Gilmer High was on the baseball diamond for its first three-game region series of the season.
The GHS Bobcats hosted the Dawson County Tigers last Tuesday and Wednesday, and the visitors secured a pair of wins. Gilmer was limited to two hits in each game, and Dawson was aided by five Bobcat errors in game two.
DCHS earned wins of 5-1 and 6-0, and Gilmer traveled to Dawson Thursday for the series finale. The Tigers did not need a full seven innings and got the series sweep with a 15-0 victory.
“I felt like we played pretty well in game one,” said head coach Jeff Thurman. “We knew we were going to face some good pitching and a good team, and we weren’t able to really get any offense going all series long.”
Gilmer’s lone run of the series came in the fifth inning of game one. Ethan McCollum reached on an error and was replaced on the base paths by courtesy runner Mason Smith.
Smith made his way to third with the help of a Noah Gutillo walk and wild pitch. Smith then raced home when Carter Jones singled to left.
McCollum accounted for Gilmer’s remaining hit in the game, and the Bobcats struck out 11 times.
DCHS tallied four hits and two of its five runs were unearned. The Tigers plated a run in the second and seventh innings and three in the third.
McCollum pitched four innings for GHS and struck out one, walked two and allowed two earned runs on three hits. Hayden Berry tossed the final three innings and allowed a hit and earned run while striking out two and walking two.
Haden West and Mel Mosley each had a hit for the Cats in game two. This time, 10 Bobcats were fanned, and the game was knotted at 0-0 after three innings.
DCHS recorded nine hits, and scored a run in the fourth, two in both the fifth and sixth innings and one more in the seventh. The Bobcats’ defense struggled and committed five errors, which led to four unearned Tiger runs.
Jones went 6 2/3 innings and gave up nine hits, two earned runs and struck out five and walked two. Eli Cooper got the final out and he walked one Tiger.
“We had some late defensive mistakes that led to a few runs,” Thurman said. “Carter Jones pitched a great game and gave us every shot to be in it. We struggled to score runs, and still competed, and it was a fairly good game.”
Dawson’s bats were booming in game three and it only lasted four innings. DCHS racked up 13 hits and followed up a three-run first inning with five more runs in the second. After a one-run third, six more Tigers crossed home plate in the fourth.
Berry, Brock Titus and Aiden McClure each had a hit for GHS. Gilmer pitching: West 2 IP, 8 H, 7 ER, 2 BB. Cooper Cochran 1 1/3 IP, 6 H, 7 ER, 1 K, 3 BB. Cooper 1/3 IP, 2 H, 1K.
“We pitched a sophomore and followed him up with a freshman,” Thurman said. “Our guys are still getting experience and getting better and have competed and played hard. Dawson’s offense was too much for us in game three.”
Gilmer has been without Austin Zabala the past two weeks. The junior lead off hitter has been sidelined by an injury, and his absence has left a hole in the Bobcats’ starting pitching rotation and outfield.
Thurman noted Zabala may rejoin the starting lineup this week.
GHS has a 6-7 overall record and continues region play this week versus Lumpkin County (12-2). Game one was played at press deadline, game two will be Thursday in Ellijay, and the series will wrap up Friday in Lumpkin.
Each game is scheduled to start at 5:55 p.m.