The Gilmer Bobcats won their second region baseball series in as many weeks.
The Cats met Northwest Whitfield (9-12 record) last week, and Gilmer came up with the hits needed in game one Tuesday at home. The Bruins were able to erase the Cats’ early lead, but GHS responded late for an 8-6 win.
Game two was on the road, and while GHS created scoring opportunities, timely hits were an issue. NHS earned its only win of the series, 9-1. The Bruins took a four-run lead in the finale, but GHS slowly chipped away. Gilmer scored across three consecutive innings and held on for a 5-4 win.
“Overall, we played really well,” said head coach Jeff Thurman. “Even game two that we lost, we didn’t play terrible. We had some guys out of position and didn’t make the plays that we normally would like to make defensively. There were some mishaps where we had guys out of position and maybe misplayed the ball here and there defensively, but we actually swung the bat a lot better than what the scoreboard said. Although we only scored one run, I felt like we put some good at-bats together. We had traffic on the bases that game and just couldn’t find that clutch out whenever we needed it.
“Obviously on Tuesday and Friday, we played well, so I felt like it was a pretty good week for us.”
Leadoff hitter Peyton Ocobock gave the offense a spark in game one with three hits, and he scored three runs. Blake Grizzle had two hits on the day and knocked in four runs.
After NHS scored a run in the first inning, Gilmer answered with three in its half. Ocobock’s base hit to center got the at-bat going, and Mel Mosley reached on an error. Peyton Chancey was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and two runs crossed home plate on Grizzle’s single to left. Chancey eventually scored on a wild pitch.
In the second, the Cats added two more runs. Ocobock was there once again to begin the inning. His double and Chancey’s walk gave GHS more base runners, and Grizzle took advantage with a two-run single to right.
Gilmer maintained its 5-1 lead until the fifth. On a slow roller to GHS pitcher Jase McCollum down the first base line, there was contact between him and the runner. It knocked McCollum’s glove off his hand, the runner ended up safe at first and a run scored from second.
Slade Holt replaced McCollum on the mound. With the help of an ensuing single, double and ground out, NHS trimmed the score to 5-4.
Two walks and a pair of singles moved the Bruins ahead by one in the sixth.
GHS faced two outs with Ocobock on third base. Both Chancey and Grizzle drew walks, and Zander Shute’s base-clearing double to center gave the Bobcats an 8-6 lead.
Cooper Cochran pitched the sixth inning as well as the seventh, where he retired the Bruins in order. He gave up an earned run, walked two and struck out one. McCollum tossed 4 1/3 innings and gave up three earned runs off four hits and a walk. Holt was there for 2/3 of an inning and surrendered a run off two hits, while walking one and striking out one. McCollum added a hit offensively.
NHS outhit the Cats 9-5 in game two and took advantage of three GHS errors for three unearned runs. The Bruins scored two runs in the second and five in the third. GHS plated its run in the third when Chancey doubled to score Landen McClure, who began the inning with a walk.
Northwest put a run on the board in the fourth and sixth innings.
Mosley tallied two hits and Chancey, Zander Shute and Rob Mosley had one each.
GHS pitching: Cochran 2 IP, 5 H, 5 ER, 2 BB. Slade Holt 4 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 K.
Five of Northwest’s nine hits in game three came in the first to ignite the four-run inning.
Gilmer did not manage any hits through two at-bats, and that continued in the third. However, McCollum walked, stole second and advanced to third when Rob Mosley grounded out. He scored on a passed ball for Gilmer’s first run.
In the fourth, Shute singled to center to score Chancey, who began the inning with a double. Grizzle also walked and later came home on a Bruin error.
Trailing 4-3, GHS was back at it in the fifth. Chancey was there to make NHS pay with a two-run homer over the left field fence.
The Bruins advanced a pair of runners into scoring position in the sixth but were unable to score. NHS managed to load the bases with no outs in the seventh. Pitcher Jayden Grizzle struck out the next two hitters before inducing a pop-up to end the game.
Jayden Grizzle pitched the final 1 2/3 innings for the save. He walked two, struck out two and gave up one hit. McClure got the win and lasted 5 1/3 innings while striking out three, walking three and allowing four earned runs off eight hits.
In addition to Chancey’s two hits, Ocobock, Grizzle, Shute, and Cochran notched one apiece.
GHS is 9-11 overall and 5-7 in region play. GHS will take on Calhoun (16-5) this week, and game one was played at press deadline. Game two is Thursday at Calhoun, and game three is Friday in Ellijay. Both games are scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m.