgie Tech signee needed 105 pitches to go 62/3 innings.

Eight runs were charged to the right-hander, but his defense wasn’t supportive as two dropped balls in the outfield led to four unearned runs. He also walked two and hit four batters, but his six strikeouts and only six hits allowed kept the Bears (17-14) from putting together a huge inning.

Things were going smoothly in the opener with Buford up 1-0 off an RBI single from Jamie Ritchie in the first inning, when the Bears notched three runs in the fourth.

The first of those came on a bases loaded walk to Matthew Aldrige, while the other two came home on a dropped ball in left field with sacks full.

The error allowed two runners to cross home before Aldrige was thrown out at third. A lengthy discussion amongst the coaches and umpires ensued to determine if the second runner crossed home before the tag, which it was ultimately ruled he did.

Down 3-1, the Wolves responded with three runs in the bottom half, getting an RBI from Brian Malone while being hit with the bases loaded, a sacrifice fly RBI from James Nix, while plating another on an error during a pickoff attempt at first.

Nix added an RBI single in the fifth as Buford took control with four more runs. Brian Clark (2-for-4, two RBIs) added a two-run single, while Troy Herterick homered to center, a solo shot that snapped the branch from the tree it crashed into.

The Bears wouldn’t go away in Game 1, pushing two unearned runs across in the fifth with Buford’s second drop in the outfield. They also put a scare in the Wolves in the seventh by scoring three runs and leaving the bases loaded when Herterick recorded the final out for the save.

“We overcame not playing exceptionally well early,” Wolfe said. “We had dropped fly balls, walked in a run and did things we haven’t done all year. We were able to right the ship, got some runs and kept pressure on (Pierce County) that way. To battle a little adversity and come out on top is a good thing for us.”

Buford concluded the sweep with a 12-1 rout in six innings in Game 2, getting a solid start from Sam Clay.

Clay struck out 11, allowing one earned run on five hits and five walks. The defense was also much better in the second game as the Wolves played errorless ball.

The offense also did its part, collecting 10 hits. Herterick hit his second home run of the day, a two-run shot in the sixth, and finished the second game 1-for-2 with a home run, walk, hit by pitch, two RBIs and three runs.

Heddinger continued his good work at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a walk, run and three RBIs, while Adam Hampton finished 2-for-2 with two walks and three RBIs.

Ritchie chipped in with a hit and two RBIs in the final game, while sophomore Mason Gentry was 2-for-2 with a double, two walks, and a long solo home run to center.

“We’ve been playing great right now,” Heddinger said. “We just need to keep hitting the ball like we’ve been doing. We have so many that contribute with that.”

The 8 & under Pierce County Bears finished second today in the 2nd Annual Randy Bass Memorial baseball tournament held at the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department in Blackshear.

The Bears won two of their three pool play games against the Long County Merchants (8-7) and the Dirt Dobbers from Jeff Davis County (13-11) to earn a trip to the championship to face Bacon County. The Bears had faced Bacon earlier in the day but came up short as Bacon was victorious by a score of 12-10.

The Bears jumped out to an early 8-0 lead in the championship game but Bacon came storming back to defeat the Bears by a score of 18-10 to take the championship trophy home.

Kneeling (l to r): Yuri Steedley, Wesley Nelson, Dayton Alexander, Jake Tyre, Tristan Turner & Gage Waters.

Standing (l to r): Jake Davis, Allen Sapp, Christopher Riggins, Jayden Crews, Dawson Yarbrough & Brice Altman.

Coaches: Jamie Nelson & Dwain Pippin.

The 10 & Under Pierce County Grizzlies finished second today in the 2nd Annual Randy Bass Memorial baseball tournament held at the Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department in Blackshear.

The Grizzlies won both of their pool play games against Wayne County (14-5) and the Country Boys from Brunswick (16-15) earning a first round bye in the single elimination tournament play.

The Grizzlies (2 seed) had to face Wayne( 6 seed) again but had a more difficult time has this game turned out tougher as the Grizzlies found themselves down 9-0 before waking up and winning a barn burner by a score of 15-14 sending Pierce to play the Middle Georgia Mavericks from Dublin (1 seed) for the championship.

The Mavericks cruised through their side of the bracket but found it a little tougher as Pierce jumped out to an early 4-0 lead before the Mavericks started hitting the long ball eventually beating Pierce and taking the championship by a score of 17-8.

Players shown kneeling (with younger siblings) are Ben Baker, Greg Benfield, Andrew Walsh and Austin Jernigan. Standing is Dalton Hall, Johnny Waters, Matt Simmons, Avery Jernigan, Nathan Carter, Mason Bennett and Parker Peagler. The coaches are Greg Benfield, Mitch Hall and Brandon Jernigan.

The Grizzlies now have 35 wins and 11 losses since February 26th and have either finished first or second in every tournament they have entered. The Grizzlies will play next in the PSDS Wheel Pitch World Series next weekend in Brunswick.

It took Dylan Wall a little while to get in synch this season. Now, he’s pitching deep into games and giving South Georgia College opportunities to win.

The sophomore did it again Sunday, taking a shutout into the seventh inning, leading the Tigers to a 10-4 victory over Jefferson (Mo.) College on Sunday in the Alpine Bank Junior College World Series at Suplizio Field. The Vikings (43-22) were eliminated.

“That was the third game in a row he gave us a good outing, so that was wonderful,” South Georgia coach Scott Sims said. “Dylan is a strike thrower. He doesn’t have great stuff, but he’s a battler and real smart. He thinks, thinks, thinks. Sometimes that gets him in trouble.”

Wall limited the Vikings to three runs on six hits, four walks and two strikeouts in 62/3 innings. He didn’t allow a hit until the fourth inning. “I wasn’t paying attention (to the no-hitter),” Wall said. “I was just throwing with (catcher David Reid-) Foley like I always do. I was just hoping to get outs. “I wanted to throw strikes, I’ve been walking hitters lately.”

Wall had plenty of run support from the Tigers’ offense, which woke up after a sluggish performance Saturday. South Georgia (34-32) built a 5-0 lead through four innings and added five runs in the eighth.

“I knew if we didn’t swing the bats, we’d be going home,” sophomore Logan Gaines said. “We had to put the ball in play and let our defense make plays.”

Gaines and Seth Foster led the attack. Gaines was 4 for 5 with two RBI and Foster 5 for 5 with four RBI. “We swung at good pitches,” Gaines said. “Yesterday, we swung at bad pitches. Today, we hit line drives and ground balls.” Gaines was 0 for 3 in the Tigers’ loss Saturday to Central Arizona.

“Logan is great guy,” Sims said. “He smiles all the time. Everyone likes him. When he’s struggling, everybody wants to help him and that makes it worse. He’s a great player and an even better person.”

With the Tigers leading 1-0, Gaines singled to get the offense going in the third inning. Reid-Foley was hit by a pitch and Foster singled to right to drive in two runs for a 3-0 lead.

In the fourth, Kelcey Butts doubled and scored on Gaines’ single. Foster drove home Gaines for a 5-0 lead.

Jefferson was finally able to string a couple of hits together in the seventh, scoring three runs. Kyle Leslie led off with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored in front of Drew Stanton on Tyler Hibbert’s double. Hibbert scored on Nathan Goro’s single.

Fred Ford hit a solo home run in the eighth.

“Without question, timely hitting,” Jefferson coach Sam Carel said of the reason for the loss. “Our pitching wasn’t great, but it wasn’t bad. Our starting pitching was really good through the season and we came out with timely hits, but we just didn’t do that this week.”

South Georgia added five runs in the eighth to dampen the Vikings’ hopes of a rally. Gaines singled home the first run and Reid-Foley doubled home two more. Foster added an RBI single.

Zach Hula picked up the save for South Georgia, limiting the Vikings to one run on three hits in 2 1/3 innings.

David O'Neal, a 2010 graduate of PCHS is on the pitching staff for South Georgia College Tigers. You can follow David and the Tigers by watching the JUCO College World Series for game times at http://www.jucogj.org/ for an updated schedule. The games are streamed live at http://www.psblive.com/.

The Tigers next game is scheduled for Monday, May 30 at 10:00 a.m.

The Georgia baseball team received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and will be the No. 3 seed in the Oregon State Regional in Corvallis starting Friday.

This marks the 10th overall NCAA regional bid for the Bulldogs including their sixth under head coach David Perno in his 10 seasons. Georgia (31-30) has played the nation's toughest rated schedule and has an RPI of No. 16 according to several of the nation's leading websites that follow college baseball. Georgia played 35 games against this year's NCAA field and posted a 15-20 record. The Bulldogs had 34 games against ranked opponents this year, going 16-18 and that is the most games and wins of any team in the Southeastern Conference that garnered three national seeds. Georgia has already made one trip West this season, beating 10th-ranked UCLA on the Bruins campus along with the USC Trojans on their campus and then St. Mary's at Dodger Stadium.

Georgia will face No. 2 seed Creighton (44-14) Friday at Goss Stadium in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs. The game time has not been announced. The host and top seeded Beavers (38-17) battle No. 4 seed Arkansas Little-Rock (24-32). Each of the 16 regionals features four teams playing in a double-elimination format conducted from June 3-6.

Georgia is 1-6 all-time versus the Beavers. They first met at the 2006 College World Series and then Perno and OSU coach Pat Casey scheduled a home-and-home series for 2007 (Athens) while the 2008 series was played in Portland as the Beavers stadium was undergoing renovations following back-to-back College World Series title.

"I was a little surprised we're going out there to Oregon State with so many ACC teams hosting, and they usually match SEC teams with them, but this is a great opportunity to go West and have some fun," said Perno. "We showed what we're capable of doing this past weekend at the SEC Tournament. I'm looking forward to catching up with Coach Casey. We'll start getting prepared for Creighton and the rest of the teams in the regional. However, we don't worry too much about who we're playing; we try to focus on doing what we do well."

The Bulldogs are 46-28 all-time in the NCAA Tournament with six appearances in the College World Series. Perno has led the Bulldogs to the College World Series in 2004, 2006 and the CWS Finals in 2008. Perno's teams are 26-15 in the NCAA Tournament. The last NCAA appearance for the Bulldogs came in 2009 when they went 1-2 at the Tallahassee Regional.

Bolstered by a third place showing at the SEC Tournament in Hoover Ala., the Bulldogs qualified for a spot in this year's 64-team field by finishing with the NCAA-required record of at least one game over .500. Georgia went to the SEC Tournament Wednesday with a 28-28 record and then dropped its opening game to third-ranked Vanderbilt 10-0 where it was held to one hit. The Bulldogs fought back to defeat Auburn Thursday, top-ranked South Carolina Friday and third-ranked Florida Saturday to reach the semifinals before the Gators stopped Georgia's run. In the SEC regular season, Georgia went 16-14 to finish with the fourth best league mark behind SEC tri-champions Florida, South Carolina and Vanderbilt, all who went 22-8 in the conference.

The Bulldogs are led on the mound by junior right-hander Michael Palazzone (10-4, 3.20 ERA) and sophomore left-hander Alex Wood (5-7, 4.53 ERA). Also, sophomore right-hander Tyler Maloof ranks among the NCAA leaders in saves with 18 in 19 opportunities. Offensively, Georgia is paced by sophomore shortstop Kyle Farmer (.304-7-53), junior second baseman Levi Hyams (.318-4-37) and junior left fielder Zach Cone (.284-3-32). Georgia is one of the SEC's top defensive clubs and is on pace to set a school record with a .974 fielding percentage.

"We're glad we're in, and we were kind of on edge there watching it and seeing all the ACC sites filling up with teams, and then finally our name popped up and we're excited to be going to the West Coast," said Hyams. "We made a good run at the SEC Tournament and hopefully we can do it again. We did pretty well in our first trip West this year, and I think we have a lot more in the tank."

There are 30 Division I conferences that received an automatic berth in the field of 64, along with 34 at-large selections. The 16 Regional winners advance to Super Regionals (June 10-13) played at various campus sites (announced on June 6 at approximately 11 p.m. ET). The eight Super Regional winners earn a spot to the 65th College World Series (June 18-29) at TD Ameritrade Park in Omaha, Neb.

Georgia will open the 2011 NCAA Corvallis Regional against No. 25 Creighton Friday at 4 p.m. ET at Goss Stadium on the campus of Oregon State.

The Bulldogs (31-30) garnered the No. 3 seed while the Bluejays, winners of nine of their last 10 games, are 44-14 and are the No. 2 seed. The host Beavers, ranked 13th-nationally with a 38-17 record, are the top seed and face No. 4 seed Arkansas-Little Rock (24-32) Friday at 9 p.m. ET. On Saturday, the losers play at 4 p.m. PT while the winners meet at 9 p.m. ET. Georgia has never faced Creighton before, but over the years, the Bulldogs have practiced at their stadium during their College World Series appearances. Creighton now plays their home games in the new TD Ameritrade Park in downtown Omaha, site of the CWS. All Bulldogs game in the postseason will be carried live on the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network from IMG College. At this time, no television or live video streaming has been announced.

Georgia junior right-hander Michael Palazzone (10-4, 3.20 ERA) will start game one while sophomore left-hander Alex Wood (5-7, 4.53 ERA) will get the nod in game two, according to Bulldog head coach David Perno. The Bulldogs are making their 10th appearance in an NCAA Regional including their sixth under Perno. Georgia has advanced to the College World Series six times. Perno has taken three teams to the College World Series (2004, 2006, 2008) including the 2008 CWS Finals.

