Gilmer High baseball suffered three more region losses as it enters the final week of the season.
The GHS Bobcats faced Lumpkin County last week and hosted game one Monday. The Indians only had four hits, but four Gilmer errors aided Lumpkin’s cause in a 6-2 win.
The Indians jumped ahead early at home Wednesday and secured a 6-3 victory. Friday’s finale in Ellijay saw Gilmer’s five-run lead vanish in the final innings as LCHS earned the sweep, 8-7.
Gilmer’s defensive miscues led to four unearned runs for Lumpkin in game one. The Indians struck for three first-inning runs on just one hit. Two walks started the frame and an error plated the game’s first run. A pair of fielder’s choices made the score 3-0 before GHS catcher Blake Zabala ended the inning by throwing out a runner attempting to steal second base.
Three walks loaded the bases for LCHS in the third, and another fielder’s choice made the score 4-0. Austin Zabala’s triple in the fourth led to Gilmer’s first run, and he scored when Noah Gutillo flew out to right field.
An error with no outs gave Lumpkin a base runner in the sixth, and an ensuing triple and single added its final two runs.
Billy Goswick accounted for Gilmer’s last run in the seventh. Following a single to left field, he moved to second on a passed ball and to third on fly out. He trotted home on another passed ball.
In addition to Goswick and Austin Zabala, Grant Cochran, Gutillo and Carter Jones had a hit for Gilmer. GHS pitching: Ethan McCollum 3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K, 5 BB. Jones 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1K. Goswick 1 IP, 1 H, 2k, 1 BB.
The Bobcats plated the game’s opening run Wednesday in the first inning on a Jones line drive to left field. LCHS answered in its at-bat with a bases loaded single and walk to slip ahead, 2-1.
GHS evened the score in the second when Blake Zabala reached base on an infield hit to score Britt Taylor.
Lumpkin used some small ball in its next at-bat. Its three bunts resulted in two hits. Three more singles and a hit batter allowed the Indians to pull ahead, 6-2.
The game’s final run came in the fourth when Blake Zabala doubled to score courtesy runner Haden West. Gilmer’s Seth Darling and Austin Zabala both added a hit on the day.
Cochran tossed all six innings. He gave up eight hits and six earned runs while striking out seven and walking three.
Gilmer plated four runs in the first inning of game three. The first crossed home plate when Gutillo flew out with the bases loaded. Following an infield hit by McCollum to load the bases once more, a wild pitch followed by a throwing error scored two runs. A Goswick hit up the middle gave GHS a 4-0 advantage.
LCHS got two runs back in the second, and GHS answered in its at-bat. A two-out, two-run Mccollum single to center bumped Gilmer’s lead to 6-2.
Back-to-back doubles by Blake Zabala and Gutillo extended Gilmer’s lead to 7-2 in the fourth inning. However, LCHS started its comeback in the fifth with a run.
In the sixth, four more scored to tie the game at 7-7. A one-out single plated a pair of Indians. A walk sandwiched between two doubles evened the score. In the seventh, a solo homer to center moved LCHS ahead by a run.
A Goswick single was all the offense GHS had to offer in its final at-bat, and Lumpkin celebrated the win.
Goswick, McCollum and Gutillo all had two hits, while Austin Zabala, Blake Zabala and Darling had one apiece.
Gilmer pitching: Darling 5 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 8 K, 5 BB. Jones 2/3 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 K, 1 BB. A. Zabala 1 2/3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1K.
The Bobcats are 10-16 overall, which includes a 5-14 record versus region opponents.
GHS will wrap up the season versus Cherokee Bluff. Game was played Monday and Cherokee Bluff won, 18-1. Game two will be on the road, and the season will conclude Friday in Ellijay. All games start at 5:55 p.m.