The ECI baseball team played 3 games last week, splitting two games against Burke Co. in a home and away series and defeated Southeast Bulloch in Pembroke for a 2-1 during the 3 games.
Even though ECI and Burke are not in the same class, when the two teams play its seems its always contentious, close games.
The first game against the Burke at Joe Harvey Field last week was a typical Bulldog-Bear baseball game with ECI coming away with a 5-2 win.
After going down in order to begin the game, the Bears walked the first two Bulldogs in the bottom of the first. Hunter Henry hit a two-strike line drive to left field to score Kearson from second for a 1-0 ECI lead.
PJ Farnum led off the Bulldog second with a single and after stealing second, advanced to third on a Charlie Rehberg sac bunt. Farnum scored one batter later on a Aden McQuaig groundout to make the score 2-0 after two innings.
The Bears tied the game in the top of the third inning on a couple of walks and two singles for a 2-2 score.
After striking out the first two Bulldogs to start the bottom of the fifth inning, the starting pitcher, Flowers for the Bears, put the next 3 Bulldogs on by two hit batsmen with a walk in between. Henry once again singles, scoring 2 more with the third run scoring on a catcher over throw to make the score 5-2.
Henry led at the plate with 2 hits and 3 RBI. Jacob Durden started on the mound for ECI pitching 4 innings allowing just 3 hits with 8 strikeouts. Andrew Chalkley closed out the game, allowing just one hit. If you give good teams extra runners with errors and walks, usually they will make you pay, especially if they come in the same inning.
The Bulldogs lost a close one to the Bears Saturday in Waynesboro by a score of 3-2, with all 3 Burke Co. runs being unearned, coming after walks and errors.
Burke struck first in the top of the fourth without the benefit of a hit to take a 1-0 lead.
ECI would find that two out magic again in the the top of the fifth. Jacob Durden led off the inning with a standup double and scored two outs later on a Jack Walden single to make the score 2-1 Bulldogs.
With a 2-1 score entering the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldog defense and relief pitching couldn’t hold the lead. With the bases loaded after two errors, a single and 1 free pass, the Bears won the game on a wild pitch to defeat the visiting Bulldogs 3-2.
Walden and Lee had the multiple hits for ECI with 2 each. Three other Bulldogs got one hit.
Bryce Kearson went 6 innings for the Bulldogs allowing just 3 hits while striking out 7 Bears at the plate.
Sandwiched in between the Burke Co. game, the Bulldogs took their annual trip to Pembroke on Thursday to take on the Jackets from Southeast Bulloch.
You know it’s a high scoring baseball game when it takes two sheets for each team on the scorecard.
There have been football games with less points scored as the Bulldogs won the slugfest against SEB 19-11.
The baseball looked like beach balls to the batters as both teams combined for a total of 29 hits, 19 for the Bulldogs and 10 for the Jackets.
With too many hits and scoring plays to mention, the Bulldogs scored in every inning except the top of the seventh.
Down 11-9 entering the fifth inning, the Bulldogs finally pulled away from SEB scoring 9 runs in the fifth and sixth innings to make the final score 19-11.
Nine ECI batters ended the day with hits. The Bulldogs hit 6 doubles in the game with Aden McQaig winning the hit parade with 4 singles. Kearson, Lawson Mercer, Hudson Henry had 3 hits each. PJ Farnum and Jacob Durden ended the game with 2 hits.
Lawson Mercer toed the rubber for ECI giving up 10 hits while striking out three. Charlie Rehberg closed the game for the final 2 innings with no hits, striking out four.
The Bulldogs have another busy week with 3 games scheduled with Metter. The Tigers were back-to-back state champions in 2021 and 2022. ECI will host Metter on Tuesday (yesterday) and Thursday and will travel to Metter on Friday for the third game of the series.
They will finally begin region play next week with a 3-game series with McIntosh Co.