"We have a shot and that's all you can ask for at this point in the season," said Perno following Tuesday's practice at Foley Field in Athens. "We've faced some very good competition all season and held our own, and now it's a new season. We've been in the grind of the SEC for a few months with no margin for error. It will be good to see some new faces in a different part of the country. At this point in the year, everybody you play is going to give you their best shot, and we're used to that."

After playing the nation's top-rated schedule to go with a fourth place finish in the SEC and reaching the semifinals of the SEC Tournament, Georgia had a No. 16 RPI and earned an NCAA at-large bid to the field of 64. Georgia played 35 games against teams in this year's NCAA Tournament, going 15-20. Also, the Bulldogs played an SEC-high 34 games versus ranked teams and led the SEC with 16 wins over top 25 clubs. The Bulldogs were road warriors, tallying an SEC-high 33 games away from home. Georgia has never faced Creighton or UALR, and it is 1-6 versus the Beavers. The Bulldogs will practice Wednesday morning and then depart for Corvallis in the afternoon.

The winner of the 2011 Corvallis Regional is matched up with the Nashville Regional in the Super Regionals (June 10-13). Third-ranked Vanderbilt is the No. 6 national seed. The host Commodores face No. 2 seed Oklahoma State, No. 3 seed Troy and No. 4 seed Belmont in their regional.

2011 NCAA Regional Schedule at Oregon State on

Friday, June 3
1 p.m. PT - Creighton vs. Georgia (Game 1)
6 p.m. PT - OSU vs. UALR (game 2)

Saturday, June 4
1 p.m. PT - day 1 losers (Game 3)
6 p.m. PT - day 1 winners (game 4)

Sunday, June 5
1 p.m. PT - Winner of game 3 vs. loser of game 4 (game 5)
6 p.m. PT - Winner game 4 vs. winner game 5 (Game 6)

Monday, June 6 - if Necessary
6 p.m. PT - Loser game 6 vs. winner game 6 (game 7)

Radio/TV Information:
Radio: All Bulldog games will be carried live on the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network from IMG College

Play-by-Play: Jeff Dantzler

Stations: 960 AM-WRFC; 1230 AM-WFOM The Fan 2 (based in Marietta and covers Cobb, Gwinnett and Fulton county)

TV: TBA

Georgia opens up the NCAA Corvallis Regional Friday at 4 p.m. EDT when it battles No. 25 Creighton at Goss Stadium.

Georgia held a one-hour practice Thursday at Goss Stadium that consists of a field turf infield and a grass outfield. Earlier this week in Athens, Georgia spent a portion of two of its workouts on the football team's field turf practice fields to get used to playing on this surface.

The Bulldogs official 27-man postseason roster has been reduced by one with the departure of senior relief pitcher John Herman. The 6-5, 210-pound native of Atlanta, who earned a finance degree last year, accepted a job with Regions Bank and did not make the trip. He made 22 appearances this year and posted a 1-3 record and 6.97 ERA in 20.2 innings pitched. In what amounted to his last career appearance, the right-hander went a career-high 3.1 scoreless innings against third-ranked Florida at the SEC Tournament on May 28 in Hoover, Ala. Herman is in the process of moving to Alabama this week.

"John told me he had accepted a position with a bank, and he needed to get ready to move and was starting Monday," said Georgia coach David Perno. "I wished him well and thanked him for his contributions to the program. He's been with us since 2007 and got to pitch a little last year and then was doing a lot more this year. He had his best outing at the SEC Tournament last week."

The Bulldogs are making their 10th overall NCAA regional bid including their sixth under Perno. All Georgia baseball games can be heard live on the Georgia Bulldog Sports Network from IMG College. They can be heard on WRFC 960 AM and 1230 AM, The Fan2 in Atlanta plus online at www.georgiadogs.com. Every game of the NCAA Corvallis Regional will be available on ESPN3.com.

On Friday, the Bulldogs will start junior right-hander Michael Palazzone (10-4, 3.20 ERA) while the BlueJays counter with senior right-hander Jonas Dufek (11-1, 2.17 ERA). Offensively, Georgia is paced by sophomore shortstop Kyle Farmer (.304-7-53), junior second baseman Levi Hyams (.318-4-37) and junior left fielder Zach Cone (.284-3-32). Georgia is one of the SEC's top defensive clubs and is on pace to set a school record with a .974 fielding percentage. Creighton's lineup features senior outfielder Trevor Adams who is batting .392 with 14 home runs and 57 RBI, all team-highs. Defensively, they rank among the nation's top teams at .980.

The host and top seeded Beavers (38-17) battle No. 4 seed Arkansas Little-Rock (24-32) at 9 p.m. ET Friday. The Coravallis Regional is one of 16 taking place around the country features four teams playing in a double-elimination format conducted from June 3-6.

ESPN3.COM LINKS: NCAA Corvallis Regional

Fri, Jun 3, 2011 - 4:00 PM ET, Georgia vs. Creighton

Congratulations to the Pierce County HS Athletic Department and their Final State AA #12 Ranking in the Georgia Athletic Directors' Association's Director's Cup for the 2010-11 school year. (complete results are available at http://gadaonline.net/Current_Standings.html).

The Bear program this past year ranked 12th overall, 15th in male activities and 16th in female activities. Since 2006, the Bears have been ranked in the top 14 among all AA schools; 06-07 12th; 07-08 13th; 08-09 11th; 09-10 14th & 10-11 12th.

The purpose of the Regions Directors Cup is to recognize those athletic departments in all GHSA classifications who have excelled and shown superior performance. Since the 1999-2000 school year, the GADA has presented this award annually. Twenty-five GHSA sports are counted in the standings each school year. Each school's eight highest scoring sports for each gender is counted in the Regions Directors Cup Standings.

The 8 & under Pierce County Bears and the 10 & under Pierce County Grizzlies swept their opening day pool play games at the Wheel Pitch World Series hosted by Peach State Diamond Sports in Brunswick, GA.

The Bears came out with bats a-blasting defeating the Threshers by a score of 23-4 and then the Glenville All-stars by a score of 18-2.

The Grizzlies blanked the Crushers by a score of 11-0 and then cranked it up by defeating the Sea Rays by a score of 25-5.

The Bears play one more pool game Saturday morning at 11:45 against the undefeated Bluffton Tides while the Grizzlies match up against the undefeated Bambinos at 10:00 a.m.

Upon completion of pool play, the teams will be seeded and set for a single elimination tournament. A total of 13 teams are competing in the 8 & under division and 16 teams are competing in the 10 & under division. Both the Bears and Grizzlies will be playing in the highly competitive Gold Division while the weaker teams will play the Silver Division.

UPDATE June 4, 2011 UPDATE
The Grizzlies started Saturday morning off swinging the bats scoring 5 runs in the top of the 1st inning however made some costly errors on the defensive side letting the Bambinos score 4 runs in the bottom half. The Grizzlies, cranked it right back up scoring more in the top of the second never looking back and defeated the Bambinos by a score of 12-9. The Grizzlies will enter the single elimination tournament as the #2 seed and will be facing the #7 seed Middle Georgia Mavericks at 2:15 p.m.

The Bears stated the morning out flat losing to the Buffton Blue Tides by a score of 11-3. The Bears will enter the single elimination tournament as the #5 seed and will face the #4 seeded Alma Raiders at 1:00 p.m.

UPDATE June 4, 2011 UPDATE
The 8 & Under Bears came up short losing to the Alma Raiders by a score of 18-10 and ending their hopes of being crowned the 2011 Wheel Pitch World Series Champions.

Jonas Dufek pitched a complete game five-hitter to lead No. 25 Creighton to a 2-1 win over Georgia Friday at the NCAA Corvallis Regional.
Dufek and Georgia junior right-hander Michael Palazzone carried a shutout through the first six frames at Goss Stadium, allowing just three hits apiece at that point. The Bulldogs dodged a bullet following a miscue by freshman catcher Brandon Stephens that allowed the Bluejays to put a runner at third with out in the sixth.

In that inning, Creighton centerfielder Mike Gerber reached on a one-out single. Following a pitchout, Stephens' pickoff attempt to first sailed into right field, allowing Gerber to advance to third on the error. Georgia coach David Perno came out for a mound visit with Palazzone, Stephens and the entire infield. Georgia opted to bring the infield in and Palazzzone struck out Chance Ross for the second out. First baseman Nick Judkins followed, and he was retired on a pop out to second baseman Levi Hyams.

In the seventh, Bulldog designated hitter Chase Davidson beat out an infield single. First baseman Jonathan Hester snapped a 1-for-27 slump with an RBI-double over the head of Gerber for a 1-0 advantage. The Bluejays responded in the bottom of the inning.

After being held to just three hits to that point, Creighton collected four hits and grabbed the lead. Jimmy Swift reached on a leadoff single and right fielder Trevor Adams followed with a flare to center. After a successful sacrifice bunt by Alex Staehely, catcher Scott Thornburg tied the game with an RBI-single to right as Adams advanced to third. Left fielder Anthony Bemboom gave the Bluejays a 2-1 lead with a run-scoring single to centerfield. Palazzone retired the next two hitters on pop outs to send it to the eighth. Dufek took care of the Bulldogs over the final two innings to go the distance.

The Bluejays improved to 45-14 while Georgia dopped to 31-31. Dufek ran his record to 12-1, allowing one run on five hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts. Palazzone fell to 10-5, surrendering two runs on seven hits with no walks and five strikeouts.

"Creighton did a good job responding with two runs right after we scratched for one so you have to give them credit," said Georgia coach David Perno. "(Jonas) Dufek did a nice job on the mound, and we didn't hit enough balls on the ground. We had too many pop ups and punch outs. It was extremely disappointing that we couldn't find a way to back up Michael who pitched a good game for us today."

"He threw some off-speed stuff and just kept us off balance," Hester said when asked about Dufek. "I don't think we had a good approach at the plate consistently. We know what we have to do now. Our backs are against the wall, and we'll have to come out Saturday and keep fighting."

The Bulldogs will now play an elimination game Saturday at 4 p.m. EDT against the loser of the Oregon State/Arkansas-Little Rock contest slated for late Friday.

Georgia stormed back to eliminate 25th-ranked Creighton 5-4 in 11 innings Sunday to advance to the regional championship round of the NCAA Corvallis Regional at Goss Stadium.

Freshman Brandon Stephens' RBI-single provided a walk-off victory as Peter Verdin scored from second after reaching on a two-out single and moved in to scoring position on a stolen base. Georgia (33-31) picked a nice time to win its first extra-inning game of the year in three attempts while the Bluejays (45-16) fell to 5-1 in extra innings. The Bulldogs improved to 17-19 against ranked teams this year and staved off elimination once again. With their season on the line, Georgia is now 5-1, the lone defeat coming in the SEC Tournament semifinals.

Up next, the Bulldogs face No. 16 Oregon State Sunday at 9 p.m. EDT. Georgia will start sophomore left-hander Blake Dieterich (3-3, 3.44 ERA) while the Beavers counter with junior left-hander Josh Osich (6-4, 3.57 ERA). The Bulldogs need to defeat the Beavers (40-17) twice to win the regional championship. Should Georgia win Sunday's contest, the two teams would square off again for the title on Monday at 9 p.m. EDT.

"It means a lot to come through for the team and get that hit," said Stephens. "Our pitchers have done a great job in this tournament and I'm glad we came through for them."

Creighton went up 1-0 in the first on a couple of miscues by Georgia right-hander Ben Cornwell. After getting Alex Staehely to bounce in to a double play, Cornwell's first pitch to Trever Adams hit him in the back. After moving to second on a stolen base, Georgia attempted a pickoff play at second and Cornwell's throw went in to centerfield for an error as Adams raced to third. Shortstop Jimmy Swift made it 1-0 with an RBI-single. Georgia responded with a two-out rally of its own in the bottom of the inning.

Junior Levi Hyams led off with a base hit and was then erased when freshman Conor Welton hit in to a double play. Shortstop Kyle Farmer laced a double to left and on a 1-2 pitch, left fielder Zach Cone blasted a home run to left to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 advantage. It was the fourth home run for Cone, and the first one allowed by Bluejay left-hander Greg Hellhake this season, a span of 65.2 innings. The Bluejays tied it up in the second on two base hits, a sacrifice bunt and then a sacrifice fly by third baseman Chance Ross.

Cornwell provided the Bulldogs with a solid start, going a career-long five innings and allowing just two runs on five hits with two walks and four strikeouts. It was his first start since April 26. Georgia turned to sophomore Bryan Benzor to start the sixth. Meanwhile, the Beavers went to their bullpen with one out in the seventh. Hellhake went 6.1 innings and allowed two runs on five hits with three walks. Right-hander Chase Webb came on with Bulldog junior Jonathan Hester on after a leadoff single. He got Curt Powell to hit in to a double play. Georgia set a season-high by turning four double plays.

In the eighth, Benzor issued a leadoff walk to Chance Ross. The Bluejays moved him in to scoring position with a sacrifice bunt by Nick Judkins. Then, second baseman Alex Staehely provided an RBI-double to put Creighton in front 3-2. After an intentional walk to Adams, Georgia lifted Benzor in favor of sophomore closer Tyler Maloof. After retiring Swift, catcher Anthony Bemboom made it 4-2 with a run-scoring single.

