Baseball teams normally peak in mid-April, hoping for momentum for the postseason.
“Last year we peaked too soon,” Bradwell coach Rhett Hellgren said. “This year, we are starting to peak at the right time.”
Hellgren’s Tigers defeated Camden County, 1-0, on Friday in a Region 3-AAAAA game in Kingsland. On Monday, they beat Brunswick, 9-8, at home.
Senior pitcher Jacob Dill needed just 75 pitches to stymie region power Camden for a complete game shutout.
“At any level, throwing 75 pitches is just amazing, especially in high school baseball,” Hellgren said. “I have coached Jacob for four years at Bradwell, and I think the Camden game was his best pitching performance of his career.”
Dill had strong command with his off-speed pitches and placement of his fastball.
Bradwell continued its defensive trend Monday against Brunswick.
Adam Corwin, James Moon and Kyle Lannom pieced together the game on the mound. Lannom ended up with the win.
The Tigers committed only one error.
Bradwell sat the Pirates down in order in the top of the first. Dill and Sage Sammons both had singles in the bottom of the first inning.
Taking advantage of Pirate errors, Bradwell built a 4-0 lead. Corwin’s two RBI squeeze bunt capped a six-run inning for the Tigers.
“Adam, getting that squeeze, was huge, especially getting two runs in too,” the coach said. “He had a sacrifice for us later in the game. For us to be successful we have to be able to play small ball. We absolutely have to be able to get the ball down and create situations for us to manufacture runs.”
The Pirates added two runs in the top of the second. Brunswick collected 12 hits in the game. Brunswick plated four runs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings.
Leading 7-6, Corwin doubled and Mitch Rogers singled, and both scored to add insurance for the Tigers.
Brunswick had two hits down the left-field line to cut Bradwell’s lead to 9-8. The Tiger’s DaBrent Nobles snagged a fly deep in left field for the first out. Nobles also recorded the final out as Brunswick was trying to tie the game and he hit third baseman Chris Nunn to cut down the Pirates runner.
“I was very pleased with how well the defense played. This is how baseball is supposed to be played. Throw strikes and make plays behind the pitcher. We are doing those things right now,” Hellgren said.
Sammons was 2-4 with an RBI. Dill was also 2-4. The Tigers had eight total hits.
Bradwell was scheduled to host Region 3-AAAAA foe Jenkins Tuesday afternoon. Though the Tigers currently are in fourth place in the region, a win against Jenkins could have moved them up to third place.
BI is 12-8 overall and 9-3 in the region. They host Johnson High at 5 p.m. Friday and Windsor Forest on Saturday for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m.