TIFTON — Rains held off and Tift County was able to host all of its weekend baseball games without a hitch. The Blue Devils even earned a win for themselves on Saturday, defeating Yulee, Florida, 6-1.
John Davis fanned nine over five innings of pitching work as the Devils jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Yulee scored one run in the 6th, but Tyler VanSumeren halted any further comeback attempts in their tracks, striking out the side.
Head coach Greg Williams talked about his team’s maturity in situations that might see another team crumble. “We have great composure,” he said.
John Dorman doubled in two insurance runs in the bottom of the 6th, then pitched a 1-2-3 7th.
“He needed that,” said Williams. “That was good to see.”
Two pitches into the Saturday afternoon contest, Davis and Brady Moretz were on base, courtesy of back-to-back singles past second. A bunt attempt saw Davis thrown out at third, but Dorman reached safely on the fielder’s choice.
Yulee fumbled a ball off the bat of Mac Brooks, allowing Moretz to score the game’s first run.
Runners were at first and third with one out when Ty Dorden appeared to be picked off first. Dorden took off for second, baiting the Hornets into a throw in that direction, giving Dorman enough time to steal home for a 2-0 lead.
Moretz earned a leadoff walk in the 3rd and moved into scoring position when Brooks singled under the third baseman’s glove. Cam Smith delivered a solid single to left, to drive in Moretz. One inning later, Moretz’s sac fly to center with the bases loaded brought home Landon Parrish.
Mason Jones started the 6th with a triple that was fair by only a couple of inches. Garrett Albright singled over first to cut Tift’s lead to 4-1, but that was all Yulee would get. The Hornets had runners at first and second with two outs when VanSumeren caught a man looking on strike three.
Parrish singled in the 6th and stole second before Luke Ellerbee laid down a two-strike sac bunt to move him to third. Davis walked and stole second, but the two were still there with two outs.
Dorman stepped up and delivered a double off the third baseman’s glove to score both men. The Blue Devils now had more than enough cushion to finish the visitors in the 7th. Dorman recorded the third out at first on an assist from Mason Grist.
“We added some back,” said Williams. “That’s been one of our mottos — They put a run on the board, we come back with two more.”
Thirteen of Yulee’s 21 outs were by strikeout. Davis had nine and VanSumeren three.
Moretz snd Parrish each scored twice. Dorman drove in two. Ellerbee went to the plate three times, but had no official at-bats as he was hit by a pitch, walked and had a sacrifice bunt. Smith and Davis also reached base three times.
Tift improved to 6-1 on the year and will begin the Region 1-6A part of their schedule Tuesday at Lee County before hosting a doubleheader against the Trojans March 8. The loss was only the second of the season for Yulee’s Hornets.