In the eighth, Georgia rallied back to tie the contest with a one-out, two-run home run from Farmer. It came on a 1-2 count with Welton aboard and off of Bluejay reliever Mark Winkleman. Farmer was the first batter he faced, and it was his seventh home run of the year.

With one out in the 10th, Maloof hit back-to-back batters to put Adams and Swift aboard for Bemboom. He got him to bounce one to Farmer who flipped to Hyams and over to Hester to complete a season-high fourth double play on the day. In the 11th, pinch-hitter Scott Thornburg reached on a one-out single and the Bluejays sent in pinch-runner Joey Bowens. Georgia lifted Maloof in favor of sophomore right-hander Earl Daniels. Freshman Brandon Stephens threw out Bowens trying to steal second. Daniels retired Mike Gerber and struck out designated hitter Gabriel Thibodeaux to send it to the bottom of the 11th.

"What do you say about this team, they have battled all year and this game took a lot out of us but it's time to get ready to play Oregon State," said Georgia coach David Perno. "Today it started by getting a great start from Ben Cornwell and the bullpen did a nice job too. Kyle (Farmer) has done it all year for us at the plate, and it was a thrill to see Brnadon (Stephens) get that big hit. We felt good with him up there, he' been taking some good swings."

Daniels picked up his first career win while Spomer dropped to 3-4 as Creighton saw its season end.

The Pierce County Parks & Recreation Department's 8 & Under Allstars swept two 4-inning scrimmage games from the Brantley Allstars tonight over in Caney Bay.

In game one, Pierce jumped out to an eight run lead and never looked back scoring a total of 15 runs on 19 hits while holding Brantley to no runs on two hits.

In game two though, Brantley came out swinging taking a four to zero lead into the second inning before Pierce scored two in the second to cut the deficit in half.

Brantley scored their fifth and final run in the third while Pierce still struggled at the plate.

The Pierce batters woke up in the bottom half of the fourth inning scoring five runs giving Pierce the win by a score of 7-5.

The Pierce County Parks & Recreation Departments 8 & Under all-star baseball team won the 2011 Cecil Brown Tournament at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross today going undefeated in all four games and outscoring their opponents by a score of 56-11 to win the championship trophy.

Game 1 paired Pierce against Appling County. Pierce scored three runs in the top of the first and holding Appling to its only run in the bottom half. Pierce scored another in the second, three in the third, two in the fourth and the final two in the fifth to win by a score of 11 to 1.

Game two for Pierce was against Ware County who happened to score the most runs against Pierce throughout the tournament. Ware Came out in the top of the fourth scoring four runs putting Pierce in its first hole of the day. Not to be out done, Pierce came back in the bottom half of the first scoring five runs to take the lead and never looking back scoring seven more runs throughout the game while allowing Ware to score two more giving Pierce a 12 to 6 victory.

Between games two and three, Fellowship of Christian Athletes Area Director Toby Crews led the teams of Pierce and Brantley through a short devotional time.

Game three then pitted Pierce against Brantley as both teams were undefeated and Pierce winning the tie-breaker by one run so this game was going to determine the eventual tournament champion. Brantley came up first scoring two runs but Pierce came out swinging scoring 19 runs in the first inning off of several hits and a few Brantley errors. Brantley scored one each in the second and third with Pierce being declared the winner after three innings.

Game four was against the Sand Gnats with Pierce getting their fourth and final victory of the day by a score of 14-0 earning them the first place trophy.

Team members include kneeling (l to r): Tristan Turner, Jake Davis, Duward Boatright, Dawson Yarbrough, Wesley Nelson and Christopher Riggins. Standing (l to r): Spencer Hughes, Jayden Crews, Gage Waters, Hoke Skipper, Caleb Gilleon and Allen Sapp. The coaches are Dwain Pippin, Jamie Nelson & Tony Walsh.

The Pierce All-stars were sponsored today by The Barnard Company of Patterson.

ATTENTION ALL PARENTS, THERE IS A GREAT NEED IN OUR COMMUNITY, SO PLEASE HELP SUPPORT THIS FUNDRAISER.

Rj's Grill will be set up at Wall's IGA Friday June 17th from 11:00 to 1:30, all proceeds will go to benefit Rhett Raulerson.

Plates include BBQ, baked beans,potato salad & bread, price is $10.00 per plate.

Contact Jill Grady at 288-3058 for more information.

Thank you in advance for your support.

The Pierce County Parks and Recretion Departments all-star baseball teams will be in full swing this weekend competing in the Peach State Diamond Sports' Recreation All-star tournament in Brunswick.

The 12 & under Pierce all-stars will start things off Friday night at 6:00 p.m. against the all-stars from Camden County.

The 10 & under Pierce all-stars will play their first game at 7:15 p.m. Friday against the St. Simon's Island all-stars. This team is fresh off a fourth place finish (out of 16 teams) in the Lyons All-star tournament last weekend.

The 8 & under Pierce all-stars also play at 7:15 p.m. Friday against Long County. This team is fresh off of a victorious weekend after winning the championship at the Cecil Brown tournament in Waycross going undefeated and outscoring their opponents by a score of 56-11 in four games.

Saturday game times will depend upon how the Friday night action turns out so if you are in Brunswick this weekend, come out to the North Glynn Recreation Complex and watch your Pierce County youth at play.


Friday Night Results
The 12 & under all-stars started the evening off against Camden County. Pierce won the hard fought game by a score of 6-5 and will play host to the winner of the Liberty/Long game on Saturday morning at 10:00 a.m.

The 10 & under all-stars were also victorious by defeating the team from St. Simons Island by a score of 15-10. Pierce will play the winner of the Wayne/Liberty game at 11:15 Saturday morning.

The 8 & under all-stars dropped their game to Long County by a score of 5-4. Pierce will play the loser of the Brantley/Thresher game at 11:45 Saturday morning.

Revisit this website for continued updates as the games progress.

The 10 & under Pierce County Parks & Recreation Departments all-star baseball team won the 2011 Glynn County All-star Tournament this past weekend in Brunswick.

The youngsters started off Friday night with a slugfest against St. Simon's Island with Pierce finally coming out on top by a score of 15-10 placing SSI in the loser's bracket.

Pierce started Saturday morning off with a bang scoring nine runs aganst Glynn County in the first inning on their way to a 16-11 victory keeping Pierce in the winner's bracket.

Game three had Pierce playing against the Wayne County all-stars with Pierce blanking the cross rivals rivals by a score of 19-0 in a mercy ruled four inning game giving Pierce a slot in the championship game.

The championship game Saturday night turned out to be a re-match from Friday night as the St. Simons all-stars battled their way through the loser's bracket to play Pierce again.

This game turned out to be another slugfest between the two but the results turned out the same with Pierce coming out victorious again by a score of 16-14 earning Pierce the championship trophy.

Players include kneeling (l to r): Ben Baker, Greg Benfield, Matt Simmons, Todd Carter, Andrew Walsh & Austin Jernigan. Standing (l to r) is Dalton Hall, Parker Peagler, Johnny Waters, Nathan Carter, Mason Bennett and Avery Jernigan. The coaches are (l to r) Michael Carter, Mitch Hall and Brandon Jernigan.

The 12 & under Pierce County all-stars finish second in the Glynn County All-Star Tournament in Brunswick this past weekend.

Pierce started off Friday night by the skin off their teeth barely beating the Camden County all-stars by a score of 6-5.

Pierce started Saturday morning off barely winning again against Long County by a score of 6-5 due to a grand slam off of the bat of Blake Bishop in the top off the fifth inning.

Pierce then played Brantley County with Pierce coming out on the short end with a loss sending Pierce into the loser's bracket.

Pierce had to then play Long County again with Pierce getting the victory earning a trip to face cross river rival Brantley County again with the outcome the same as the first, a Bantley win for the chmpionship and a second place finish for Pierce.

The Pierce County Parks & Recreation Departments 8 & under all-star baseball team finished second in the Peach State Diamond Sports' all-star tournament in Brunswick this weekend.

Pierce started the weekend tournament Friday night losing by a score of 5-4 in hard fought battle to Long County that could have went either way but ended up placing Pierce in the loser's bracket.

Saturday morning started off a little better for Pierce as they defeated the Glynn County Threshers by a score of 12-2 when the game was called by mercy rule in the top of the 5th inning.

Pierce then defeated the Valdosta Batment by a score of 13-6 and then blanked the Brantley County team by a score of 13-0 in three innings earning their way into the championship.

Playing the extra back to back games in the brutal 100 degree heat took its toll on Pierce though as they just ran out of gas coming out flat and lost to Long County in a re-match from Friday night giving Long the tournament championship and Pierce the runner-up finish.

Players and coaches for the team are kneeling (l to r): Jake Davis, Allen Sapp, Klyne Hardy, Christopher Riggins, Dawson Yarbrough and Tristan Turner. Standing (l to r): Gage Waters, Wesley Nelson, Jayden Crews, Caleb Gilleon and Spencer Hughes. Coaches (l to r): Jamie Nelson, Tony Walsh and Dwain Pippin.

The team is sponsored by The Barnard Company and Jake Davis' Honeybee.

The 10 & Under Mite all-star team is participating in the sub-district tournament in Pooler, GA this week.

Pierce started Monday morning off with a win against the Bacon County team by a score of 8 to 7 and then mercy ruling Pooler in three innings by a score of 33 to 1.

Pierce defeated South Bryan Tuesday afternoon in four innings for the sub-district championship by a score of 16 to 3.

The district play-offs will start this Saturday in Hazlehurst. Jeff Davis will play Bacon County at 3 p.m. and Pierce County will play Appling County at 4:15 p.m.

The winner of each game will advance to the GRPA state playoffs in Nashville on July 7th through the 10th.

The Pierce County Parks and Recreation Departments 10 and under all-star baseball teams season came to an end today with a loss to Bacon County. Pierce had won first place in the sub-district tournament held in Pooler last week.

Pierce started the District Tournament off by defeating the number four seeded Appling County last Saturday winning by a score of 16-6.

Pierce then faced the Jeff Davis County All-stars in game two with Jeff Davis getting the victory by score of 13-8.

In the semi-final match, Pierce faced the Bacon County All-Stars with Bacon getting the win by a score of 8-5 sending Pierce home and Bacon earning a trip to the state playoffs next week.

The Pierce County Parks and Recreation Departments 8 and under all-star baseball team has battled back through the loser's bracket to earn a bid in the semi-final game against Jeff Davis County on Tuesday, June 28th at 10:00 a.m. in Blackshear.

Pierce started Saturday off against the McIntosh County All-stars with Pierce getting the win by mercy rule in the fourth inning by a score of 12-0.

Pierce then faced off against the South Bryan County All-stars again winning by mercy rule in the fifth inning by a score of 12-4.

Pierce faced Bacon County on Monday, June 27th at 11:30 a.m. with Bacon getting the win by a score of 11-7 in six hard fought innings. Even with the loss, Pierce was the first team to score seven runs on Bacon so that was an accomplishment in itself as Bacon has proven to be one of the toughest teams in this tournament.

Pierce then defeated the Pooler all-stars by a score of 11-3 and then defeated the Brantley County all-stars by a score of 14-7.

Pierce faced the Jeff Davis County all-stars in Blackshear on Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m. with Jeff Davis getting the win by a score of 8-1 and a trip to the state playoffs.

The 8U team currently has 11 wins and 4 losses on the season and consists of: Kneeling (l to r): Gage Waters, Jake Davis, Allen Sapp, Tristan Turner, Duward Boatright and Dawson Yarbrough.

Standing (l to r): Christopher Riggins, Wesley Nelson, Hoke Skipper, Jayden Crews, Caleb Gilleon and Spencer Hughes.

Coaches (l to r): Jamie Nelson, Tony Walsh and Dwain Pippin.

GROTON, CT – Right fielder Brett DeLoach (Blackshear, GA/Georgia) scored the game tying run in the top of the ninth inning and drove home the game-winner in the tenth inning on an RBI bases loaded walk to lead the Keene Swamp Bats over the Mystic Schooners, 4-2, in extra innings at Fitch High School Field in New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) action on Wednesday night.

Keene improves to 12-7 overall winning its first game of the season in extra innings. It’s also the first time this season the Swamp Bats have won trailing after eight innings of play. Mystic’s (8-8) losing streak extends to five games.

Colby May (Guyton, GA/Georgia) gave the Swamp Bats an insurance run in the ninth also drawing a bases loaded walk for his 11th RBI of the season.

Anthony Kliniske (Grafton, ND/No. Dakota St. Univ.) was given the loss on two-thirds of an inning, giving up two runs (both earned) on one hit, three walks, one hit-by-pitch and one strikeout. Kyle Gehrs (Independence, MO/Iowa Western CC) earned the win throwing two scoreless innings, allowing one hit, no walks and four strikeouts.

Both starting pitchers were handed no-decisions in the contest as Timothy Flight (Portsmouth, RI/Southern NH) went six innings, yielding one run (earned) on three hits, no walks and six strikeouts. Sahil Bloom (Weston, MA/Stanford) tossed seven innings, allowing one run (unearned), four hits and six punchouts.

