The Long County Blue Tide baseball team kept their home record clean when they hosted the McIntosh County Academy Buccaneers on Monday, February 17. After dropping Game 2 against Bacon County on Valentine’s Day, the Tide dominated the Buccaneers 11-0 in five innings.
The game started off well on both sides of the diamond for the Tide as Kenny Pickens recorded a strikeout and got a pickoff out at second base to keep the Buccaneers off the board.
Three doubles opened the bottom of the inning as Creighton Rogers led off and scored on Nick Sizemore’s double before Pickens brought him home to make the score 2-0.
Anthony Bramwell brought home another run on a single before Braedon Chambless made the score 4-0 with a double.
Jehmiel Pettis was walked and eventually scored after stealing third and advancing home on a throwing error. The Tide led 5-0 going into the second as Pickens walked one batter but picked up three strikeouts.
In the third, Pickens struck out two more Buccaneers while Chambless made a great play from behind the plate to get a pickoff at first.
Rogers brought home Pettis on a single in the bottom of the third and he later scored on a passed ball to make the score 7-0 going into the fourth.
Peyton Pilon took over for Pickens on the mound and allowed three hits, but the Tide defense held tough and got out of the inning with no runs on the board.
Bramwell opened the inning with a double before Pilon brought him home on a double of his own. Pettis walked and Dylan Lester singled to make the score 9-0.
Luke Poppell followed that single up with a double of his own that made the score 10-0. He scored one batter later on a passed ball as the Tide led 11-0 going into what was likely the final inning.
Pettis came on the mound to close out the game and he threw two strikeouts to seal the game as the Tide moved to 2-1 on the season.
The Tide will now host the Tattnall County Warriors on Thursday, February 20. At press time, the Warriors were 1-2 with a 14-4 loss to ECI and 12-6 to Vidalia but a 15-0 win over Claxton and another matchup with the Tigers on Tuesday.