VHS Undefeated In Region
The Vidalia High School Indians baseball team wrapped up the regular season last week and finished off an undefeated Region schedule. VHS took on Bacon County's Red Raiders in their final series of the season and swept them.
Game 1
The Vidalia Indians beat the Bacon County Raiders by a score of 14-9 Tuesday night in Alma. Although the Indians pounded out 17 hits and scored 14 runs, it took the entire seven innings to put the Raiders away. There were too many offensive and defensive lapses allowing the Raiders to stay close throughout the game. The offensive errors cost the Indians key runs and outs. The Raiders took advantage of the defensive errors by getting key hits to score runs.
Bryson Whited started on the mound for the Indians, going five innings and picking up the win. He allowed 6 runs on only 4 hits while walking three and striking out eight. Conner Whited pitched the 6th inning, allowing 3 runs on three hits and a walk. Kevin Cox pitched the 7th inning, al- continued from page
lowing no hits and striking out two.
Offensively, all nine Indian starters had at least one hit in the game as did four of the five substitutes. Hughes Graham led the way with three hits while Walker Moncus and Jordan Walden had two hits each.
The Indians jumped on top in the first inning with Caden Spivey reaching on an error, stealing second and scoring on a single by Graham. Graham got picked off, but Dalley picked up a two out walk. Moncus hit a triple to right center driving in Dalley to make it 2-0 Indians. In the bottom half the Raiders used two walks, two hits and an error to score three runs and take a 3-2 lead after one inning.
In the top of the 2nd inning, Walden led off with a double but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple. Cason Banks followed with a single and scored on a double by Bryce Davis. Davis scored on an error by the right fielder, putting the Indians back on top 4-3 going to the bottom half. The Raiders again used a walk, two hits and three errors to score three more runs and going back in front 6-4 after two innings. Neither team was able to score in the next two innings.
In the 5th inning Spivey got a leadoff single and moved to second on a fielder’s choice. Dalley got a pop fly single, but Spivey couldn’t move up, but then scored as Cox reached on an error. Walden hit a double scoring Dalley. The Indians couldn’t score any more runs that inning, but after getting the Raiders 1,2,3 in the bottom half, they now had the lead again at 8-6 after five complete innings.
Davis led off the 6th inning reaching on an error, moved to second on a passed ball, third on a wild pitch and scoring on a single by B. Whited. Whited moved to second on a groundout and scored on a single by Graham. After a fly out, Moncus doubled in Graham. Cox followed with an infield single, Walden and Banks got walks forcing in Moncus, and Cox scored run number five of the inning on a pinch hit single by Kaleb Bennett, putting the Indians up 11-6 going to the bottom half.
Conner Whited came on to pitch the bottom half of the 6th inning, and the Raiders went right back to work. They put together a walk, three hits and an error to score three runs, closing the gap to 11-9 going to the 7th inning.
The Indians picked up three insurance runs on singles by Graham, Bryce Morley and Morgan Moye and a triple by C. Whited. With the Indians now up 14-9, Cox came on to pitch the bottom half to close out the win, getting two strikeouts.
Game 2
The Vidalia Indian Senior baseball players were recognized at the last regular season home game Thursday as they hosted the Raiders. All 10 seniors were able to start and play by using the designator hitter rule. The Indians won by run rule 12-2 in five innings to go 14-0 in Region play.
Bryce Morley started on the mound for the Indians, going 4 innings and picking up the win. He allowed one run, two hits and two walks while picking up three strikeouts. Jordan Walden pitched the 5th inning, allowing one run on one hit, walking three and striking out three. The Indian offense was led by Bryce Davis, who was 3-3 at the plate, had two RBI’s and scored two runs.
The Raiders used two hits, a sacrifice bunt and wild pitch to score a first inning run and didn’t score again until the 5th inning. In that inning they picked up another run with one hit and three walks.
The Indians did not score or get a hit in the first two innings. In the bottom of the 3rd inning Davis led off with a single, and then the flood gates opened. The Indians sent 12 batters to the plate and scored 9 runs. In the inning the Indians used three hits, four walks, five stolen bases, five wild pitches and three errors to score the runs. Davis had two hits and scored two runs in the inning.
Morley set down the Raiders 1,2,3 in the top of the 4th inning. In the bottom half Graham led off with a double to right center and Walden followed with an RBI single. Cox reached on an error moving Walden to third base. Morley then hit a sacrifice fly to score Walden. Coleman got an infield hit, and Davis followed with a booming double off the centerfield fence plating Cox, making it 12-1 after four complete innings. When the Raiders were able to score only one run in the top of the 5th inning, the Indians had won the big game for the seniors by run rule. Congratulations to Bryce Davis, Ty Dalley, Bryce Morley, Bryson Whited, Caden Spivey, Dan Coleman, Jordan Walden, Kevin Cox, Chandler Corbitt and Hughes Graham on the big win and thanks for your years of dedication to the Vidalia baseball program.
Game 3 The Vidalia Indians closed out the 2022 regular baseball season on Friday night by beating the Bacon County Raiders 11-1 in six innings. It was the 16th straight victory for the Indians and the 15th straight Region win. The Indians have gone 30-0 in region play over the last two seasons, claiming back-to-back Region Championships. When the Indians lost to Pierce County on March 17, it left them with a 4-9 record. Since then they have gone on a 16 game wining streak to end the regular season with a 20-9 record. The Indians will host Putnam County in a double header starting at 4:00 at Greg James Field on Friday, April 29 in the first round of state playoffs. It is a 2 of 3 schedule with the if-needed game scheduled for Saturday should there be a split in the double header. Caden Spivey started on the mound for the Indians against the Raiders Friday night, pitching all six innings. He allowed two hits, no walks and struck out 12 Raiders. The only run allowed scored on an error. Spivey faced only 19 batters in the six inning game. The leadoff batter for the Raiders got a hit to begin the first, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a throwing error. After that Spivey got all 18 batters out even though he gave up a hit to the first batter in the 4th inning as Hughes Graham threw him out trying to steal, and Spivey got the next two keeping the streak alive. To cap off a great performance, he struck out the last five batters he faced. On offense the Indians were led by Bryce Davis, who went 3-3 for the second night in a row. Ty Dalley and Cason Banks each had two hits. Six other batters all picked up one hit each. In the 1st inning Bryson Whited led off with a single, stole second, moved to third on a fly ball and scored on a passed ball. The Raiders were able to match that run in the bottom half making the score 1-1. There was no score in the 2nd inning, but the Indians picked up another run in the 3rd inning. Hughes Graham led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a ground ball out. Walker Moncus knocked in Graham with a sacrifice fly making the score 2-1.
In the 4th inning Banks led off with a walk, stole second, moved to third on a single by Davis and scored on a sacrifice fly by Whited making the score 3-1. In the 5th inning the Indians put together hits by Dalley, Walden, Spivey, Banks, Davis, a walk to Whited and a sacrifice fly by Cox to score four runs pushing the lead to 7-1.
In the 6th inning the Indians put together hits by Dalley, Banks, Davis, Coleman, Corbett, along with a walk to Spivey and a ground ball error by Cox to score four more runs, making the score 11-1 and securing a six inning run rule win after Spivey struck out the side in the bottom half. This Friday the War Eagles of Putnam County will be in town for the first round of the State Playoffs. They will play a double header on Friday with the first game at 4:00 p.m. and the second to follow. If necessary, they will play a Game 3 on Saturday. Putnam comes into the series with a record of 14-10, and are the #4 seed out of Region 4AA.