Mystic opened up the scoring in the bottom of the third inning on a heads-up base running play by Brett Doran (Milford, CT/ Stanford). After leading off the inning with a single to right field and stealing second base, teammate John Murphy (Seymour, CT/Sacred Heart) reached on an infield single to second base but the play was so slow to develop that Doran hustled from second and wheeled around third to make it 1-0.

Keene responded in the top of the fifth as designated hitter Brett Barrett (Keene, NH/Southern Maine) collected his third RBI of the season with a line drive single to right field plating Michael Burruss (Marietta, GA/Georgia Southern) to tie the score at 1-1.

In the seventh, the Schooners regained the lead, 2-1, as Gabe Ortiz (Panama City, Panama/Virginia Tech) came around to score from second base on an infield single by Doran. Keene third baseman Colby May (Guyton, GA/Georgia) fielded Doran’s slow roller down the left field line with his bare-hand but his throw to first baseman Esteban Gomez (Houston, TX/San Jacinto Coll.) was low. After Doran collided with Gomez, Ortiz scampered home.

The Swamp Bats tied up the game in the top of the ninth inning at 2-2 as DeLoach raced home from third base on a wild pitch from closer Ricky Hodges (Darien, CT/Virginia Tech). DeLoach was hit-by-a-pitch to leadoff the inning, advanced to second on a groundout and tagged up on a fly out to right before scoring to tie the game.

Mystic threatened in the bottom of the ninth as Gehrs gave up a leadoff double to Ortiz but the left-handed reliever retired the next three batters he faced in order with back-to-back strikeouts and a lineout to second.

Keene returns to action tomorrow, at home, against the Danbury Westerners at 6:30 pm. The game can be listed to for free on the internet at http://www.swampbats.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90&Itemid=82.

KEENE, NH – Left fielder Kevin Brown (Northborough, MA/Bryant Univ.) finished a double shy of the cycle going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a solo home run, a two-run triple and four runs batted in to lead the Keene Swamp Bats over the Danbury Westerners, 7-4, in New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) action on Thursday night at Alumni Field in front of 1,391 fans.

Keene improves to 13-7 overall on the season. Danbury falls to 11-7.

In his first start this summer, Swamp Bats pitcher Taylor Williams (Camas, WA/Washington St.) earned the win going six innings, yielding one run (earned) on four hits, no walks and three strikeouts. Westerners’ starter Erik Luksis (Wappinger Falls, NY/Manhattan) suffered the loss on four innings of work, four runs (three earned), three hits, two walks and three strikeouts.

Brown gave Keene an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third inning crushing a solo shot to right field tying him for the team-lead in homers with four.

In the fifth, Brown extended the Swamp Bats lead roping a triple down the right field line plating Curt Powell (Knoxville, TN/Georgia) and Alex Chittenden (Indianapolis, IN/Louisville) for a 3-0 advantage. After Brett DeLoach (Blackshear, GA/Georgia) flew out to right field, third baseman Colby May (Guyton, GA/Georgia) lined a single to left field scoring Brown for a 4-0 gap and his 12th RBI of the season.

Danbury second baseman Dillon Everett (Scottsdale, AZ/Missouri) cut into the deficit with a solo home run to centerfield in the sixth inning, his first of the season, to make it 4-1.

The Swamp Bats added two more runs in the sixth highlighted by Chittenden and Brown who both notched RBI singles to push the score to 6-1.

Brett Barrett (Keene, NH/Southern Maine) made it 7-1 in the bottom of the seventh lining a single through the right side plating May from third base for his fourth RBI of the season.

In the eighth inning, pinch hitter Kyle Richardson (Rome, NY/St. John’s) lifted a two-run homer to left field scoring Alex Ramsay (Millersville, MD/Maryland) who singled earlier in the inning for a 7-3 deficit.

Danbury threatened in the ninth inning as Andrew Garner (Lake Jackson, TX/Tulane) led off the frame with a solo blast to right field – his third of the season – off of Keene reliever TJ Ferguson (Westmoreland, NH/Franklin Pierce) pushing the score to 7-4. After Ferguson induced a double play ball and gave up a hit to Mike Ford (Belle Mead, NJ/Princeton), Swamp Bats reliever Eddie Medina (Staten Island, NY/St. John’s) was summoned out of the bullpen and earned his first save of the season on one pitch.

Barrett picked up Keene’s only other multi-hit performance on the night besides Brown going 2-for-4 with one run batted in.

Keene returns to action tomorrow at home against the Mystic Schooners at 6:30 pm. The game can be listed to for free on the internet at http://www.swampbats.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90&Itemid=82.

KEENE, NH – Tied 5-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning, first baseman Esteban Gomez (Houston, TX/San Jacinto Coll.) drove in the eventual game-winning run with a bases loaded walk to lead the Keene Swamp Bats past the Mystic Schooners, 7-6, in New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) action on Friday night at Alumni Field in front of 967 fans.

Keene improves to 14-7 winning its third-straight contest. Mystic (8-10) has now lost seven in a row.

Eddie Medina (Staten Island, NY/St. John’s) earned the win (2-0) on one inning pitched, two hits, one run (unearned) and one walk. Keene starter Jeff Thompson (Greenville, IN/Louisville) was handed the no-decision striking out 10 batters over five-and-two-thirds innings pitched on four hits, one run (earned), three walks and 10 strikeouts. Shane Liska (Pittsburgh, PA/Xavier) suffered the loss on two-thirds of an inning pitched, one hit, two runs (one earned) and two walks.

Thompson’s 10-strikeout performance ties him with Vermont’s Mountaineers’ left-handed starting pitcher Matt Whitehouse (Diamond Bar, CA/Cal Irvine) for the league high in a single game this season.

Down 5-1 in the top of the eighth inning, Mystic scored four runs to tie it at 5-5 highlighted by a towering two-run home run to centerfield from Hudson off of Swamp Bats reliever TJ Ferguson (Westmoreland, NH/Franklin Pierce), his NECBL leading sixth round-tripper of the season.

The Swamp Bats second run in the eighth inning proved to be pivotal.

After Gomez’ bases loaded walk broke the 5-5 tie, Schooners catcher Joe Hudson (Odessa, FL/Notre) missed pitcher Ricky Hodges (Datien, CT/Virginia Tech) with his return throw to the rubber allowing Tom Conley (Quincy, MA/UMass-Amherst) to score from third base making it 7-5.

Gabe Ortiz (Panama City, Panama/Virginia Tech) cut the deficit to 7-6 plating teammate Joe Hudson (Odessa, FL/Notre Dame) on a sacrifice fly to Keene second baseman Curt Powell (Knoxville, TN/Georgia) who robbed Ortiz of a base hit with a sliding catch towards the right field foul line.

Kyle Gehrs (Independence, MO/Iowa Western CC) converted his team-leading third save of the season inducing Nicholas Ferraresi (Wellington, FL/Columnia) to fly out to centerfield with runners on first and second base to end the ball game.

Gomez went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, a solo home run and three runs batted in while Brett DeLoach (Blackshear, GA/Georgia) was 1-for-4 at the plate with two RBI.

Keene will host the Holyoke Blue Sox tomorrow in double header action, both seven inning contests, with game one’s first pitched scheduled for 5:00 pm at Alumni Field. The games can be listed to for free on the internet at http://www.swampbats.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90&Itemid=82.

KEENE, NH – The Keene Swamp Bats split a New England Collegiate Baseball League (NECBL) Western Division doubleheader with the Holyoke Blue Sox on Saturday night, winning the opener 8-4 and dropping the nightcap 4-2, at Alumni Field in front of 2,657 combined fans from both seven inning games. Keene goes to 15-8 and remains in first place in the Western Division. Holyoke moves to 14-9. In game one, Scott Silverstein (Brookville, MD/Virginia) earned his first win of the season in as many starts on four innings pitched, one run (earned), three hits, two walks and four strikeouts. Christopher O’Hare (Lynnfield, MA/Yale) suffered the loss over five innings of work on eight runs (all earned), nine hits, two walks and three punchouts. Holyoke opened up the scoring in the first inning as Frank DeSico (Willoughby, OH/Notre Dame) scored on a wild pitch from third base. DeSico led off the contest with a single, advanced to second on Eric Smith’s (La Canada, CA/Stanford) walk and went to third on a fielder’s choice before the wild pitch. Keene responded in the bottom half on Brett DeLoach's (Blackshear, GA/Georgia) third home run of the season – an opposite field shot to right field – plating teammate Alex Chittenden (Indianapolis, IN/Louisville) for a 2-1 advantage. In the second, the Swamp Bats made it 6-1 as Chittenden lifted a grand slam to right centerfield off of O’Hare for his first round-tripper of the season. Holyoke first baseman Trey Mancini (Winter Haven, FL/Notre Dame) cut into the Blue Sox deficit at 6-4 in the fifth inning with a towering three-run blast to centerfield off of Keene reliever Jared Wilson (Cypress, CA/Cypress Coll.), his team-leading fifth longball of the season. Keene added two insurance runs in the bottom half of the frame as Kevin Brown (Northborough, MA/Bryant Univ.) scored on a passed ball with the bases loaded and Brett Barrett (Keene, NH/Southern Maine) notched his fifth RBI of the season on a fielder’s choice. Chittenden finished the contest going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four RBI to lead the Swamp Bats. Brown went 2-for-4 with one run scored while DeLoach was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI. In game two, Desmond Paulson (Taylorville, VT/BYU) earned his second victory of the summer on six innings pitched, two runs (one earned), five hits, two walks and five strikeouts. Whit Mayberry (Alexandria, VA/Virginia) was handed the loss on five innings of work, three runs (two earned), five hits, no walks and a game-high six strikeouts. In the first inning, both teams exchanged two runs apiece as Holyoke and Keene scored one run each on a passed ball. Mancini notched his 22nd RBI on a 5-3 groundout while DeLoach brought home a run on a fielder’s choice for the Swamp Bats to tie the game at 2-2. Holyoke reclaimed the lead in the fourth on a solo blast from Justin Ringo (Palos Park, IL/Stanford) – his first of the season – over the right field fence for a 3-2 lead and never looked back. In the sixth, Blue Sox catcher Tom Murphy (West Monroe, NY/Buffalo) belted a solo shot to centerfield off Keene reliever Tyler Skulina (Strongsville, OH/Kent St.) to push the score to 4-2. Designated hitter Ronnie Freeman (Lawrenceville, GA/Kennesaw St.) made it 5-2 with a bases loaded sacrifice fly to centerfield plating Smith for his 10th RBI of the season. Blue Sox closer Ryan Harvey (Manalapan, NJ/Seton Hall) registered his second save of the season with a 1-2-3 inning recording one strikeout in the frame. Keene returns to action tomorrow, on the road, against the New Bedford Bay Sox at 6:00 pm. The Keene Swamp Bats can be heard and watched live all season long on Teamline. Follow this link: http://www.swampbats.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=90&Itemid=82 to listen to every radio broadcast and also watch the Keene Swamp Bats online.

The Pierce County Parks and Recreation Departments 12 & under Little League All-Stars started competition tonight in their District Tournament in Richmond Hill against the Coastal All-Stars at 7:00 p.m. After a long three hour game, Pierce fell short by two runs getting the loss by a score of 20-18.

Pierce will play again on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. against the winner of the Coastal - Glenville All-Stars.

The Pierce Little League All-Star roster includes Klay Allen, Daniel Bennett, Blake Bishop, Fisher Bolden, Cole Crosby, Carson Davis, Nick Golub, Austin King, Trevor Parr, Cody Williams, Jacob Woodard and Austin Yarborough. The coaches are Randy King, Trey Thompson and Jayk Graham.

The Ware County Recreation Department has announced the dates for its fall baseball/softball league. The league will be played at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross on September 10th and 17th, October 1st, 8th and 22nd with the end of season tournament set for November 5th.

Pierce County will be represented by a team of PCHS Bears playing in the senior boys division.

The 10 and under Pierce County Bears will be managed by Tony Walsh and coached by Dwain Pippin and Jamie Nelson. Team players include Dayton Alexander, Dalton Bennett, Duward Boatright, Jayden Crews, Ethan Herrin, Spencer Hughes, Wesley Nelson, Christopher Riggins, Allen Sapp, Tristan Turner, Andrew Walsh, Gage Waters and Dawson Yarbrough.

Waycross College will be hosting a Speed & Agility Training Camp on July 18-21 and July 25-28. The camp will be taught by Waycross College Swampfox Coach Fred King who is a Nike SPARQ certified trainer. SPARQ is short for Speed, Power, Agility, Reaction and Quickness.

The camp is $75 for one week of $150 for two weeks and includes a camp t-shirt. The camp is open from kids age 9 to high school seniors.

SPARQ training is good for all sports and teaches running technique drills, ladder drills, cone drills, parachute drills, 20 yard shuttle, learning to run with correct form and technique, learning to cut on a dime without breaking stride, and learning to run faster with more explosive take off.

For more information, call Coach King at (912) 449-7594 or 550-8888 or by email at fking@waycross.edu. An application can be downloaded from http://www.waycross.edu/athletics/camps.htm

A brand new 10 & under Pierce County Bear team took to the field today in Nahunta for their first game ever and came out with a 8-5 win over the Valdosta Stixx. The Bears turned right around and gave the Appling County Heat all it could handle with the Bears coming up short by a score of 11-9. The rains then fell with no end in sight causing the tournament to be cancelled.

