Bobcats Eliminated from Playoff Contention by Dragons

Following a 3-3 start in Region 7-4A play, the Gilmer High School baseball team dropped three straight games last week, to end the Bobcats hopes of a 2016 state playoff appearance.

After a 5-3 loss on the road at Northwest Whitfield last Monday and a 5-0 road shutout at the hands of the Heritage Generals, the Bobcats fell 3-2 to the Pickens Dragons at home last Friday night.

Gilmer struck first in the 515 rivalry game, as Noah Ralston scored on a sacrifice groundout from Avery Sirmans in the bottom of the first.

Pickens did all the damage needed in its top-of-the-third response. After Walker Lawrence reached on an error and Tyler Garner singled to begin the inning, a throwing error allowed Lawrence to score and tie the game. Following a sacrifice groundout, Dalton Presley flew out to left field to bring Garner in for the second Dragons run of the night. Dylan Huffman then singled to widen the Pickens lead to 3-1. A popout followed to put out the flame of the Dragons offense.

The Bobcats clawed into the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Chandler Sutton drew a walk to begin things, then moved to second on a sacrifice groundout. Later with two outs, Chad Watkins smacked a double that brought Sutton home. However, Pickens starter Garner settled down and recorded a strikeout to end the frame.

Brooks Rosser drew a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the seventh, putting the tying Gilmer run on base early. A sacrifice comebacker to the pitcher then placed Rosser in scoring position, but Garner secured a pair of strikeouts to give the Dragons the victory.

“This makes our eighth one-run game of the season. We’ve lost six of those,” said GHS head coach Jeff Thurman following the loss. “We’ve been pitching very well and we’ve playing great defense lately. I believe in the last couple of weeks, our approach at the plate has actually been better. It seems like we’ll string a few hits together, then we just go cold. You can’t do that and beat really good teams. We’ve got a really good region of baseball teams that we play. So, we’ve got to do a better job, mentally, in our approach at the plate, to beat those good teams.”

The losses drop Gilmer to a 6-16 overall record (3-6 in region play) for the year. The Bobcats will make-up a game from April 1 tonight at Lafayette, before the Ramblers return the favor by coming to Gilmer tomorrow for senior night. First pitch is set for 5:55 p.m. GHS then ends the season at Ridgeland Thursday.

 

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