Gilmer High earned a dramatic region baseball victory.
The Bobcats were on their home field last Tuesday to continue region play against the LaFayette Ramblers. GHS saw its six-run lead vanish, but the Cats came back for an extra-inning victory, 7-6.
Gilmer was in LaFayette Friday to wrap up the series. LHS needed just five innings and took advantage of GHS errors for a 13-3 win. In the finale, the Ramblers closed out the game with runs in their final three at-bats, and held the Bobcats in check, 7-3.
None of the Bobcats’ runs were earned in game one. In the fourth, Gilmer scored the game’s first run, which began with a Peyton Chancey double and Cooper Cochran single. When Hayden Berry reached base on an error, GHS took a 1-0 lead.
Two outs followed before Mel Mosley’s RBI single to left. Eli Cooper stood on first to load the bases after another LHS defensive mishap. Noah Gutillo stepped to the plate next and brought everyone home with a grand slam over the center field fence.
LaFayette got some momentum in the fifth when the leadoff hitter reached on a dropped third strike. A single plated the Ramblers’ first run ahead of two strikeouts. An RBI single and double followed, and Gilmer’s lead stood at 6-3.
LHS added an unearned run with a bases loaded walk in the sixth. Two outs started the Ramblers’ seventh-inning at-bat. Three straight singles followed, and Gilmer’s lead stood at 6-5. A hit batter loaded the bases, and catcher’s interference allowed the tying run to trot home.
Gilmer was unable to respond in its turn at the plate, but the Cats ended the game in the eighth. Mosley was hit by a pitch to get things going before a Cooper single and Gutillo walk. Blake Grizzle strolled to the plate next, and his hit to left field ended the game.
Berry started the game and went 5 2/3 innings and only gave up four hits, two walks for three earned runs while striking out eight. Cooper was credited with the win and pitched 2 1/3 innings and gave up an earned run off four hits and struck out one and walked one.
Six of LaFayette’s 13 runs in game two were unearned due to a pair of GHS errors. LHS struck for three runs in the first inning and its lead ballooned to 10-0 after two innings. The game was called after the Ramblers’ three-run fifth inning.
Gutillo’s two-out RBI single accounted for the Cats’ first-inning run. While the Bobcats added two runs in the fourth without getting a hit, they were hit. Cooper, Cochran and Berry were all plunked by a pitch. Berry came with the bases loaded, and the Cats’ third run crossed home plate when Rob Mosley grounded out to short.
Grizzle, Gutillo, Cochran and Rob Mosley each had a hit for Gilmer. GHS pitching: Landon McClure 1 2/3 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 1 K, 4 BB. Slade Holt 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 4 K, 1 BB.
The Ramblers’ control issues resurfaced in game three. Jase McCollum started the inning by getting hit by a pitch. C.J. Hatchett drew a walk. Three passed balls followed, with two coming on strikeouts as McCollum and Hatchett raced home.
Three Rambler singles, a hit batter and a double allowed LHS to overtake the Cats, 4-2. LaFayette brought another run home in the fifth thanks to a GHS error. In the sixth, three more hits, including a double, scored the Ramblers’ final two runs.
Berry’s two-out double in the sixth plated Gilmer’s third run. Additionally, Cooper recorded two hits while Grizzle, McCollum and Mel Mosley had one apiece.
GHS pitching: Hatchett 4 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 4 K, 4 BB. McCollum 1 2/3, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 K 2 BB. Cooper 1/3 IP, 1 H.
GHS is 6-10 overall and 3-6 in region action. GHS will take on Northwest Whitfield, and game one was played Tuesday evening. GHS hosts game two Thursday, and game three will be at NHS. Both games are scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m.