With six of these 12 kids only being 8 years old, to win a game and barely lose a game to nine and ten year olds is a great accomplishment stated all of the Bear coaches. The younger players really practiced hard during the week learning the difference between a 38 mph and 44 mph pitch said Coach Walsh.

Due to the loss to Appling, it placed the Bears in the loser's bracket and tied for third with three other teams. If the Bears had won, they would have finished second behind the Altamaha Tarpons.

Players today were Dayton Alexander, Dalton Bennett, Mason Bennett, Duward Boatright, Ethan Herrin, Wesley Nelson, Allen Sapp, Sergey Steedley, Tristan Turner, Andrew Walsh, Gage Waters and Dawson Yarbrough.

The coaches were Jamie Nelson, Dwain Pippin and Tony Walsh.

Commissioners took the first step toward abolishing the Pierce County Recreation Board during their new monthly work session Tuesday night.

The commission voted unanimously to proceed with eliminating the board. A final vote doing away with the recreation board will take place at the commission's regular meeting August 2. The decision is part of a two-year long agreement in which the City of Blackshear phased out its participation and the county takes over administration of the department. The recreation board currently is governing authority for the department, but commissioners said that would no longer be necessary after the county takes over. If approved, the county will make all personnel, policy and funding decisions.

"How the Recruiting Process Works"

Saturday, September 10th, 2011 @ Cavalier Field

Take this opportunity to showcase your individual skills in front of numerous college coaches and professional scouts. Players will be evaluated at their respective position. Also, all participants will receive a video of their workout to share with other college coaches. Our showcase is open to the 2011-12 school year sophomores, juniors and seniors. Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. and the cost is $125 per player.

Showcase Includes:
Complete pro-style workout in front of college coaches and professional scouts; Highlight video of the workout(1.5min); Lunch for player & one parent and College Coach/Professional Scout Forum - a coach from NCAA DI, NCAA DII, NCAA DIII, NAIA, NJCAA, and a professional scout will all participate and discuss scholarship limitations, academic requirements, evaluation process, recruiting process, etc.

Questions
If you have any questions please contact the baseball staff:
Coach Hemmings (229)317-6457 or brandon.hemmings@darton.edu
Coach Huff (229)317-6969 or justin.huff@darton.edu
Coach Webster (229)317-6969

The Pierce County Bears Booster Club will meet at 6 p.m. this Thursday, July 28, at the field house.

Membership/booster sales packets will be given out. All members are encouraged to attend.

County Commissioners have taken the first step toward abolishing the Pierce County Recreation Board.

The commission voted unanimously to proceed with eliminating the recreation board during its new monthly work session Tuesday night. A final vote doing away with the recreation board will take place at the commission’s regular meeting next Tuesday, August 2.

The move is the final portion of an agreement put in place two years ago in which the county will take over complete control of the department. The City of Blackshear has phased out its participation.

Commissioner Randy Dixon endorsed the move, saying the recreation board is no longer needed as a governing authority.

Interim recreation director Jordan Sasser and county administrator Paul Christian will be responsible for operations at the department. The commission will have the final say in making funding decisions and setting
policy.

At press time, no one had notified the sitting recreation board that it had been abolished.

“I have received no official word from the county,” said former recreation board chairman Loran Tuten Jr. “They (commissioners) told us they were looking at converting us to an advisory council.”

The commission has declined to appoint an advisory board, however. The council’s purpose would have been to assist the recreation director in making policy decisions, although the council would have no binding authority.

County attorney Franklin Rozier Jr. told commissioners they needed to make an amendment to the agreement that led to the county taking over the department, since the original promises the City of Blackshear a seat on
an “advisory council.”

In other business, the commission agreed to replace lighting at all four fields at the Ware Street complex and finance it over three years. Sasser was instructed to secure bids from the three companies who have offered on the package in the past. It was also noted most wiring at the department is about 35 years old.

Who: 2012 & 2013 Grads
• What: Professional and College Instruction and Evaluation
• Where: South Georgia College, Douglas, Georgia
• When: November 12, 2011
• Why: To display your skills and receive professional instruction from scouts and coaches.
• Cost: $130

This showcase allows players and parents to interact, learn and be evaluated by Junior College Coaches from South Georgia and North Florida as well as Professional Scouts. We hope that you will consider attending the Juco Baseball Showcase at South Georgia College. Showcase will be limited to the first 40 that register.

Camp Schedule
9:00-9:45 Parent question and answer with coaches and scouts
9:45-10:15 Jog, Stretch, Agilities, Toss
10:15- 10:30 Run 60
10:30-11:00 Position Instruction Pitching/Catching/Infield/Outfield
11:05-11:45 On field hitting
11:45-12:15 Lunch Break
12:15-12:40 Hitting, Chat with staff
12:40-12:50 Toss/Stretch
12:40-1:30 Combine Workout, Throwing and Fielding position
1:30-1:45 Break
1:45-3:45 Live game on field
3:45-4:00 Wrap up, Questions and Answers

Possible schools that will be present:
South Georgia College, Andrew College, Abraham Baldwin College, Darton College, Brewton Parker College, Middle Georgia College, Sante Fe Community College, St. Johns River Community College and Major League Scouts will be invited.

For more information, please contact Coach Jeff Timothy at jeff.timothy@sgc.edu or 912.260.4414 or 770.316.3832.

Carrollton, GA - The UWG athletic department and head coach Skip Fite are scheduled to host an Underclassmen and Unsigned Player Instructional Showcase on September 10, 2011 at Cole Field on the West Georgia campus. This instructional showcase is designed for any high school baseball player that desires to continue his playing career at the next level.

The event will give each player the opportunity to display their skills to the UWG coaching staff as well as other area colleges. The showcase will begin with a "pro-style" workout and will conclude with a showcase scrimmage.

"We have had tremendous success with the first two Instructional Showcases and are excited to take it to the next level," said Fite. "If a player would like to continue playing baseball in college, this will be a great opportunity for them to showcase what they can do and possibly receive scholarship offers."

For more information regarding the 2011 Underclassmen and Unsigned Player Instructional Showcase, please contact coach Fite at sfite@westga.edu, or call the Athletic Department at 678-839-6533. Enrollment for this year's showcase will be limited and will be determined on a first-come, first-served basis.

UWG is the current home for former PCHS baseball standouts Trey Thompson and Jayk Graham.

Pierce Family Pharmacy located at 3150 Highway 84 in Blackshear became the newest bronze sponsors today for the 8 & under and 10 & under PC Bears travel baseball teams.

The coaches and players for both of these teams thank Carol and Zavain Mardirossian and the staff of Pierce Family Pharmacy for their support.

The brand new 10 & under Pierce County Bear travel baseball team finished second today in the SSAA Back to School Bash in Nahunta. The young Bears won two games and lost two games defeating a young Brantley team twice but losing twice to a veteran Alma team.

Team players include kneeling (l to r): Christopher Riggins, Spencer Hughes, Duward Boatright, Andrew Walsh, Jayden Crews and Tristan Turner.

Standing (l to r): Allen Sapp, Ethan Herrin, Gage Waters, Wesley Nelson, Dawson Yarbrough, Dayton Alexander and Dalton Bennett.

The coaches are Jamie Nelson and Dwain Pippin. Not shown is team manager Tony Walsh and team chaplain Toby Crews. These Bears is sponsored by Pierce Family Pharmacy in Blackshear.

Several PCHS Bears received all-region honors last May. Players are voted on by the region head coaches based on their stats in the 16 region ball games. One player in each position is selected on 1st and 2nd teams. Three pitchers are chosen for each of the teams.

1st Team All-Region:
1B - Drew Talyor
2B - Cole Dowling
Utility - Jayk Graham
Pitcher - Will White

2nd Team:
Pitcher - Will Lowman

Honorable Mention:
Tim Huff
Codi Dixon
Brian Barefield
Vince Elliott

Region Head Coach of the Year:
Keith Mobley

Assistant Coaches of the Year:
Brett Brooker
Tim Doster

Three seniors verbally commit to colleges before the national signing period after being offered baseball scholarships. Will Lowman committed to Kennessaw State University, a Division-1 college located a few miles north west of Atlanta. Drew Taylor committed to Middle Georgia College, a junior college baseball power house located in Cochran, Ga. Nate Gay committed to Tennessee Technical University, a Division-1 college in Cookville, Tn.

This is the first time in the history of the program that three PCHS players have been offered early and a first to have two with D-1 offers. Other players who were offered by D-1 programs was Eric Lairsey and Brett DeLoach. Eric was offered by UGA but was taken in the draft and opted to go to the Braves organization. Brett is currently going into his junior year at UGA.

Will and Nate will make it official when they sign in November. Drew will sign his Letter of Intent in January.

Submitted by: Greg Gay, PE Teacher - Midway Elementary School, Head Baseball Coach - Pierce County High School

Jamie Ammons joins the Bear baseball staff this season as Head JV Coach and Assistant Varsity Coach. Originally from Appling County, Jamie graduated high school in 2006 as Valedictorian. Jamie continued his studies by attending Georgia College and State University and in May 2010 earned a Bachelor of Science degree. In May 2011, Jamie graduated with his Master’s in the Art of Teaching specializing in Secondary Education Biology from GCSU.

While attending GCSU, Jamie played under two instrumental coaches: Chris Calciano, Area Scout with Boston Red Sox, and Tom Carty, current Head Coach at GCSU. During his playing career, the team won a Peachbelt Conference Championship and also made an appearance in the NCAA Division II Regionals in 2007. After his three playing seasons, Jamie took the opportunity to join the staff of GCSU as an assistant coach for the 2010 and 2011 seasons. In 2010, the Bobcats earned the title of Peachbelt Conference Champions while continuing their magical season by becoming Southeast Regional Champions. Winning the regional granted the team a Division II College World Series appearance in which the team finished third in the Nation, losing their only games to the top two teams in the tournament. While at GCSU, Jamie assisted in all areas of the Bobcat Baseball Program and had the opportunity to coach 3 All-Americans and 5 players that currently are playing professional baseball.

Jamie will be teaching in the science department at PCHS. In his first year of teaching he desires to be instrumental in the athletic development of Bear youth, while promoting good character and furthering his professional development.

Commissioners tabled a decision on purchasing lights for the recreation complex for the second straight month. Three bids were received including Harold Smith Electric of Waycross at $235,000, Musco of Oskaloosa, Iowa bid $314,500 and Carter Electric of Waycross at $334,315. MUSCO representative Jeremy Jordan presented the company’s offer including financing and maintenance, plus a 25 year warranty. The company will reduce the number of lights at the complex from 200 to 80, but using more energy efficient and brighter bulbs to provide more illumination.

Christian commended interim recreation director Jordan Sasser for his work and said he had done some checking and said “MUSCO is the number one company for outdoor lighting,” though the company is not the low bidder. Still, Christian recommended the entire item be tabled again due to the county’s budget problems. The item was removed from the consent agenda for discussion. The issue had also been discussed for at least the past four months by the now defunct Blackshear-Pierce County Recreation Board.

Congratulations to Shawn Smith, The Georgia Parks and Recreation Association, District 2 Volunteer of the Year winner. The award was presented to recognize his many accomplishments as a volunteer during the annual District meeting held at Okefenokee Country Club.

The 10 & under Pierce County Bear travel team started the fall season off today at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross with a win and a loss.

The Bears started the day off against the Ocilla Warriors. The Warriors sent eight batters to the plate in the top of the first scoring two runs. Not to be out done, the Bears scored three runs in the bottom of the second to take their first lead of the day.

That lead was short lived though as the Warriors scored three to take a 5-3 lead in the top of the third inning. The young Bears battled right back scoring seven runs in the bottom frame to take a 10-5 lead.

The Bears scored four more in the fourth to take a 14-5 lead.

With their backs against the wall as time was running out, the Warriors tried to battle back scoring three runs in the top of the fifth but came up short giving the Bears a 14-8 victory.

Playing back to back games, the Bears then had to face the Diamond Dogs from Alma in game two.

Neither team scored in the first inning but the Diamond Dogs scored three in the top of the second. The Bears were able to get one across the plate in the bottom half.

The Bears held the Dogs in the second and was able to close the gap by pushing one more run across the plate to make the score 3-2 in Alma's favor.

The Dogs however was able to score two more in the fourth to make the score 5-2 and held then held the Bears scoreless in the bottom half.

The fifth inning got exciting as the Pierce defense bear'd up holding the Dogs when things started clicking. With runners on base, the Bears scored twice when a couple of base running mistakes ended the game with the Bears falling short by a score of 5-4.

Players for the Bears include Dayton Alexander, Dalton Bennett, Duward Boatright, Jayden Crews, Ethan Herrin, Spencer Hughes, Wesley Nelson, Christopher Riggins, Allen Sapp, Tristan Turner, Andrew Walsh, Gage Waters and Dawson Yarbrough. The coaches are Tony Walsh, Dwain Pippin, Jamie Nelson and Toby Crews.

The Bears are sponsored by Blackshear Auto Parts, L & S K Trucking, Inc., Pierce Family Pharmacy, Sid Halstead State Farm Insurance Agency and the SRMC Lab employees.

Nike is the king of basketball sneakers and sports apparel but when it comes to college baseball bats, the swoosh has apparently struck out.

