After dropping its first two games of the year, the Long County baseball team righted its ship this past week by beating Groves and Claxton.
On Feb. 20, Groves (0-4) came to Ludowici for a Region 2-AA doubleheader. Though the Rebels put up their best effort, they lost the first game 15-0 and the second game 18-0.
In the first game, the leading batters for the Blue Tide were Antonio Golden with three hits and Ryan Desbiens and Matt Strickland, who each had two hits. Pitcher Andrew Swindell got the win, going the distance and giving up only one hit. Swindell struck out seven batters and allowed four walks.
In the late game, the leading Blue Tide batters were Jeffrey Edmondson, Krew Jones, Tripp Stapleton and Brett Blake, who each had two hits. Brian Lester got the start and win, going two innings and striking out two batters, walking one and giving up one hit. Trae Davis also pitched an inning, striking out three batters.
Tide head coach Tyler Rogers said he was pleased with his team’s performance.
“We played well and hit the ball pretty good,” he said. “It was good to be on the winning side and get the season going in the direction we want it to.”
On Tuesday, the Tide picked up another win in non-region action against Claxton (1-2). Playing on the road, Long County continued to mount the hits, beating the Tigers 19-4. The leading hitters for the Ludowici team were Desbiens with three hits and Strickland, Jones and Stapleton, who each added two hits. Desbiens also got the start and win, pitching five innings. While on the mound, he struck out six batters, walked three and gave up two earned runs on five hits.
Rogers continued to praise his team, especially at the plate.
“We hit it really well,” he said. “Hopefully, we can build on this win.”
On Friday, Long County lost a heartbreaker, 6-5, to Brunswick, after a pitch got past the Tide’s catcher, allowing the winning run to score in the seventh inning, according to the Brunswick News.
The non-region loss evens the Blue Tide’s record at 3-3, and they have a 2-0 region mark. The win was the Pirates’ first of the year, making their overall record 1-2.
On Saturday, the Tide took on Berkmar. Results were not available by press time.