Gilmer County’s 8-under baseball all-stars are state runners-up.
The Georgia Recreation and Park Association’s Class C Coaches Pitch State Tournament was held in Claxton last week. Gilmer posted a 3-1 record through four rounds to earn a title shot against Lumpkin County.
The championship game was a back-and-forth affair with the Bobcats taking an early 2-0 lead. The Indians fought back and slipped ahead 3-2 after their second at-bat. The teams swapped runs leading up to the sixth and final inning, as Lumpkin led, 9-8.
The Bobcats clawed their way back with a run in the top of the inning to tie the score at 9-all. The Indians were able to get a run in their half of the sixth on a sacrifice fly to win the state championship, 10-9.
Ahead of their title showdown, Gilmer met District 7 champion Lumpkin in the opening round last Wednesday morning. Gilmer fell 9-7 and was forced into the consolation bracket. The loss made for a tough road for Gilmer, but coach Brady West and assistants had the Bobcats ready for the challenge.
The next game was against District 1 champion Evans County, and the Bobcats’ bats began to heat up to match the 100-degree temperatures.
The Bobcats trounced Evans 14-4 before pounding Dodge County, 13-1. The victories set up the matchup versus Wilcox County with a state championship game berth on the line.
Gilmer earned another decisive victory as the Cats eliminated Wilcox in three innings, 15-0.
The Bobcats’ state runner-up season included PSA Chick-fil-A, Mountain Athletic Conference and District 5 championships.
All of the achievements that made up the Bobcats’ phenomenal year did not come without the hard work from players, coaches and parents.