The Gilmer Bobcats claimed a pivotal baseball series.
GHS continued its region schedule last week against the Adairsville Tigers and snagged two wins. The Cats hosted AHS Monday and their scoring outburst in the fourth inning led to a 4-1 win.
The Tigers turned the tables in game two and sent GHS back to Ellijay with a four-inning 15-0 loss. The Bobcats recovered in the series finale Friday. Gilmer rallied in the sixth inning and shut down the Tigers in their final at-bat for a 7-4 victory.
Gilmer rebounded from its four-game skid with its game one win. The Tigers’ five hits on the day produced a run in the fourth thanks to a lead off double and a one-out single and second double. However, AHS did not record a hit in its final three at-bats.
The Bobcats’ bats broke out in the fourth as well where they accounted for all of their hits on the day. Mel Mosley and Eli Cooper set the stage with singles. Blake Grizzle’s line drive to center scored both, and Peyton Chancey continued the hit parade with a double to left to give GHS a 3-1 lead.
Cooper Cochran’s base hit to right added Gilmer’s final run. Jase McCollum drew a two-out walk, but AHS was able to prevent any further damage.
Hayden Berry earned the win and tossed four innings. He walked four and struck out two. Cochran closed out the game and struck out two and walked two.
Game two was one to forget for the Bobcats. GHS had two base runners on the day due to walks, but that included the day’s offense. AHS pushed 15 runs across the plate with 15 hits and needed four innings. Following a seven-run first inning, the Tigers scored three in the second and five in the fourth.
In the series finale, the visiting Tigers used a walk and double to plate a run in the second. AHS added a second run with back-to-back base hits to start the third.
Meanwhile, the Bobcats left a runner stranded in scoring position in their first two at-bats. In the third, GHS got on the board after a two-out single by Gutillo. He stole second and scored when Chancey doubled to center.
In the fifth, Mel Mosley was hit by a pitch to start the inning. Cochran ran out an infield hit, and GHS had a pair of runners in scoring position after a wild pitch.
But the 2-2 tie did not last long. A one-out hit preceded two Bobcat errors in the sixth, and they found themselves down, 4-2.
Ten batters strolled to bat during Gilmer’s five-run inning. Rob Mosley got the inning going with a one-out base hit to center. Landon McClure reached on an infield hit, and Mel Mosley’s single to left drew GHS within a run.
Cooper got to first on an error as well, and McClure raced home to tie the score. AHS chose to intentionally walk Gutillo to load the bases, and Grizzle promptly hit a single to left to give GHS the lead. A wild pitch moved the Bobcats ahead, 6-4. Chancey walked to load the bases again, and Gutillo trotted home when Cochran was hit by a pitch.
Cochran got the win in 1 2/3 innings of relief work. He did not allow any hits and walked one. C.J. Hatchett started the game and went 5 1/3 innings and surrendered nine hits, two earned runs, a walk and struck out two.
Gilmer is 5-8 overall and 2-4 versus region opponents. GHS will face LaFayette (7-7, 2-4) this week, and the Bobcats hosted game one at press deadline. The series will wrap up Friday in LaFayette, and the doubleheader is scheduled to start at 5 p.m.