Every college under contract with Nike has been let out of its commitment to use Nike baseball bats during the upcoming season.

Of the top 20 teams in home runs last season, not a single one used Nike bats.

Major schools such as Southern Cal, Miami, Alabama, Georgia and Kentucky all used Nike bats and experienced major drops in offensive production. Home runs were 20 percent lower and slugging percentages 44 percent lower for those teams than for the rest of the NCAA.

The Tuscaloosa News, which led the reporting on this story, notes the Hurricanes hit an average of more than 93 homers a season between 2008 and 2010, but last season with Nike bats they slammed just 33 dingers. That's a staggering 64.5 percent drop in power.

Alabama's power dropped 86.6 percent over the previous three seasons.

Earlier this year, the NCAA ruled that college bats must perform more like wood. The goal was to reduce the high scoring that affected the game (and arguably threatened pitcher safety) in the 1990s. But clearly programs using Nike bats didn't expect performance to drop off this much.

Part of the issue is a problem that's plagued even expert bat-makers: how to reliably measure "wood-like" performance. Some test the speed of the bat at impact with the ball, while others measure the ball's "exit speed." The debate has led to not only confusion, but varying performance of bats.

The Tuscaloosa News report says Nike is no longer selling bats certified for college use on its Nike Store online.

Nike ranked 135th on the Fortune 500 list of American companies for 2011. The company had revenues of $1.9 billion, making it the top apparel industry.

Source: http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/dish/201109/nikes-bewildering-college-baseball-bat-problems

The 10 & under Pierce County Bears won both of their games today defeating both the Brantley County Herons and the number two team of the Ocilla Warriors.

The Bears started the morning off with a bucket talk from team chaplain Toby Crews who spoke to the youngsters about the meaning of integrity on the field as well as its meaning in life.

The Bears took the field as the home team after winning the coin toss. The Herons scored one run in the top of the second inning however the Bear offense came right back plating two runs in the bottom half.

The Herons tied the game in the third with a run but the Bears scored three to open it up and never looked back as they defeated the Herons by a final score of 8-5.

Game two had the Bears as the vistors against Ocilla. The Bears sent nine batters to the plate scoring five runs in the top of the first and then the defense holding Ocilla to two runs.

The Bears put four more runs in the top of the second but with some timely hits and some Bear defensive miscues, the Warriors scored five closing the gap on the score board.

The Bears scored two more in the top of the third. With two Warriors on base with no outs, the Pierce defense bear'ed up shutting Ocilla down.

The Bears scored two more in the fourth to take a 13-7 lead and then shut down Ocilla again for a Bear victory.

Players for the Bears include Dayton Alexander, Dalton Bennett, Duward Boatright, Jayden Crews, Ethan Herrin, Spencer Hughes, Wesley Nelson, Christopher Riggins, Allen Sapp, Tristan Turner, Andrew Walsh, Gage Waters and Dawson Yarbrough. The coaches are Tony Walsh, Dwain Pippin, Jamie Nelson and Toby Crews.

The Bears are sponsored by Blackshear Auto Parts, L & S K Trucking, Inc., Pierce Family Pharmacy, Sid Halstead State Farm Insurance Agency and the SRMC Lab employees.

The Bears are now have three wins and one loss for the fall season and their next two games are on Saturday, October 1st at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex in Waycross with the first game scheduled to start at 11:00 a.m.

The 10 and under Pierce County Bear baseball team got back to their winning ways today after outscoring the Ocilla Warriors by a score of 24-8 in two games.

The Bears had posted three losses and a tie in their last four outings dropping from second place to fifth in the Ware County Fall Baseball League standing.

Facing Team 1 from Ocilla, the Bears staked the Warriors to a three run lead in the first inning. The Bears tied it up in the second inning never looking back as they scored three more in the fourth and another one in the fifth to win the game by a score of seven to three.

Leading the hitting attack for the Bears with two hits apiece was Ethan Herrin, Cristopher Riggins, Andrew Walsh and Gage Waters. Also contributing with one hit each was Dayton Alexander, Dalton Bennett and Wesley Nelson.

After a two hour break, the Bears had to face Team 2 from Ocilla. The Bears led this game from the the get go though as they opened up a two to nothing lead in the first inning never looking back as they won this game by a score of 17-5.

The leading hitter for the Bears with two doubles and a single was Riggins. Nelson and Waters had two singles and a double, Bennett and Walsh had three singles, Herrin, Duward Boatright, Jayden Crews and Allen Sapp had two singles each and Tristan Turner had a single.

The Bears finished the fall season with five wins, fours losses and one tie and will go into a single elimination tournament on Saturday, November 5th as the number four seed.

Players for the Bears include Dayton Alexander, Dalton Bennett, Duward Boatright, Jayden Crews, Ethan Herrin, Spencer Hughes, Wesley Nelson, Christopher Riggins, Allen Sapp, Tristan Turner, Andrew Walsh, Gage Waters and Dawson Yarbrough. The coaches are Tony Walsh, Dwain Pippin, Jamie Nelson and Toby Crews.

The Bears are sponsored by Blackshear Auto Parts, Flash Foods, L & S K Trucking, Inc., Pierce Family Pharmacy, Sid Halstead State Farm Insurance Agency and the SRMC Lab employees.

A brand new nine and younger Bear baseball team got together and traveled to Dublin, GA today to compete in the Camsports Spooky Baseball Brawl at the Southern Pines Recreation Complex. With one team backing out of competition, it left the Bears to face two experienced teams from Warner Robins, the Little League capital of Georgia.

The young Bears started the 50 degree morning off against a veteran Wolfpack team. Trailing 7-0 through two innings, the Bears finally scored fours runs in the third and two more each in the fourth and fifth innings before losing by a final score of 14-8.

Leading the hitting attack for the Bears were Dalton Bennett and Kamren Boyd with three singles each and Ethan Herrin with two triples. Other players getting a hit were Jake Davis, Klyne Hardy, Tristan Turner, Ethan Lawrence, Christopher Riggins, Justin Tyre, Allen Sapp and Gage Hewitt. Collecting RBI’s were Hardy (2), Boyd (2), Turner (1), Lawrence (1), Riggins (1), Herrin (1) and Hewitt (1).

The Bears then faced off against the Storm, the younger team from Warner Robins. The Bears jumped all over the Storm scoring five runs in the top of the first off a Herrin grand slam. The Bears scored four more runs throughout the rest of the game earning a win by a score of 9-6. Earning hits for the Bears was Davis (3), Hardy (3), Boyd (1), Bennett (2), Turner (3), Lawrence (2), Riggins (2), Tyre (1), Sapp (2), Herrin (2), Hewitt (1) and six year old Easton Hall (1).

Because the Storm had also lost to the Wolpack earlier, the Storm and Bears had a rematch to see who would face the Wolfpack for the championship. The Bears jumped out to a 5-4 lead in the first however several defensive miscues throughout the game costing the Bears a victory and a chance at the championship.

After the game, the Bears were presented individual medals and a team trophy which was dedicated to Coach Dwain Pippin who had lost his mother earlier in the week and couldn’t make the trip to Dublin.

Pictured is(kneeling l to r): Jake Davis, Kamren Boyd, Klyne Hardy, Ethan Lawrence, Justin Tyre, Easton Hall, and Gage Hewitt; (standing l to r) Tristan Turner, Christopher Riggins, Ethan Herrin, Dalton Bennett, Allen Sapp and Andrew Walsh and the coaches are Mitch Hall, David Tyre, Chuck Hewitt and Tony Walsh.

Pierce County seniors Will Lowman and Nate Gay signed letters-of-intent Monday afternoon to continue their baseball careers on the collegiate level.

Lowman, a left-handed pitcher and centerfielder will be playing for the Owls at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA.

Gay is taking his catching talents to Tennessee Tech where he will be playing for the Golden Eagles in Cookeville, TN.

Joining Will and Nate (l to r) are PCHS assistant coaches Brett Brooker and Jamie Ammons, head coach Greg Gay, PCHS atletic director Sean Pender and PCHS principal Anthony Smith.

The twosome join a short list of PCHS alum to play Division I baseball, only Eric Lairsey and Brett DeLoach (both with Georgia) had previously signed to play major college baseball.

Larry Munson, legendary voice of the Georgia Bulldogs for 42 years, died at his Athens home Sunday night with complications from pneumonia according to his son, Michael.

Funeral arrangements had not been determined.

Munson wrapped up a lifetime of sports broadcasting in the fall of 2008, most of which was spent with the Georgia Bulldogs from 1966 to 2008. His dramatic delivery, along with an unabashed partisanship for the Bulldogs, endeared him to generations of UGA fans.

The Georgia job, which Munson landed in 1966, was the latest and longest lasting in a career that has covered over 60 years. He has been duly honored by several organizations for his outstanding contributions to broadcasting.

Born Sept. 28, 1922, in Minneapolis, Munson is an alumnus of Moorehead State Teachers College in Moorehead, Minn. After World War II, he used his military discharge pay to enroll in broadcaster's school back home in Minneapolis. He followed 10 weeks of training by landing an assignment to work at a small radio station in Devil's Lake, N.D.

This job started a series of short-term jobs for Munson behind the microphone, the last of which took him to Cheyenne, Wyoming. He had gotten the job by recording an audition tape of a football game between Ohio State and Minnesota, replete with canned crowd noise and special effects.

During his time in Cheyenne, Munson befriended another young broadcaster who later gained national fame: Curt Gowdy, who was calling University of Wyoming football and basketball games at the time. When Gowdy left Cheyenne for a Double A baseball job in Oklahoma City, he recommended that Munson replace him. It was the break that Munson sought.

In 1949, when Gowdy joined Mel Allen on the New York Yankees radio crew, he again recommended Munson for the job in Oklahoma City. Munson eventually spent three years broadcasting baseball there before making his next move.

He left Oklahoma City for Nashville, Tenn., in 1952, taking a job calling games for the Nashville Vols, a minor-league affiliate of several teams, including the New York Giants, Cincinnati and Minnesota. It was a career move that led him into other broadcasting directions. He served a stint as a Nashville disc jockey and also started what was believed to have been the first-ever TV show on fishing. Munson continued to host the fishing show long after he left Nashville for Georgia in the mid-1960s.

While in Nashville, Munson also made his second venture into collegiate athletics. He called Vanderbilt University football and basketball games over the powerful airwaves of AM station WSM.

But in 1966 Munson got his big break into major-league baseball when he landed a job calling Atlanta Braves baseball in their inaugural season. As the Braves' first spring training began, he read a newspaper story about the departure of Georgia football announcer Ed Thilenius. He then made an inquiry to UGA athletics director Joel Eaves, whom he had known during his days at Vanderbilt. Eaves offered him the Georgia football job during that first phone call.

During his career as the Bulldogs¹ play-by-play man, Munson has held a variety of auxiliary jobs. He called games for the Georgia basketball program from 1987-96 and for the Atlanta Falcons from 1989-92. He has also hosted various sports talk shows on radio and TV.

In 1983, Munson was recognized by the Georgia General Assembly for his role in the Georgia championship football program. Fourteen years later the same legislative body, led by Governor Zell Miller, honored him with a proclamation celebrating his 50 years in broadcasting.

In 1994, Munson was inducted into the Georgia Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame, and in 2005, he won a similar induction into the State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame on May 2, 2009.

Munson was also the 2003 recipient of the Chris Schenkel Award, given annually by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame. The award recognizes broadcasters with long and distinguished careers in broadcasting college football, as well as their contributions to community service. He was also named winner of the 2008 Furman Bisher Award for Sports Media Excellence presented by the Atlanta Sports Council.

On Nov. 17, 2007, Munson was named a UGA "Honorary Football Letterma" and presented with a letterman¹s plaque and jacket at the Georgia-Kentucky game.

The Georgia Southern University Eagles has announced their upcoming High School Prospect Camp II on Saturday, January 14, 2012. This particular camp session is designed for players who have aspirations of playing at the college level (Grades 9-12). They will be able to receive quality instruction and be evaluated by our coaching staff in competitive situations. You can find more details and register online at Georgia Southern University. If you have any questions, please feel free to call our office at (912)478-1350 or email Georgia Southern University.

The 7-8 and 9-10 baseball team players participated in the 2011 Blackshear Christmas parade by riding in their first ever team float. Riding in the float from left to right was Jeremiah Bowie, Justin Tyre, Klyne Hardy, Ethan Lawrence, Zach Murphy, Gage Waters, Elijah Crump, Yuri Steedley, Alana waters, Jake Davis, Christopher Riggins, Easton Hall, Alex Davis, Allen Sapp and Andrew Walsh. Also riding but not shown in the picture was Dayton Alexander and Wesley Nelson.

