Tribe Places Second in Region 2-A, Opens Playoffs Wednesday By Glenn Hughes
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The Charlton County baseball team wrapped up their regular season last Friday night and finished with a 24-6 record and will now begin their quest for a state title starting on Wednesday when the GHSA State Playoffs get underway. The Tribe finished second in the Region 2-A standings and will host Crawford County in the opening best of three series. A doubleheader will be played on Wednesday with the “if needed” game scheduled for Thursday.
The final week started out with a home game against McIntosh County Academy on Tuesday. The Tribe made quick work of the Buccaneers scoring six times each in the second and third innings on the way to a 13-0 run rule win.
In the second inning the Indians got a run scoring single by Brantley Nettles, an RBI ground out by Noah Jackson, a bases loaded walk to Bentley Beard before Grant Harris’ bases clearing triple put Charlton up 6-0.
In the third inning Cameron Edwards doubled home a run and Bentley Beard doubled home two more making it 9-0. Brodie Baker singled home another run before Slade Oxley blasted a two-run home run to make it 12-0.
Charlton scored their final run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by Baker and after the Bucs were retired in the fifth the game was called.
Eighteen Indians saw action during the game with Baker the only one with multiple hits. Bentley Beard and Harris both had three RBI’s while Baker and Oxley both drove in a pair of runs. Oxley picked up the win pitching the first three innings while Edwards finished off the final two frames. The duo combined to allow just three hits while striking out five in the shutout.
On Friday the Indians traveled to Ocilla for a doubleheader to wrap up the regular season. In the opener the Indians of Irwin jumped out scoring once in the first to take the early lead, Charlton bounced back to tie it up in the top of the second. With two outs Baker walked and scored on a triple by Harris.
Irwin regained the lead in the bottom of the second scoring once, but the Tribe tied it right back up in the top of the third. Ethan Crawford doubled and went to third on an error before scoring on a passed ball.
Charlton took the lead in the top of the fifth. Griffin Thomas led off with a doubled and Crawford sacrificed him over to third. An error by Irwin allowed him to score and the Tribe took a 3-2 lead.
But Irwin answered with four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-3 lead. In the sixth Charlton scored on a fielder’s choice by Harris that scored Brantley Nettles. They loaded the bases with two outs but were unable to push anymore runs across.
The Tribe had their last chance in the seventh when Jakob Thigpen lead off with a walk. After stealing second Colton Beard singled him home cutting the deficit to 6-5. After a hit batter put runners at first and second the third out was made and Charlton came up one run short.
Thomas and Crawford led the Indians with two hits each.
In the nightcap Charlton opened up the scoring in the top of the first. Thomas reached on an error, stole second and scored on a single by Harris. Irwin answered with an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to tie the score at 1-1.
Charlton took the lead for good in the third inning. Thomas singled and Crawford doubled him home. Bentley Beard followed with an RBI single and the lead grew to 3-1.
In the fourth inning Baker led off with a double and Colton Beard drove him in with a single. Courtesy runner Landon Morgan stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball before scoring on a sacrifice fly by Thomas pushing the lead to 5-1.
The Tribe added a single run in the fifth when Baker walked, stole second and third before scoring on a throwing error. Up 6-1 the Indians kept scoring in the sixth. Oxley scored on a fielder’s choice by Harris before an error allowed Crawford to score the eighth run of the game.
Irwin would threaten in the bottom of the seventh after loading the bases with one out. But a Harris to Thomas to Crawford double play ended the game with Charlton taking the 8-1 decision.
Harris picked up the win allowing no earned runs over 4.2 innings while Oxley came on to complete the game allowing just one hit. Thomas led Charlton with two hits while Harris drove in a pair of runs.
