First came the storm: a 2-0 loss to Statesboro on Thursday that put Veterans High’s backs against the wall in its Class AAAAA state baseball tournament best two-out-of-three. Then came the hurricane: The Warhawks blew away the Blue Devils 15-0 in four innings. Then came the eye: A 2-1 win in 11 innings.
Skies blue again, Veterans will next take on Whitewater in round two. It beat Jones County 2-1, 6-2 to advance. Their series is set for May 3 and 4 (“if necessary” for the latter).
As far as Game 1, the Warhawks pounded out 14 hits before Statesboro could take shelter. They scored four runs in the first, three in the second, five in the third and three more in the fourth. Several led on offense. Leyton Pinckney was 4-4 with three RBIs and two scored. Matthew Nunez was 2-3 and drove in five. Jacob Pierce was 3-3 with a walk. He drove in three and scored four times. Ben Gibbs was 3-4 with two RBIs and three scored. Derek Wylie (0-2 with two walks) also had an RBI as did Cole Hooks (0-2).
The Blue Devils managed just two hits with Daniel Hawthorne on the mound. He also struck out three and walked three.
Both went scoreless to start Game 2. Statesboro coaxed the first walk out of Hawthorne to start the game but a double play negated that. Veterans went three-up, three-down in its half of the inning, but returned the favor in the Blue Devils’ second. The Warhawks were unable to do anything with a one-out double in the bottom half, but Statesboro took advantage of a pair of singles, an error and a walk to get its first lead, 1-0, in the third.
Veterans went quietly in its at bat, but tied it in the fourth. Gibbs (1-5) started the inning off with a single. Pinckney (0-5) reached on an error that also sent Gibbs to third. Wylie (3-5) grounded to the pitcher, which in turn resulted in Gibbs being thrown out at home, but with two outs Hooks (2-4) singled to score Jeremy Horton from second (his only RBI) – Horton came in to pinch run for Pinckney.
Then it became a stalemate.
The Blue Devils went three-up, three-down to start the fifth. The Warhawks left a leadoff single on the table in their half. Statesboro squandered to singles to start the sixth – also had a one-out walk that loaded the bases.
Veterans left Wylie on with a two-out single in the sixth. Statesboro again went three-and-out in the seventh, whereas the Warhawks left one on – a walk.
It was three-up, three down for the Blue Devils in the eighth, ninth and 10th. Veterans had two singles in the ninth. One was eliminated by a double play, the other by a groundout. It also had a leadoff single in the 10th but that too was negated.
Finally, Statesboro left two on – a one-out walk and two-out single – in the 11th.
Wylie’s triple with one out in the 11th finally paved the way for the ending. Nunez (2-5) stepped into the batter’s box. He fouled off the first pitch, took a strike and two balls before singling to center to bring in Wylie.
Wylie also pitched six innings. He gave up five hits, the run, while striking out nine and walking three. Jackson Williams threw five. He gave up just one hit while putting the “K” on five and walking one.
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