Throughout the deliberations on reclassification that have been going on for nearly a year, emphasis was placed on the importance of reducing travel costs and time out of class. In a state as large as Georgia, there is no way to eliminate all travel issues. The Reclassification Committee continued to emphasize that viewpoint by establishing sub-regions in nearly every region. Here are the guidelines for this format. 1. If a region chooses to subdivide because of either the large number of schools in the region or the large travel distances in the region, then the subdivisions established by the Committee must be used. 2. In accordance with GHSA by-laws, a region may choose to play a full region schedule with a 2/3 vote of the Principals of the schools in that region. This decision may be made on a sport-by-sport basis. During the meeting to place schools in regions, the Reclassification Committee approved the following proposal: “When the Reclassification Committee subdivides a region due to travel distances involved and the number of schools in each sub-region is not the same, the GHSA will work with the region to designate games outside the region that will take the place of cross-over games for region seeding purposes in all sports except football.” The deadline for member schools to appeal their region placement and to ask for a lateral transfer is Friday, December 16th at noon. Those appeals will be heard by the Reclassification Committee on Monday, December 19th at 10:00am at the GHSA office building. Representatives from the “sending region” and/or the “receiving region” will have the opportunity to be heard along with the school filing the appeal. The list of schools filing for appeals will be placed on the GHSA web site as they are received. Pierce County High School will be in the new Region 1-AAA, Sub-Region B along with Brantley County, New Chatham School, Savannah, Savannah Arts Academy and Tattnall County. Region 1-AAA, Sub-Region A will consist of Appling County, Beach, Johnson-Savannah, Islands and Woodville-Tompkins. For additional information on the GHSA re-classification, please visit the GHSA website.

If Saturday’s cold, wind-blown 19-3 win at Fitzgerald in a six-inning scrimmage is any indication, Pierce County could be in for a special season.

The Bears pounded out 17 hits and three pitchers combined to allow just three hits in head coach Greg Gay’s return to the bench.

“We have a lineup that could be tough for an opposing pitcher,” Gay said afterwards. “Our pitching I thought overall was really good. The conditions were tough and for the first outing of the season I thought they did well.”

Vince Elliott led the attack at the plate going 4-for-6 with two doubles and a homer. Several others also had multi-hit games. “We have guys that drive the ball throughout the order,” said Gay. “Other than Drew’s (Taylor) power at the plate, nobody stands out as significantly better than someone else in the order.

“This is the most balanced order I have ever coached. That’s a nice luxury to have because it takes pressure off one or two guys having to perform each game for us to win. If someone has an off night others can pick them up.”

Seniors Will Lowman, Michael D’Ambrosio and Will White combined for nine strikeouts and two walks working two innings each in the cold conditions with up to 30 mph wind gusts. The trio did their best impersonation of “Wild Thing” hitting five Purple Hurricanes in the cold conditions.

“Will (Lowman) threw well in tough pitching conditions,” said Gay. “Michael didn’t have his best stuff, but he still battled. Will (White) was effectiely wild, especially in his first inning of work.’

Still, Gay saw some areas of concern.

“We still have a lot of things to improve on,” he said. “Base running is one of those things. We are behind where we should be for an experienced team. Defensively, we still have some work to do. But all in all, it was a positive scrimage for us.”

Up next for the Bears is the 7th annual Reedy Creek Restaurant 100-inning marathon game on Friday and Saturday. PCHS will start at 10 a.m., on both days and finish at 6 p.m.

“The purpose of the game is to raise funds to help purchase much needed equipement for the team,” said Gay. “I have to give a special thanks to Mitch at Reedy Creek Restaurant. He and his family have been very good to our program in sponsoring this event.

“With donations, people get coupons to eat a great meal there. The food is great and the people are awesome.” On Saturday, the “Ole Timers” game is set for 1 p.m., and is the highlight of the weekend.

“This is a chance for some older players take a step back in the past and live out those old playing days. It has been a lot of fun in the past,” said Gay. He ask that those interested in participating should start arriving around noon.

“I also want to thak a community that has been very good to us,” Gay said. “One of the reasons we work hard is to put a team on the field our community can be proud of. Once again, Pierce County has stepped up and supported these guys and we appreciate it.”

Source: The Blackshear Times, February 15, 2012 edition

Each week, PCHS head baseball Coach Greg Gay awards a player as the "Scholar Athlete of the Week."

Terry Carter is this weeks "Scholar Athlete of the Week." Terry is a senior base running specialist and has excelled in the classroom as well as on the field. Terry has a 91.8% grade average.

Congratulations Terry for your accomplishment in the classroom as well as on the field.

A speed training and conditioning class will be held on Monday, April 23rd from 5:30-6:30 at the Pierce County Parks and Recreation Department. The training will be behind the Jowers baseball field.

This is free for all youth thanks in large part to a couple of gracious families and business owners. "We're still looking to expand the outfit," stated organizer Brandon Jernigan "so please feel free to offer assistance if you're able to." "Please spread the word to anyone interested. I would love for all of our girls and boys to benefit from this program." Go Bears!!

The Class AA championship series between fifth ranked Pierce County and top ranked Appling County will be carried by WWUF 97.7 on Saturday afternoon. The first game of the series is scheduled for 4 p.m. in Baxley with Game 2 to follow approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the opener. The "if" game will start at 6 p.m. on Monday. Rick Head will be handling the play by play duties with assistant principal Chris Roppe adding color.

Source: The Waycross Journal Herald, May 23, 2012 edition

PCHS seniors Nate Gay, Will Lowman and Drew Taylor have been chosen to play in the 2012 Gorgia Dugout Club's All State Game. The tournament will be held at the Historic Golden Park in Colombus, GA on Friday, June 1st and Saturday, June 2nd.

Will Lowman and Drew Taylor have opted out to start their summer vacations to spend time with their families before reporting to Kennesaw State University (Lowman) and Middle Georgia College (Taylor) to continue their baseball careers.

Nate will play catcher for the Southeast Georgia squad on Saturday.

Pierce County seniors Cole Dowling and Vince Elliott, teammates for the past four seasons, will continue to play alongside each other after the duo signed letters-of-intent with the Valdosta State University baseball program last Thursday in front of family, friends, teammates and classmates at the high school.

 

The pair formed a dynamic double-play combination during their first three years together before head coach Greg Gay put them side-by-side on the left side of the infield this season. Joining Dowling for the occasion were his sister Caroline, mother Jennie and father Mitchell. Elliott was joined by his father Vince, Sr., mother Daphne and brother Kenny. The photo shows Mrs. Dowling, Cole, Vince and Mrs. Elliott.

The 5th Annual Baseball Scoutz Unsigned Senior Games is the hottest recruiting tool for 2014 Grads. Hosted at Gordon College on October 20th with Scouts from most the Georgia Junior College's, DII and NAIA Schools in attendance plus some Florida Junior College’s right before NCAA early signing period ends.

 

Don't miss this event as it has produced many last minute DI prospects, a ton of DII and JC signees over these five years. Mercer University starting 3B Chesny Young took place in this event plus many others including Valdosta State 1B Casey Kicklighter and Kennesaw State RHP Nate Harsh.

 

Here is what the event will do: It will give you a last look from colleges that are still trying to sign players before the early signing period ends. It will also give Junior College coaches a last look before their January early signing period begins. This has been a very successful program that has assisted many seniors that are still searching for an opportunity.

 

There will be no SEC/ACC type schools in attendance; those schools have finished this recruiting class. There will be a few mid-major D1, DII, Junior College programs plus a few DIII and a NAIA schools. We will also distribute this information to over 150 colleges after the workout so those who did not attend will still get your workout results!

 

Here is the Event Format:

9AM Check in

60 Yard Dash

Infield/Outfield defense

BP

Games

Maximum Participants 100

 

Here are the schools we will have on staff:

Gordon CC, Middle Georgia, South Georgia, ABAC, Chipola (FL), Northwest Florida, Georgia Perimeter, Georgia College, Mercer and Augusta State. There will be others in attendance: Expect 20 Schools that’s been our average attendance. 

The South GA State College Tigers and Coach Jeff Timothy will hold a JUCO Baseball Showcase at Tiger Field on the beautiful campus of South GA State College in Douglas on November 9, 2013.

 

All 2014 and 2015 high school graduates are eligible to display their skills and receive instructions and evaluations from the professional and college level coaches.

 

The cost of the showcase is $150.00 which will allow both the players and the parents to interact, learn and be evaluated by junior college coaches from South Georgia and North Florida as well as professional scouts. The showcase is limited to the first 40 that register.

 

Camp Schedule

9:00-9:45         Parent question and answer with coaches and scouts

9:45-10:15       Jog, Stretch, Agilities, Toss

10:15- 10:30    Run 60

10:30-11:00     Position Instruction Pitching/Catching/Infield/Outfield

11:05-11:45     On field hitting

11:45-12:15     Lunch Break

12:15-12:40     Hitting, Chat with staff

12:40-12:50     Toss/Stretch

12:40-1:30       Combine Workout, Throwing and Fielding position

1:30-1:45         Break

1:45-3:45         Live game on field

3:45-4:00         Wrap up, Questions and Answers

 

Possible schools that will be present: South Georgia College, Andrew College, Abraham Baldwin College, Darton College, Brewton Parker College and Middle Georgia College. Also, Major League Scouts will be invited.

 

Please fill out the registration form in the “Handout Section” and return with payment to guarantee your spot in the JUCO Showcase.

 

For more information, call SGC Baseball Coach Jeff Timothy at 912-260-4220, email us at jeff.timothy@sgc.edu or visit the South GA College website at http://www.sgc.edu/athletics/baseball/JucoBaseballShowcase2013.pdf.

 

The Valdosta State University Trailblazer baseball team will hold a Fall Exposure Baseball Camp for grades 9 through 12 on Saturday, November 9^th beginning at 9:00 a.m. The cost is $85.00 (lunch included).

 

The camp includes pro style workouts, games, a campus tour, admissions, compliance and a question and answer session. This camp is designed for the serious baseball player - one who has the interest and desire to play college and/or professional baseball and will include instruction from the VSU Blazer coaching staff and current players.

 

For more information, go to http://www.vstateblazers.com/sports/2010/10/5/BB_1005101409.aspx?path=baseball.

  

Congratulations to baseball players Caleb Turner and Madison Tuten for being voted by the Region 1-AAA coaches to receive honors for the 2014 football season. Turner was voted as the Player of the Year and Tuten was voted as Offensive Lineman. Congratulations again to the both of you and can’t wait to see you on the diamond in 2015.

 

With spring in the air and travel baseball getting cranked up and ready to play, Pierce County Bear baseball fans will have more options to feed the frenzy as the youth travel teams get started next weekend.

On Monday, March 23^rd, the PCHS junior varsity gets the week started by hosting the Coffee County Trojan jayvee at PCHS with the first pitch slated for 5:00 p.m. The jayvee game with Coffee County was cancelled and will be made up as part of a doubleheader on April 11th. The JV game against Brantley that was rained out last week will not be made up due to scheduling conflicts.

The Toombs County Bulldogs roll in to town on Tuesday, March 24^th at 6:00 p.m. for a Region 1-AAA match-up against the varsity. The Bears improved their record to 14-1 with a 14-4 mercy rule five inning game in front of a small crowd Tuesday night. All fans are asked to come out and support these athletes as they are working very hard to make a run for the state title and your support is very much needed.

The PCMS Bears finished their regular season with an overall season record of 9-2 and a conference record of 7-2 earning the number two seed in the South Georgia Middle School Athletic Conference (SGMSAC) and will host Round 1 beginning at 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 26th against the Brantley County Herons. If the PCMS Bears win their game on Thursday, then they will play in the SGMSAC Championship round on Saturday, March 28th. which will more than likely be held at the Wayne County High School in Jesup as the Arthur Williams Middle School is the current number one seed. A tournament schedule is available for downloading in the "Handout" section of the website. Check out seperate artice on home page titled "PCMS Bears Headed to Championship Round."

On Friday, March 27^th, the junior varsity will host the Glynn Academy Red Terrors in a re-match as PCHS won the first game by a score of 12-8 on February 26^th and the varsity will travel to Baxley to play the Appling County Pirates in another Region 1-AAA game. Glynn Academy rolled into Bearville looking for revenge which they took as they defeated the JV Bears by a score of 6-4. The varsity improved its record to 15-1 with a win over Appling by a score of 16-2.

Travel baseball then gets started as one of the three Pierce Elite travel teams are scheduled to play in the Coastal Georgia Sports Associations’ Marchin’ On Tournament in Waycross at the Trembling Earth Recreation Complex. Check out article entitled 10-U finishes fourth in tourney.

Have a great week and as always, Go Bears!

PCHS head baseball coach Greg Gay has announced the schedule for the Pierce County Bear Baseball team for the summer of 2015. The season opens on Friday, May 29^th with a double-header against cross river rival Ware County Gators beginning at 5:30 p.m. followed by a second game around 7:30 p.m.

The summer program is a more relaxed atmosphere with inter-squad games being played on Tuesdays with weekend games being played against other schools. The team will also play in tournaments in Jacksonville, Atlanta, Savannah and some of the players will attend a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Camp at Georgia Southern University at the end of June.

The summer schedule can change multiple times within a week so look at the schedule often at the bottom of the home page to verify game dates, times and locations.

As always, Go Bears!

SAVANNAH, Ga. - The Armstrong State University baseball squad used timely hitting to come up with a Peach Belt Conference doubleheader sweep of visiting Young Harris College on Saturday afternoon at Pirate Field. Mike Warren's two-out RBI single in the bottom of the 14th gave the Pirates an 8-7 win in game one, while Armstrong State held on for a 9-8 win in game two.

The pair of wins stretch the Pirates' current win streak to five as Armstrong State improved to 21-22 overall and 5-15 in the PBC. Young Harris falls to 14-30 overall and 6-20 in the league. Due to impending rain showers in the area on Sunday, the start time for the third game of the series has been moved up to 11:00 a.m. 

