The Long County Blue Tide baseball team has now won two straight games after a season-opening loss to Pierce County. The team defeated the Bryan County Redskins 5-2 in a game that saw the Tide hold off a rally from their former region foe.

The Tide jumped out to an early lead in the bottom of the first after senior pitcher Gio Jackson’s impressive top of the inning. He sat down two Redskins with strikeouts, on his way to six on the night.

Shannon Filkins opened the order with a double before Nick Sizemore brought home his fellow sophomore on a single up the middle.

Sizemore stole second and Kenny Pickens, another sophomore star, brought him home with a monster shot to the centerfield wall. Junior Elijah Lester brought home Luke Poppell, running for Pickens, as the Tide were up 3-0 going into the second.

Jackson hit a batter, walked one and hit another to load the bases, all after his fifth strikeout of the game. However, he worked his way out of the jam as he struck a second batter in the inning and his sixth of the game as his day on the mound came to an end.

The Tide added one run in the bottom of the third, thanks to Jackson’s good baserunning and a Redskin error. Jackson stole second after his second walk on the day and he scored after a throwing error to put the Tide up 4-0.

Creighton Rogers took the mound for the Tide and walked two batter while recording a strikeout. A double to right field gave the Redskins their first run of the game, but the Tide defense was stout and kept them from putting any more on in the fourth.

They held the 4-1 lead going into the fifth, but the Redskins cut even more into the Tide’s lead. Freshman Dylan Lester took Rogers’ spot on the mound and gave up two hits and a walk, while striking out two, as the Redskins added one to make the score 4-2.

Filkins doubled to open the bottom half of the fifth and Pickens brought him home, smacking a single for his second RBI of the game and to complete his perfect day at the plate.

Sizemore took over on the mound in the sixth inning. He allowed just one hit over the next two innings and recorded two strikeouts.

Pickens was 3-for-3 with two RBIs while Jackson got the win on the mound with six strikeouts, no hits and no runs allowed. Sizemore picked up the save.

The Tide hosted Tattnall County in a Valentine’s Day showdown.