The Gilmer Bobcats are in the middle of a state baseball playoff push.
GHS continued its region schedule last week and took two of three games from the Wesleyan Wolves. Gilmer hosted Wesleyan Monday to begin the series, and the Cats’ big third inning propelled them to a 6-5 win.
The series wrapped up in Norcross Thursday with a double header. Bobcat Dalton Crisp pitched a complete game, and GHS plated the go-ahead run in the seventh. Gilmer kept the Wolves off the scoreboard for a 4-3 victory.
The series finale was a close game as well until the fifth. Wesleyan strung together crucial hits en route to winning, 10-5.
Head coach Jeff Thurman discussed the Bobcats’ opening win, which was a welcome sign for the program.
“It was a much needed win for our kids because they have been playing so hard lately without many wins to show for it,” he said. “I was proud of their effort, and we got some timely hits and won another close game. We’ve talked about continuing to battle, and some of these games will start falling our way. We need to continue to play well and finish off these last few weeks of region play strong.
“Austin Zabala battled all game long. He struggled at times with his command, but made pitches when he had to make pitches. Sometimes that’s what you have to do as a pitcher. We felt like that was such an important game, we brought Ethan McCollum in there in the top of the seventh.”
Zabala went six innings and allowed three earned runs off four hits. He walked three and struck out five. Wesleyan plated a pair of runs in the top of the second and neither were earned because of a two-out error.
GHS got the inning it needed in the third. Blake Grizzle reached on an error to start things. Wesleyan then attempted to get the force out at second on Eli Cooper’s grounder to first, but Grizzle was safe. Noah Gutillo stepped to the plate next and belted a two-run double to right-center field.
Crisp’s double to left scored a third run, and Hayden Berry sent the ball over the left field fence for a 5-2 GHS advantage. Mel Mosley then tripled to right, but he was stranded at third base.
A walk and double gave Wesleyan a pair of runners in scoring position in the fourth. A balk scored the Wolves’ a run, and a fielder’s choice cut the Cats’ lead to 5-4.
Gilmer bumped its lead back to two runs in its half. Haden West drew a leadoff walk and scored on Cooper’s single.
GHS maintained its 6-4 edge until the top of the seventh. An error and hit batter saw McCollum take over for Zabala. Wesleyan attempted to steal second and third, and Berry threw out the lead runner for the first out of the inning.
A pair of hits plated the Wolves’ fifth run, but McCollum recorded a strikeout, and a groundout to Grizzle ended the game.
“Hayden had another big hit for us, and I’m glad to see he’s having a good year at the plate,” said Thurman. “Gutillo is getting hot at the right time, and Eli Cooper’s been consistent all year. Grizzle has been a good leadoff hitter and has thrived in that spot.”
Cooper and Mosley each had two hits in the win.
Crisp allowed six hits and two earned runs to get Thursday underway. He struck out seven and walked two while throwing 100 pitches. He added three hits and drove in two runs offensively. The Cats had a good day on the base paths with six stolen bases, and C.J. Hatchett swiped two.
Wesleyan’s runs came early, while Gilmer struck late. A bases loaded walk plated a Wesleyan run in the first. In the second, an error gave the Wolves a 2-0 edge.
GHS evened the score in the fourth. Crisp’s single and Berry’s walk came before Zabala’s RBI single to center. West’s hit to right tied the game at 2-2.
Wesleyan scored its final run in its next at-bat with a solo homer.
Gilmer was back at it in the fifth. McCollum walked, stole second and made his way to third on an error. He trotted home on Crisp’s sacrifice fly to center.
The score remained tied until the seventh. Gutillo reached on an error and stole second. A two-out double by Crisp gave GHS the lead. Wesleyan was able to collect two hits in the seventh, but Gilmer secured win.
Zabala had two hits on the day, and Cooper, West and Gutillo had one apiece.
“Overall, we were very pleased. Dalton had a great outing and continues to be efficient,” said Thurman. “He throws a lot of strikes and gets guys out and competes. If he’s got his breaking ball going, he’s pretty effective.
“He’s done an excellent job of locating pitching and mixing stuff up. That’s why he’s been able to go really deep into ball games and also be successful and effective as he’s going deep into games.”
Five pitchers took the hill for Gilmer in game three. They combined to issue five walks, and all 10 Wesleyan runs were earned. The Wolves scored two runs in the first, two more in the third and one in the fourth. They plated five runs in the fifth to open a 10-4 lead.
“We were right there. They do a good job of swinging the bat, and we tried to keep switching our looks up from a pitching standpoint every time through the lineup. We didn’t do a bad job, but we had one inning where it got out of hand,” Thurman said.
Gutillo drove in a pair of runs with a two-run homer in the first inning, and both Crisp and Rob Mosley had one RBI. Grizzle, Cooper, McCollum, Berry and Rob Mosley all added a hit for GHS.
Gilmer pitching: McCollum 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB. Hatchett 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 K, 2 BB. Cooper Cochran 1 IP, 4 H, 5 ER, 1 K, 2 BB. West 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 1 BB. Landon McClure 1 IP, 1K.
GHS defeated White County 11-5 Monday evening and is 11-12 overall. Gilmer is 5-8 versus region teams and in fifth place. White County and West Hall remain on the schedule, and they are in sixth and seventh place, respectively.
“We’re not going to make a big deal about it,” Thurman said of the playoff race. “Our approach this season has been game by game, and week by week. That’s what we’ve been stressing to our kids.
“This week is important, but every week has been important. We hope that when the last region game rolls around (next Friday), we still have a shot at the playoffs. We’re happy to still be in that conversation.”
Game two will be Thursday at White County and the series will conclude Friday in Ellijay. Both games are scheduled to begin at 5:55 p.m.