Gilmer High baseball notched four wins while outscoring opponents 47-5.
The Bobcats took a break from their region schedule for a pair of double headers against Murray and Towns counties.
Murray was up first last Tuesday, and GHS celebrated its seniors with two decisive wins. Game one was a pitchers’ duel until the Cats’ three-run sixth. Timely hits never came for MCHS and GHS won, 4-0.
Game two got out of hand in a hurry, and Gilmer only needed five innings for an 11-1 win.
Towns never had a chance. GHS belted 10 hits, which included two home runs for a four-inning, 15-0 victory. The Cats smashed eight extra base hits in game two. Senior Noah Gutillo hit two homers to give him three for the week, and GHS returned home with a 17-4 triumph in six innings.
Senior pitcher C.J. Hatchett tossed a shutout and struck out seven Murray batters and did not walk any while giving up seven hits.
Gilmer got on the board in the third when Eli Cooper grounded out. He scored Hatchett, who reached base after he was hit by a pitch. Mel Mosley also doubled to right, but was stranded on third base.
GHS broke out some small-ball tactics in the third. Following Blake Grizzle’s leadoff walk, Peyton Chancey reached on a bunt. Hayden Berry’s bloop single to right plated the Cats’ second run, and Cooper Cochran’s ensuing bunt added a third. A MCHS error gave GHS a 4-0 edge.
Both Mosley and Cochran had two hits.
Hayden Berry knocked in four runs in game two, and three came home with this three-run homer in the third inning.
MCHS scored its only run of the day in the top of the first, and Gilmer went to work in its half. Both Mosley and Gutillo walked, and the bases were loaded after Grizzle was hit by a pitch. Chancey was walked for Gilmer’s first run, and a second scored when Berry was hit by a pitch.
Cochran grounded out to second for a 3-1 lead, and a fourth run raced home on Landon McClure’s infield hit.
Berry’s three-run blast to left made the score 7-1 in the third. In the fourth, Gutillo tripled before Grizzle homered to left.
Cochran reached on an error to get the fifth rolling. Pinch runner Peyton Ocobock stole second and third and scored when Mosley grounded out. The game was called after Cooper’s ensuing single to right.
Chancey also had a hit on the day to bring Gilmer’s total to six.
McClure was on the mound for all five innings and struck out five, gave up three hits and an earned run.
The Bobcats recorded 10 hits in game one against Towns, with Gutillo and Cooper both homering. Gutillo also added a double to his stat line, as did Berry.
GHS wasted little time and took a 3-0 lead after the first inning and led 8-0 after two. The Cats pushed three runs across home plate in the third and added four more in the fourth.
Berry was on the mound for all four innings and only allowed two hits while striking out 10.
Gutillo had four RBIs while Berry and Cochran both drove in two. Gutillo recorded three hits, and Cooper and Berry had two apiece. Zander Shute, Cochran and Chancey all had one hit a piece.
Sixteen hits followed for Gilmer in game two. Gutillo smashed two more home runs to go with a double. He drove in four, Cochran knocked in three and had three hits. Chancey plated two runs with a double. Berry tallied two doubles, while Cooper and Grizzle also hit a two-bagger.
Shute finished with two hits, as did Cooper and Berry. Mosley, Cooper, Grizzle, McClure and Shute all had one RBI.
GHS scored runs in all innings but the sixth. The Cats scored two in both the first and second innings and added four in the third and three in the fourth. Gilmer kept the runs coming with its sixth-run fifth.
Towns plated a run in the second and third innings and two in the third. A GHS error led to one unearned run, and TCHS errors accounted for five unearned Bobcat runs.
GHS pitching: Cochran (W) 3 1/3 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 6 K, 3 BB. Jayden Grizzle 1 1/3 IP, 2 H. Slade Holt 1/3 IP, 1 K.
GHS is 12-14 overall and 5-10 in region games. The Bobcats face Ridgeland this week. Game one was played Tuesday evening and game two will be in Ridgeland Thursday. The series will wrap up Friday in Ellijay, and all games are scheduled for 5:30 p.m.