Bulldogs Fall In The Elite 8

The Toombs County High School Bulldogs baseball team swept the Washington County Golden Hawks in their three-game playoff series last week, winning 6-1 and 7-0, to advance to the Elite 8 of the GHSA State AA Playoffs. On Monday of this week, the Bulldogs took on Rockmart and fell in two games to end their season in the Elite 8.

Washington County Game 1 In the first game, Brantley Upshaw led the Bulldogs from the mound, striking out 10 batters and allowing just one run over nearly seven innings. A highlight of the game was Trayvone Harris’s critical home run. Harris, alongside Upshaw, Cameron Ledford, and Jackson Jenkins, each had two hits, with Harris and Jenkins each driving in two runs.

Toombs took the lead in the third inning on an RBI double by Jackson Jenkins. That put Toombs on top 1-0. Toombs added two more runs in the fifth inning to extend their lead to 3-0.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Bulldogs' TJ Stanley singled in a run, and then a two-run home run from Trayvone Harris put the Bulldogs on top 6-0. The Hawks picked up their only run of the game in the bottom of the sixth, but Toombs took the win, 6-1.

Game 2

The second game featured TJ Stanley, who pitched a complete game shutout, striking out 11 batters. The bottom of the lineup also made a significant impact, with Kipp Mosley, Tyson Brantley, and TJ Stanley combining for four of the team’s seven hits and scoring four runs between them.

Toombs scored the first run of the game on an error in the bottom of the third inning. The Bulldogs added three more in the fourth inning, and two in the fifth to take a 6-0 lead. TCHS plated one more run in the sixth inning on the way to a 7-0 win.

Rockmart Game 1 It was a tough two games for the Bulldogs as they fell to the Yellow Jackets of Rockmart. In the bottom of the first inning, Rockmart jumped out to a 3-0 lead, and they never looked back. They added three more runs in the third inning and two in the fourth to take an 8-0 lead.

Rockmart scored one more run in the fifth inning as they were on top 9-0. Toombs finally got on the board in the top of the sixth inning with Jenkins driving in the lone run for the Bulldogs. Toombs dropped Game 1, 9-1. In the second game, Rockmart took the lead in the top of the first inning with four runs. They plated one more in the second as they led 5-0.

Toombs could never get the bats going as they had just four hits in the game. Rockmart added one more run in the top of the seventh inning as they took a 7-0 win over Toombs.

The Bulldogs finished off a solid season with the trip to the Elite 8. Their overall record was 21-10.

Wheeler County Fishing At State Tournament – Congratulations to (L) Rhett Rodgers and (R) Cohen Cravey of the Wheeler County Bass Fishing Team. They were the only Division II Class A Team to qualify to fish in the State Championship. The Bulldogs are led by Head Coach Eli Dupree and Boat Captain Richard Cravey.

Photo by Wheeler County