Toombs Co. Sweeps Swainsboro
Courtesy of TCHS
The Toombs County High School Bulldogs baseball team swept the Tigers of Swainsboro last week in a three-game Region series. The Bulldogs are now 16-8 on the year, and they are 8-1 in the Region. With that record, they are sitting in 1st place in the Region with just one week left.
Game 1
Nick Carroll led the way at the plate for the Toombs County Bulldogs, going 3-for-4 in a 12-6 region series win over Swainsboro on Tuesday. Carroll doubled in the fourth inning, singled in the sixth, and added a triple in the seventh.
Toombs County got on the board in the top of the third following an error by Swainsboro.
Swainsboro responded in the bottom half of the inning, taking a 4-1 lead on a grand slam by Brice Marchman.
The Bulldogs tied the game in the top of the fourth after a walk by Ty Hutchinson and a double by Carroll. They then took the lead in the fifth on a clutch RBI single by Jackson Jenkins.
Swainsboro answered once more in the bottom of the fifth, tying the game 6-6 with a double from Kason Edenfield and an RBI single by Shane Gamiza.
The Bulldogs pulled away in the sixth inning. A sacrifice fly by Tucker Braddy, a double by Cameron Ledford, and a run scored on a passed ball pushed the Bulldogs ahead for good.
Jenkins earned the win on the mound, allowing eight hits and six runs over 4.1 innings while striking out three and walking two. Carroll came on in relief and was dominant, throwing 2.2 scoreless innings without allowing a hit and striking out three.
The Bulldogs tallied 11 hits in the game. Ledford and Joseph Owens each had multiple hits, while the team showed strong plate discipline, drawing nine walks. Riley Kersey and Hutchinson led the team with two free passes apiece. Kipp Mosley swiped two bases as Toombs racked up six total steals. Defensively, the Bulldogs turned one double play and were solid in the field.
Game 2
Both teams were strong on the mound Thursday, but the Toombs County Bulldogs edged out Swainsboro 2-1 to take a continued from page
2-0 lead in the region series. Ty Hutchinson started on the mound for the Bulldogs and recorded 18 outs in an impressive performance.
Swainsboro struck first in the top of the first inning with a double by Demetri Stanford that brought in a run.
Toombs tied the game in the bottom of the third when Tucker Braddy hit a sacrifice fly, scoring one. The go-ahead run came in the sixth after Riley Kersey’s two out single to bring home Braddy, who walked and then moved to second on a passed ball. This proved to be the winning run.
Hutchinson earned the win, allowing five hits and one run over six innings, while striking out 11 and walking three. Nick Carroll closed the game with a scoreless seventh to collect the save. Swainsboro’s Peyton Mason took the loss, giving up two runs on four hits over six innings, with five strikeouts and two walks.
Carroll, Braddy, Kersey, and Jackson Jenkins each had one hit for the Bulldogs. Braddy and Kersey were responsible for the team’s two RBIs.
Game 3
The Toombs County Bulldogs edged out Swainsboro 6-5 on Friday, securing the region series sweep with a late-game push in extra innings. Tied at five in the top of the ninth, Kipp Mosley hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Tucker Braddy, the go-ahead run.
Toombs got on the board early in the top of the first when Riley Kersey drew a walk and Jackson Jenkins grounded out—each scoring one run. Swainsboro answered in the bottom half, taking a 3-2 lead on a single by Demetri Stanford, a walk by Kason Edenfield, and a sacrifice fly from Shane Gamiza.
The Tigers added another RBI in the second with a single down the left field line to extend their lead. The Bulldogs responded in the fourth, reclaiming a 5-4 advantage on a passed ball that scored Lawton Toole, a sacrifice fly by Nick Carroll that plated a run, and a triple by Cameron Ledford that brought in one more.
Swainsboro tied the game again in the bottom of the seventh when a Tiger hit an infield single on an 0-2 count. The game remained notched at 5 apiece until Mosely’s sacrifice fly in the ninth that gave the Bulldogs the lead, and ultimately, the victory.
Ledford earned the win for the Bulldogs, allowing no hits and no runs over two innings while striking out one and walking three. Jenkins got the start, giving up one hit and three runs over one inning, with one strikeout and four walks. Carroll and Mosley also saw action in relief, both providing solid innings to keep the Bulldogs in the game.
Ledford led the Bulldogs offensively, going 3-for-4 at the plate. Carroll, Ledford, Mosley, and Kersey each recorded an RBI. Joseph Owens was patient at the plate, drawing three walks and stealing two bases. The Bulldogs totaled nine walks and four stolen bases in the game. They also played clean defense, committing no errors and turning a double play to seal the victory.
Toombs County will play the Vidalia Indians this week in their last Region series of the year. The Bulldogs currently sit at the top of the region with an 8-1 record needing one win in the series to lock in a Region Championship. They played at home on Tuesday after presstime. They will be back in action on Thursday in Vidalia at 5:45 p.m., and then will wrap up the series and the regular season on Friday back in Lyons at 5:45 p.m.
