Wheeler Baseball Over Seminole; Falls To ECI

The Wheeler County High School Bulldogs baseball team made it through the first round of the GHSA State Playoffs last week with a win over Seminole County in a best-of-three series. Wheeler won the first game but dropped the second forcing a Game 3, in which the Bulldogs pulled out the win to move on. But in the second round on Monday of this week Wheeler lost both games of a double header to Emanuel County Institute as their season came to an end. Wheeler finished the season with an overall record of 22-8, and they were 12-3 in Region play. vs. Seminole Game 1 In the bottom of the first inning the Bulldogs took the lead with five runs. Kolt Bell hit a tworun home run to get the scoring started. That was followed by an RBI hit from Drew Dixon, and a sacrifice fly by Kyler Stinson to give Wheeler a 5-0 lead. Wheeler added a run in the second inning and then in the third they plated five more runs. KJ Williams walked with the bases loaded, and Ian Scott doubled in two runs. Bell added a sacrifice fly and then Layton Horne drove in a run as Wheeler jumped out to an 11-0 lead.

The Indians of Seminole got their first run on a home run in the top of the fourth inning, and then they scored five more in the fifth inning to close the lead to 11-6. Seminole added a run in the top of the seventh inning, but Wheeler held on to win the game, 11-7.

Game 2

In the second game of the series, and the second game of the double header on Tuesday of last week, Seminole took the win to force a Game 3. Seminole took the lead in the bottom of the first inning as they scored two runs. They added a run in the third inning to push the lead to 3-0.

Wheeler got on the board in the top of the sixth inning with two runs, but Seminole answered with two more in the bottom of the frame as they went on to win the game, 5-2.

Game 3

It was all Wheeler in the third game, which was held on Wednesday in Alamo. The Indians took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but in the second the Bulldogs jumped into the lead. Danyon Hayes drove in two runs with a single and then Rhett Rodgers picked up an RBI to make it 3-1.

In the fourth inning, the Bulldogs added three more runs, including a home run by Williams. Wheeler went on to win the game 7-1 to advance into the second round of the playoffs. vs. ECI Game 1 On Monday of this week the Bulldogs of Wheeler took on the Bulldogs of ECI. ECI came out on top in both games of the double header to end the Wheeler playoff run.

ECI picked up a run in the first inning and then three more in the second as they took an early 4-0 lead. Wheeler was never able to get the bats going against the ECI pitching.

ECI added three more runs in the third inning, and then picked up a run in the fifth and two in the sixth as they took the first game, 10-0.

Game 2

In the second game of the series, ECI took the early lead with two runs in the top of the first inning, and they added five more in the second to lead, 7-0. ECI plated one more in the third and one in the fourth to push their lead to 9-0.

Wheeler got on the board in the fourth inning with two runs, and they added two more in the fifth to close the lead to 9-4, but that was as close as Wheeler got. ECI shut down Wheeler over the next two innings as Wheeler lost the game, 9- 4.

That ended the playoff run, but it was a great season for Wheeler and they are looking to get back to the playoffs next year.