JV Bobcats Fall to Dragons

When two 9-2 teams meet, something has to give.

In the case of the JV Gilmer High School Bobcats and the Pickens High School Dragons, it was a case of defensive miscues that were given to Pickens, which took full advantage and picked up a 10-5 victory last Friday at GHS.

With one out and two runners on in the top of the first, a fielding error during the next at-bat then gave Isaiah Payne the opportunity to score. Following a strikeout, Brady Moore scored on a fielding error. An RBI single from starting pitcher Jackson Jones followed that brought Caswell Smith around to plate the third Pickens run of the game. A flyout then temporarily put out the Dragons flame.

PHS extended its lead in the top of the second. With one out the bases loaded, another error gave both Michael Burrell and Payne the chance to put the Dragons out front 5-0. Later with two outs, another balk call gave Moore the chance to trot home and give Pickens a 6-0 advantage. A strikeout from Gilmer hurler Evan Frady put a damper on the Dragons inflicting further damage.

Gilmer finally responded in the bottom of the third. After a leadoff double from David Smith and a single from Frady that followed, Smith later scored with one out on a wild pitch. Frady then plated a run for the Bobcats on a sacrifice groundout from Tyler Woody. A groundout then put a cap on the Gilmer rally.

Three straight errors started off the fourth inning, with the third bringing Payne home to score. Later with one out, a sacrifice groundout from Will Lawrence allowed Moore to plate the eighth Dragons run of the game. Another groundout held Pickens to its six-run lead.

The Cats continued to claw away at the deficit in the bottom of the fourth. Brandon Weaver singled to begin the frame and later scored with one out on a single from Sam Nicholson. Later with two outs, reliever Bradley Thomas aided his cause with a single that brought Nicholson home. A flyout kept Gilmer from cutting further into the Dragons lead.

GHS added another run to its rally in the bottom of the sixth. After a pair of errors put two Bobcats on base with two outs, Thomas garnered another RBI that once again scored Nicholson. A strikeout kept the Pickens lead at 8-5.

The Dragons added some insurance in the top of the seventh. Bailey Truett was hit by a pitch to leadoff the inning, before a Lucas Headrick single put two Pickens runners on base. A RBI flyout from Burrell then gave Truett the chance to score. Later with two outs, a Moore triple gave Headrick the opportunity to push the Dragons into double digits. A groundout then put a hold on the PHS offense.

Gilmer went down in order in the bottom of the seventh, to give Pickens the 10-5 victory.

Both teams will meet again today, this time at Pickens High School. First pitch is set for 5 p.m.

 

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