After some soggy weather to start the season, the Gilmer High Bobcats were able to take the field for three games over a four-day span.
GHS hosted the Lumpkin County Indians Monday for a doubleheader. The Bobcats struck for four runs in the third inning of game one and came away with a 4-1 victory.
Errors were the Bobcats’ undoing in game two. Seven defensive miscues led to nine unearned runs as LCHS won, 12-4.
In the first game, LCHS struck in the top of the second. The run was unearned, and the Indians had a runner at third with an out. An ensuing fly ball to right field was caught by Zach Miller, and he doubled up the runner at home who tried to score.
Gilmer did all of its damage in the third inning. The Cats batted around, but only got one hit. Bobcats Tyler Wright, Jess Buckner, Gabe Wolfson and Miller all walked to start the inning to even the score at 1-1.
Branson Teague reached on an error to give GHS the lead. A one-out walk by Jace McClure plated Gilmer’s third run. Seth Darling slashed a single to right for Gilmer’s final run.
Buckner started the game on the mound for GHS and got the win. He struck out three, walked one and gave up four hits through five innings. Wright tossed the final two innings and struck out three and walked two.
In the second game, three straight LCHS singles to start the top of the second kicked started the inning. Gilmer turned a double play as one run scored. However, a walk, error, double and pair of singles plated four more runs, and Lumpkin built an early 5-0 lead.
Lumpkin scored a run in each of the next four innings, and three more crossed home plate in the seventh.
GHS got on the board in the top of the third. Wright walked and scored when Buckner doubled to center. Miller singled home Gilmer’s next run, and an Indian error cut the score to 6-3. Another LCHS error scored the Cats’ final run in the fourth.
Buckner had three hits, Spencer Merritt collected two and both Wolsfon and Miller had one.
Gilmer started the season last Friday against Fannin County and there was no shortage of offense.
The teams combined for 20 hits and 31 runs as the Rebels rallied and then put the game out of reach for a 21-10 victory.
GHS opened a 5-2 lead through three innings and extended it to 9-4 after the fourth. However, Fannin came alive in the fifth for a nine-run inning.
Gilmer got a run back in its half of the fifth to trim the Rebel’s lead to 13-10, but FCHS plated five more runs in the sixth and three in the seventh for an 11-run victory.
Bobcats Miller and Merritt both knocked in three runs, Wolfson recorded two RBIs and Wright had one.
Merritt, Wolfson and McClure had a multihit game with two apiece, while Blake Zabala, Miller, Teague and Wright all had one apiece.
GHS hosted Union County at press deadline.