A six-run third inning helped the Pirates build a 6-3 lead in game one. Ryan Patterson had a two-run single in the inning, while Zack Goble (PCHS 2015) had an RBI single as well.

Young Harris had three solo home runs in game one. Zach Odom led off the game with one in the first, while Zach Wall had one in the fifth that cut the Pirates' lead to 6-5. Zach Beggs then drilled a solo shot leading off the top of the eighth inning that tied the score at 6-all and sent the game into extra innings.

In the top of the 14th inning, pinch hitter Royce Woolfolk hit a bloop double down the right field line that plated Nick Sexton with the go-ahead run, making the score 7-6 in favor of Young Harris.

The bottom of the 14th saw the Pirates get a one-out single by Will Hodges and a walk by Timothy Gray to put the tying and winning runs on base. A fielder's choice put runners on the corners with two out, then Will Browning singled to center field to tie the game at 7-all. Warren then followed with his game-winning single to give the Pirates their first extra-inning win of the season.

Caleb Woods (2-4) picked up the win in relief for the Pirates, hurling two innings of three-hit, one-run ball, striking out one. Wall (0-2) took the loss for the Mountain Lions, giving up three hits and two runs in 3 2/3 innings of work, walking three.

Warren and Patterson each had three hits for the Pirates in game one, while Wall went 4-for-6 for the Mountain Lions and Sexton had three hits and three runs scored.

In game two, the Pirates had two early big innings to build a 6-1 lead, getting three runs in the second inning - two on a Stetson Smith (PCHS 2015) RBI double - and three more runs in the third inning on a two-run Zack Goble double and a Will Hodges sacrifice fly.

Young Harris got it all back in the fifth inning, batting around en route to plating five runs - two on a two-run single by Wall and RBI singles from Rudy Gaona and Cory Ewald, as well as an RBI fielder's choice.

Chandler Corley and Ryan Patterson had back-to-back RBI singles in the sixth to give the Pirates an 8-6 lead. Zach Odom had an infield RBI single in the seventh - his school-record 200th hit of his career - to cut the lead to 8-7.

Patterson delivered an important insurance run in the eighth with his two-out RBI single. Young Harris got another RBI single from Odom in the ninth that made the score 9-8, but reliever Nathan Ward struck out Sexton to end the contest and complete the sweep.

Tray Roberts (1-0) picked up the win for the Pirates in relief, hurling 1 2/3 innings of two-hit ball, giving up an unearned run. Ward earned his first save of the season, giving up three hits and one unearned run in 2 1/3 innings, striking out three. Hudson Graham (1-5) took the loss in game two for the Mountain Lions, giving up 10 hits and eight runs - five earned - in 5 2/3 innings, walking two while striking out one.

Warren had a 3-for-4 game in game two for the Pirates, extending his current hitting streak to 24 games while also getting three or more hits for his sixth game in a row. Patterson added three hits while Goble had two hits and two RBI. Sexton and Odom paced Young Harris in game two with four hits apiece.

 

 

For a second straight day, a late rally from Armstrong State University baseball comes up short as No. 21 UNC Pembroke picked up a 14-11 Peach Belt Conference victory over the Pirates on Senior Day Saturday at Pirate Field.

The Braves improved to 37-12 overall and 15-8 in the PBC, while Armstrong State falls to 22-25 overall and 5-18 in the PBC with the loss. The final game in Armstrong State baseball history will be played on Sunday at 1 p.m., wrapping up the PBC series with the Braves. Prior to the game, the Pirates will honor their Armstrong State Athletic Hall of Fame baseball players with commemorative rings.

UNC Pembroke got off to another quick start on Saturday, plating two runs in the first inning and getting a two-run single from Roberto Rivera in the second. Armstrong State's Ryan Patterson had an RBI single in the first and an RBI groundout from Stetson Smith (PCHS 2015) in the second, but the Braves plated six runs in the third inning to build a 10-2 lead.

The Pirates got a run back in the fourth, but Rivera's RBI triple sparked a three-run fifth that extended the Braves' lead to 13-3.

Armstrong State began its comeback in the fifth with an RBI single from Spencer Harvey and an RBI double from Mark Felton, but Harvey was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. The Pirates put three more runs up in the seventh, on RBI singles from Zack Goble (PCHS 2015), Caleb Slaughter and Felton, that made the score 13-8.

The Pirates loaded the bases in the eighth inning when Will Hodges was hit by a pitch and Felton followed with an RBI single to make the score 13-10. The Braves pushed across a run in the top of the ninth, but Patterson collected an RBI single in the bottom of the ninth to cut the lead back to three. UNC Pembroke's Hank Simpson retired the next two batters, however, with two on to earn the save, his fourth of the season.

The Braves' Kyle Boraski improved to 6-2 on the year with the win, hurling six-plus innings and giving up eight hits and seven runs - four earned - while walking six and striking out three. Aaron Bentley (4-2) took the loss for the Pirates, giving up six hits and eight runs - seven earned - in 2 1/2 innings of work, walking three while striking out two.

Felton went 4-for-4 with three RBI to lead the Pirates at the plate, while Patterson and Goble each had four hits as well. Mike Warren's eighth-inning single extended his current hitting streak to 28 games. UNC Pembroke was led by Rivera's 4-for-5 day with four RBI.

Round 2 of the Georgia High School Associations’ (GHSA) state baseball playoffs are here and your 2017 Region 2-AAA champion Pierce County Bears are headed to the Sweet Sixteen to face the Region 8 #2 seeded Hart County Bulldogs. In the final regular season polling data, the Bears maintained #2 spot all year long in the Score Atlanta poll and remain in the #3 spot from the Georgia Dugout Club poll, Hart County is not ranked.

Pierce will host the Round 2 double-header in Bearville on Thursday, May 4^th with the first game scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Game 2 is set thirty to forty minutes after the end of game one. The game on Friday “if” it is needed is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Tickets prices to the games are set by GHSA and are $10.00 for Thursday’s double-header and $7.00 for Friday’s “if” game; only GHSA passes will be allowed.

After sweeping the Rutland Hurricanes in Round 1, the Bears improved their overall season record to 22-7. The Hart County Bulldogs have an overall season record of 16 wins and 17 losses. Neither team played a common opponent during the regular season.

In other Region 2-AAA action, the Brantley County Herons will host Calhoun and the Appling County Pirates will travel to Ringgold. An updated playoff bracket can be downloaded from the “Handout” section to the left of this article.

These guys have been working hard since school started to get to this point so please come on out to the baseball grounds this Thursday afternoon and make some noise for the boys as they compete for another run at a state championship.

As Always, Go Bears!

The Georgia Dugout Preview Magazine has named its All-State Team for AAA and some Pierce County players have made the list. Klay Allen (3B), Cody Grant (C) and Cody Williams (P) made the All-State 1^st Team. Making the All-State 2^nd Team was Stetson Bennett (SS). Congratulations to each of you for your hard work and representing Pierce County baseball at its finest.

For more information on other area players, visit http://georgiadugoutpreview.com/index.php.

As Always, Go Bears!

LEESBURG, FL – The DeLand Suns won their second consecutive game to open the season Monday, beating the Leesburg Lightning 5-3.

The Suns wasted no time putting runs on the board. Will Hodges (Columbus State) singled into right field Jay Hayes (Florida Gulf Coast) followed with a home run to put the Suns up 2-0.

DeLand continued their scoring in the seventh inning. Brad Neena (Lake Sumter), Stetson Smith (Berry College) and Zack Goble (Augusta State) each chipped in one RBI. The Suns extended their lead to 5-0.

The Lightning refused to go down without a fight. Leesburg added two runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Jesse Getford (Mt. Olive) doubled and Chase Heger (Iowa Western) singled in runs to narrow the deficit to 5-2.

The Lightning tacked on one more n the bottom of the ninth. Cage Cox (Alabama State) doubled to bring in Peyton Faulkner (Jefferson), narrowing the Suns lead to 5-3. However, Tristen Gagan (Southeast Missouri State) flew out. Gagan stranded Cox on second and gave DeLand their second win in as many games.

Matthew Reitz (Covenant) helped make the win possible. Reitz fired five shutout innings with a hit and three strikeouts. He was credited with the win. DAndre Knight (Marshall) and Samuel Brunnig (Embry-Riddle) also threw shutout innings for DeLand.

The Suns play their first home game of the season Tuesday against the Leesburg Lightning.

Courtesy of the Florida League website, http://pointstreaksites.com/view/fcsl/news/news_486659.

(Webmaster’s Note: Zack Goble (bottom) and Stetson Smith (top) are both 2015 graduates of Pierce County High School baseball)

The DeLand Suns suffered their first loss of the season Thursday, as the visiting Winter Garden Squeeze knocked off the Suns by a score of 3-2. The game followed two straight rainouts, making it the de facto home opener for the Suns.

The Suns scored in the first inning after a Zack Goble (Armstrong Atlantic) RBI single plated Matthew Mulkey (Winthrop).

Starting pitcher Tarrin Beachy (Huntington) began the game in excellent fashion, giving up one earned run in six innings on three hits while striking out four.

The Squeeze carried a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the eighth inning after a two run RBI double from Josh Corredor (John Wood). However, the Suns knotted the game up on an RBI double from Torey Jordan Jr. (Texas A&M).

In the top of the ninth, Winter Garden loaded the bases against Kyle Wiseman (Lake Sumter) and scored off a sacrifice fly from Evan Harold (Seminole State) to gain a 3-2 lead.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, DeLand appeared to be making a comeback. But after Trent Taylor (Belmont Abbey) was thrown out attempting to steal second, the Suns were unable to muster any more base runners.

The Squeeze were led by Ryan Evans (Grambling State), who fired five innings of one run baseball. Nick Niarchos (High Point) earned the win after pitching one inning, despite giving up a run.

The Suns and the Squeeze will face off tomorrow at Winter Garden at 7 PM Friday, as the Suns hope to rebound from their first loss of the season.

 

DELAND, FL – The DeLand Suns lost their fourth consecutive game Thursday to the Altamonte Springs Scorpions 10-6, despite leading 5-0 at one point in the game.

DeLand opened the bottom of the second inning by loading the bases. Kyler Allen (North Georgia) brought home a run with a sacrifice fly, and Jonathon Meola (Seminole State) brought home a run with a single on the next at-bat.

DeLand padded their lead in the third inning after a pair of doubles knocked in three runs, giving the Suns a 5-0 lead.

Altamonte would strike back, however. After putting up four runs in the top of the fourth inning to pull the game within 5-4, the Scorpions would score two more in the top of the fifth via a wild pitch and an RBI single.

DeLand fought back in the bottom of the sixth inning. Jordan Morrow (Stetson) hit a sacrifice fly to even the score to 6-6.

The game would remain 6-6 until the top of the ninth, where the Scorpions would add four more runs to give them a commanding 10-6 lead that the Suns would never recover from.

DeLand had Matthew Mulkey (Winthrop) reach base to lead off the bottom of the ninth, but a double play from Zack Goble (Augusta State) erased Mulkey and gave the Scorpions their fifth win of the season.

The Suns and Scorpions will play against Altamonte Springs Friday at Lake Brantley High School with first pitch expected for 7 PM.

Pierce County senior baseball player Cody Williams is in the Atlanta area this 4^th of July weekend to participate in the 15^th Annual Perfect Game WWBA National Championship. Cody is playing with the 5 Star Nationals (Coach Dobbs/Warner Robins, GA). 392 teams are participating and have been divided up into 49 pools of eight teams each. 5 Star is playing in Pool LL alongside the Cangelosi Sparks (Lockport, IL), SWFL Elite (Ft. Myers, FL), 643 DP Tigers (Marietta, GA), Marucci Elite (Houston, TX), Memphis Tigers (Bartlett, TN), South Florida Bandits (Stamford, CT) and the Dirtbags (Seldia, NC).

5 Star started Friday afternoon off with a 5-1 victory over the 643 DP Tigers at the Perfect Game Complex at LakePoint in Emerson, GA. 5 Star traveled over to Cartersville on Saturday morning and defeated the Memphis Tigers by a score of 2-0.

Sunday's games were rained out but 5 Star kept their winning ways on Monday afternoon by defeating the Dirtbags (7-0) and the South Florida Bandits (10-4). 5 Star is sharing first place in the Pool LL standings with the Cangelosi Sparks. 

Going undefeated in pool play, 5 Star had off for two days to allow the start of elimination games so on Thursday morning, 5 Star competed in Round 64 and sent Palm Beach Select back to Florida by a shut out score of 2-0. On Thursday afternoon, 5 Star competed in Round 32 and defeated Team Elite South (Winder, GA) by a score of 2-1. 5 Star was eliminated in the Sweet Sixteen by the Central Florida Gators (Altamonte Springs, FL) by a score of 5-4.

Good luck Cody and as always, Go Bears!

 

 

The 12-Under Blackshear Bandits defeated the Hinesville Barracudas today in a scrimmage double header over in Hinesville. The Bandits run-ruled the Barracudas in three innings by a score of 17-1. Game 2 was a little closer but the Bandits still pulled out the win by a score of 7-3.

The Pierce County Athletic Booster Club 2008-2009 fundraiser is now underway. Please call Atletic Director Mike Woodard at 449-2055, ext. 144 for more information.