Titans Sweep Indians

The Stephens County Indians baseball team was looking for some wins Thursday night to get back in the Region-8 race, but came up empty in Bogart.

North Oconee swept a doubleheader from Stephens County 6-0 and 7-5, and is now two steps closer to the Region title.

In game one, Titans pitcher Dom Hughes limited the Indians to just 5 hits in a complete game shutout, and Rylan Laird had a bases clearing three-run double to lead North Oconee to the 6-0 win.

Gabe White took the loss to fall to 3-4. White pitched 3 2/3 innings and allowed 6 runs with 5 earned on 7 hits, struck out 3 and walked 5. Josh Henshaw pitched well in relief pitching 2 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and striking out 2.

In game two, the Indians offense got going early with 5 runs in the first two innings, but that was all they would get.

The Indians scored 3 runs in the top of the first sending 9 to the plate. Dawson Sorrells led off with a walk followed by a Caydon Maxwell single. Sorrells scored the game’s first run on a passed ball, Ridge Adams walked and stole 2nd,and Eli Wenger doubled scoring Maxwell and Adams.

North Oconee got a run back in the bottom of the inning, but the Indians came back with 2 more runs in the top of the 2nd. Maxwell reached on an error, escaped a run down to advance to 2nd, and scored on a Davis Swenson double. With two out, Wenger came through again with a base hit to score Swenson and give the Indians a 5-1 lead.

North Oconee used two walks and two doubles to score 3 times in the bottom of the 3rd and trimmed the Indians lead to 5-4. The Titans took the lead for good on 2 hits and an Indian error in the bottom of the 4th scoring 2 and added an insurance run in the 6th to make the score 7-5.

North Oconee’s Will Pearson was outstanding in relief of starting pitcher Dylan Wilhelm. Pearson shutout the Indians for 5 1/3 innings allowing just 3 hits and striking out 10. Laird got the final out of the game with Indians at 2nd and 3rd.

Henshaw took the loss in relief to fall to 1-1 allowing 2 runs with one earned in 3 innings of work. Sorrells left the game after 3 innings when hit by a pitch, allowing 4 runs on 4 hits, striking out 6 and walking 3.

With the two losses, the Indians fall to 1-5 in Region-8 play, and 11-11-1 overall. North Oconee improves to a Region leading 8-1 and 14-6 overall.

Stephens County will return to the diamond on Tuesday when they host Oconee County. Airtime is set for 5:45 P.M. with first pitch at 5 :55 P.M. on WNEG.