TIFTON – Tift County’s baseball campaign came to an end Monday night, as the Blue Devils dropped a pair of quarterfinals contests to Etowah. Scores were 2-0 and 8-1.
John Davis and Will Pridgen held the Eagles to six hits in the opener, but the Blue Devils had few opportunities against Matthew Sharman.
Sharman fanned 10 while keeping Tift threats to a minimum. Their most serious threat was in the third when Landon Parrish led off with a double and made it to third on a single by Tyler VanSumeren.
The Devils loaded the bases on a walk to Drew Hembree, but there were two outs and Hughes got out of it with a fly to center.
Etowah scored its first run on a homer by Caden Borchering in the third, a shot to left field. Trevor Condon led off the fourth with a triple, scoring when a ball in the dirt squirted away.
Davis stranded more runners than Sharman, but had an equal grip on the contest.
Etowah’s first runner to reach second was immediately picked off by Davis. Twice he caught infield flies himself on balls hit straight up.
Pridgen picked off a man as well, coming after the only hit he surrendered in three innings of work.
Tyler Holmes also had a hit for the Devils, coming in the first frame.
ETOWAH 8, DEVILS 1
The Eagles held a lead from the opening inning, but needed longer to get any breathing room.
Dimitri Angelakos earned a bases loaded walk in the first, plating Bryce Adams. Deion Cole came around in the third. He was on third when Tift brought in its infield, hopeful to hold Cole there. Unfortunately, Angelakos singled where an infielder would normally be for second run.
Jake Zehner hit a solo shot to start the fourth.
Carson Moore and Jack Turner came in when Cole beat out an attempted double play.
Tift got on the scoreboard in the fifth.
VanSumeren broke up Caleb Hughes’ no-hit bid with an infield single, moving into scoring position on a sac bunt by Hembree, then to third when a diving Hughes beat Luke Ellerbee to first by a step.
Cam Smith singled over second for VanSumeren to come home.
Etowah added its last runs in the sixth.
Adams tripled in Riley Sears before coming around on Jake Sabo’s hit. Cole tallied the last run on a homer.
Ellerbee had a last hit for the Devils.
Ryan Whitley started Tift’s final game of the year.
After the second game, senior parents were invited to the field as TCHS honored its 12th graders one last time.