MOULTRIE – It was somehow appropriate that the winning run in Colquitt County’s Region 1-7A-opening victory over Camden County on Tuesday scored on a wild pitch.
The Packers and Wildcats combined to hit 11 batters with pitches, commit four errors, allow seven unearned runs, obstruct a baserunner, have a runner tagged out at the plate on an apparent wild pitch and leave 19 runners stranded in game that Colquitt finally won 10-9 in the bottom of the eighth inning.
After squandering a 9-3 lead, the Packers raised their overall record to 7-6, won their third straight game and got a key region-opening victory before heading to Kingsland for a doubleheader with Camden County on Friday.
There was plenty coaches, fans and scorekeepers to keep up with, starting with a first inning that lasted 48 minutes.
The game ended three hours and five minutes after first pitch on an increasing chilly evening on Ike Aultman at Jerry Croft Stadium.
After scoring five runs in the bottom of the third to take a 9-3 lead, the Packers had gone four scoreless innings and allowed Camden to tie the game before Landon Griffin led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to right.
Griffin moved to second when Mason Moore grounded out.
Camden elected to intentionally walk Cam Cook, but it brought up hot-hitting Jake Walker, who was 4-for-4 on the night and six for his last seven with a homer and two doubles dating back to Saturday’s doubleheader sweep.
Walker never had a chance for a fifth hit in the game, however, when he was hit by the first pitch thrown by Camden relief pitcher Logan Wensel to load the bases.
Wensel’s first two pitches to Brady DeRosso were in the dirt, but blocked by catcher Parker Riendeau.
But two pitches later, Riendeau was unable to corral another pitch from Wensel, which rolled just far enough away to allow Griffin to race home and into the arms of his celebrating teammates.
The Packers are now 3-1 since Griffin, the senior outfielder, joined the lineup after missing the first nine games of the season with a sore hamstring.
The evening started ominously when Colquitt County starter Garron Wingate got two quick strikes on opposing pitcher Talon Daignault, but then walked him.
Wingate then hit the next two Wildcats with pitches to load the bases.
After striking out Garrett Albright, Wingate hit Will Johnson with a pitch, forcing in the first run of the game.
The home plate umpire initially ruled that Johnson legally hit the pitch, which Wingate picked up and started an apparent inning-ending 1-2-3 double play.
But after the umpires conferred, the ruling was overturned, Johnson went to first and Daignault scored.
Bryan Brazell then followed with a double to left and Camden led 3-0.
When Wingate hit Jayden Woodard with a pitch, his fourth hit batsman of the inning, the Packers brought Gabe Eubanks to the mound to get the Carter Hickox, the ninth Wildcat to come to the plate, to pop up to second baseman Neko Fann for the final out.
In the bottom of the first, the Packers sent 10 batters to the plate, got four hits, took advantage of a walk, an error and, yes, a batter hit by a pitch, to score four runs.
Colquitt appeared to have broken the game open in the bottom of the third, again batting around and scoring five times to take a 9-3 lead.
Walker had a double to lead off the inning, Hembree laid down a nice bunt single and Jar’dae Williams reached when he was hit in the back by Daignault pitch.
Eubanks faltered in the fifth, issuing two singles and two doubles and four runs before Jackson Chambers retired the side.
Chambers started the top of the sixth by issuing a walk and hitting at batter with a pitch.
Kevin Hull then put down a bunt that the Packers promptly picked up and threw into right field allowing both runners to score to tie the game.
Hull ended up on third and remained there as Chambers struck out the next two batters.
But with Caden Napier at the plate, a Chambers pitch got away from Hembree, who scrambled to get it and apply the tag to Hull, who was trying to score the go-ahead run.
Hull was ruled out on a close play to end the inning.
Riendeau was hit by a pitch in the top of the seventh, but Hembree threw out him out when he attempted to steal second.
With the game tied, Colquitt loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth, but Adam Beverly lined to shortstop Albright, whose throw to first caught DeRosso off the bag at first for an inning-ending double play.
The Wildcats put two runners aboard in the top of the eighth, but Chambers pitched around them.
That set the stage for the Packers to win it in the bottom of the inning, sending the fans to the warmth of their vehicles.
The Packers had 12 hits, including the four by Walker.
DeRosso had two and Griffin, Fann, Moore, Cook, Beverly and Hembree each had one.
Chambers allowed seven baserunners over the final 3.1 innings, but did not allow an earned run. He struck out five and got the win.
Also on Tuesday, Lowndes defeated Richmond Hill 10-0 on the road in the other region-opener.
Richmond Hill will travel to Lowndes for a region doubleheader on Friday.