The Long County High School baseball team played its final home game April 17 and took a loss to Brantley County, 7-3.
Through 3 ½ innings, the game was scoreless and appeared that it was going to be a defensive game with only two hits being posted. But in the bottom of the fourth, Chase Rogers got on base with a walk, and Shane Deloach nailed a ball down the first-base line to plate Rogers. Austin Simmons cracked a single and Zach Harris walked to load the bases for Long County with one out. Luke Golden hit a sacrifice fly to score Deloach. At the end of the inning, the Tide was on top, 2-0.
But in the top of the fifth inning, the Herons stormed back with five runs on four hits. In the bottom of the inning, Long County couldn’t do anything offensively.
In the top of the sixth, Jacob Turner relieved Golden on the mound and held Brantley scoreless in the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Deloach hit another single, followed by Simmons getting on base on a Brantley County error, and the Tide had two men on base with one out. Zach Harris grounded out to advance Deloach and Simmons to third and second. Brantley County starting pitcher Cameron Martin walked Golden. Shawn Mills drew a walk to bring home Deloach and make the score 5-3.
However, Long County couldn’t get another run across. The Herons added two insurance runs in the seventh.
The leading hitters for the Blue Tide were Mills, who was 2-for-2 with a double; Deloach, 2-for-3; Simmons, 1-for-1; and Rogers, 1-for-4. Golden got the loss for the Blue Tide, while Martin picked up the win for the Herons.
With the loss, the Blue Tide fell to 7-16 overall and 3-11 in the Region 2-AA. Brantley County, which is fighting for the fourth spot in the region, improved its overall record to 13-9 and its region mark to 9-5.
The Herons and the Tide played Tuesday in Nahunta.
Results from that game will be in Friday’s Coastal Courier.
On Thursday, the Blue Tide are scheduled to travel to take on Groves High School in Savannah.
When the teams met earlier this year in Ludowici, the Tide won easily, 14-1.
Tide drop final home game
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