BROOKLET — The Southeast Bulloch Yellow Jackets were able to accomplish something no other high school baseball team has been able to do all season — score a run off of Benedictine pitcher Carter Holton.
The Vanderbilt commit had not allowed a run until Tyler Deloach hit an RBI single to tie Wednesday's game at 3-3 in the seventh inning. The Cadets came back though, and scored three runs in the top of the eighth to knock off the Jackets 6-3 in a Region 3-AAA matchup.
The Yellow Jackets squandered numerous opportunities to score against the Cadets. The Jackets left the bases loaded on two occasions, and had the leadoff batter on third with one out, and were unable to bring him home.
“In the middle of the game we had a few good chances to score,” said Southeast Bulloch coach Brandon Peterson. “We just couldn’t get a two-out hit. I am proud of the way our guys fought and scrapped, and the way they responded when their top pitcher came in to try and close the door.”
Jacket pitcher Blaize Minick gave up only a leadoff single in the first, but the Cadets were able to manufacture two runs without getting a hit. A walk, a passed ball and a fielder's choice accounted for the first two Cadet runs in the top of the first.
“I thought Blaize threw the ball really good tonight,” Peterson said. “I also liked the way Michael Rigdon came in for a couple innings, and Tyler DeLoach battled out there as well.”
Minick ended up with eight strikeouts and only allowed one other hard hit ball, but that proved costly as well. A double by Minick, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly got the Jackets a run back in the fourth. Kam Edge then led off the fifth with a double to right center, but was awarded third on interference at first base. Edge then scored on a sacrifice fly to extend the Cadet lead to 3-1.
The Jackets cut the lead to one run in the bottom of the fifth. Michael Rigdon hit a hard ground ball to third that was booted, and he would advance to second. Dillon Ruarks then drove Rigdon home with an RBI single up the middle to cut the lead to 3-2.
The Cadets brought in Holton in the sixth to try and preserve the win. With Logan Herring on third and one out, Holton struck the next two batters out to keep the game at 3-2.
Deloach tied the game in the bottom of the seventh, but the Cadets came back for three runs in the top of the eighth. The big blow came on a bases loaded bunt by Edge, which was thrown away, allowing two runs to score, and the Cadets would go on to win 6-3.
“Our guys played hard,” Peterson said. “They played their butts off tonight. We had a couple bunts there that hurt us, and sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the other team, and tell them well done. We had plenty of positives tonight, and I feel like we
will bounce back from this.”
The Yellow Jackets fall to 10-6 overall and 6-3 in region play. Up next the Yellow Jackets travel to Benedictine Friday for a 4:30 p.m. start.
