Some shoddy dugout management ended up costing Lumpkin County a game and the series.
The Gilmer High Bobcats entered the second week of their region baseball schedule against the Indians, and GHS won two of three. Following an opening game loss of 5-3 at home last Tuesday, the Bobcats won the final two games with seventh inning rallies. Unlike the week prior where the Bobcats lost a pair of one-run games, this time they were victorious in both by a 5-4 score.
Both teams ended the series with 13 total runs to their credit, and GHS out hit Lumpkin, 27-16. The series win was Gilmer’s first since the 2022 season.
“After that Dawson series (two weeks ago) and losing two games by one run, we explained to the guys that we just have to keep playing good baseball because that’s the way it works,” said head coach Jeff Thurman. “When it’s two good teams playing against each other, eventually we’re going to win some of those close games. You have to keep battling and play the game the way it’s supposed to be played.
“We had three close games again this week versus Lumpkin, but two of them went our way this time. I’m glad the message came true for them and that the hard work they’re putting in is paying off. Every inning had you on the edge of your seat.”
Gilmer led for much of game one. Austin Zabala’s one-out single in the first scored Ethan McCollum and Dalton Crisp. McCollum got the inning going when he reached on an error before Crisp’s double to left.
LCHS got on the board in the fourth when a dropped third strike preceded an Indian base runner breaking for home from third base. In the fifth, Lumpkin added four more runs with a one-out walk and four ensuing singles.
Noah Gutillo scored in the seventh on Crisp’s two-out base hit to center.
Also recording a hit on the day were Zabala, Blake Grizzle and Haden West. Zabala drove in two runs as well and pitched six innings and struck out 10, walked three and gave up four hits. West pitched the seventh inning and walked one.
Crisp got the win in game one of Thursday’s double header at Lumpkin. He tossed a complete game and allowed an earned run off six hits while striking out seven and walking one.
GHS committed five errors, and the Indians scored a run in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings.
Gilmer took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth. Zabala doubled with one out to right and scored on Mel Mosley’s sharply hit grounder to third. Grizzle was then plunked with a pitch to keep the inning alive, and a two-out Eli Cooper single gave GHS the lead.
In the fifth, Gilmer benefited from another two-out hit. This time Hayden Berry’s single to right scored courtesy runner C.J. Hatchett.
The Cats entered the seventh inning trailing, 4-3. An Indian error allowed Cooper to race all the way to second on his grounder to short. Gutillo’s ensuing single tied the game. He then stole his way around to third, and darted home safely when Crisp grounded out to first.
Crisp did not allow a hit or base runner in the bottom half of the seventh to preserve the win.
Gutillo, Mosley and Zabala all had two hits.
Lumpkin had six hits in the final game. A pair of GHS errors led to two unearned Indian runs. Just like the previous game, each of Lumpkin’s runs were scored over four innings. Gilmer was the home team, and LCHS led 1-0 after the top of the first.
Gilmer answered in its half with back-to-back hits by Grizzle and Cooper. Gutillo was hit by a pitch before Crisp’s fly out scored Grizzle. An ensuing double play allowed LCHS to limit Gilmer to a run.
The Indians loaded the bases in the second with a hit and two walks, but GHS escaped unscathed. The Cats were back at it in their half of the inning. Berry led off the at-bat with an infield hit and scored on Grizzle’s two-out single to right.
Mosley set the stage in the fourth with a double, and he scored on another two-out hit. This time it was Cooper’s base hit to center, and GHS led, 3-1.
A GHS throwing error to third base in the fifth added Lumpkin’s second run. In the sixth, a walk and double evened the score. A walk and triple in the top of the fifth plated the go-ahead run for Lumpkin.
GHS promptly tied the score again in their at-bat. Cooper singled and scored when Gutillo doubled to center. Crisp was intentionally walked before McCollum stepped to the plate. Facing two strikes, McCollum hit a grounder to the Indians’ first basemen, who attempted to get the force out at third base.
However, the errant throw bounced past third and made contact with a Lumpkin couch who was standing outside of the dugout. The ball was ruled dead, and Gutillo was granted home plate for the winning run.
“That’s not how a lot of walk-offs are drawn up, but we certainly celebrated,” Thurman said.
McCollum went five innings and fanned eight. He walked five and gave up four hits and an earned run. West pitched the final two innings to get the win. He gave up a hit, an earned run and walked two.
“We pitched well overall. Our three starters, Zabala, McCollum and Crisp, they all did a good job and went deep into each game,” said Thurman. “Dalton pitched another complete game, Ethan lasted five innings after getting his pitch count up in the first two innings. We went with Haden West in the last two innings, and he did a good job. We got a couple timely hits, which we’ve been needing.”
GHS is 8-9 overall and 2-5 versus region opponents. Gilmer began its series against Pickens Monday evening, and the Dragons won, 7-1.
Ahead of the series, Thurman shared his thoughts on Pickens, one of the top teams in Class 3A.
“I believe they are as advertised. They have a lot of depth and pitching and play really good offense and score a lot of runs,” he said last Friday. “We’ve been playing some really good defense and pitching well, so we’re going to hope we can hang in there with them and have a shot of winning each game at the end. We’re certainly not going to back down, but we know we’re going to be up against a really good baseball team.”
Games two and three will be at Pickens Thursday and Friday with each beginning at 5:55 p.m.