VALDOSTA — Bradwell Institute’s Tigers couldn’t put up much of a fight Friday as the Valdosta Wildcats cruised through the first round of the GHSA Class AAAAA state playoffs in two games, 10-2 and 17-0.
In the first game, the Wildcats used strong hitting and a powerful pitching duo on the mound to put away the Tigers 10-2 in seven innings.
Kyle Rowe started the game and earned the win, going four innings, allowing two runs and four hits, while striking out four. Chad Prain came in to close out the game, going three innings, allowing no earned runs and no hits.
Valdosta was firing on all cylinders at the plate as well, scoring four runs in each of the first two innings.
The Tigers got a run in the third with a Josh Rivers RBI single that scored Steven Dill, but that would be their only earned run of the afternoon. Bradwell’s other run in the game came on an error in the sixth.
The Wildcats added another two runs to put the game away in the third inning.
In game two, Bradwell was the home team, but Valdosta put up 14 runs in the first, before the Tigers even had a chance to bat.
The Wildcats put up those 14 runs on nine hits, five walks, and one error. Ten of the first 11 batters for Valdosta reached base safely.
Kentrell Hargrove started on the mound for Bradwell and was pulled after retiring just one batter. Hargrove was replaced by Dill after giving up nine earned runs on six hits and three walks.
The Wildcats put up their final runs, all with two outs, in the third inning. The only Bradwell hit of the game came against Smith, on a single by Jeff Polk off the shortstop’s glove.
For Valdosta, Taylor Prain, Thomas Lovett, Earl Daniels and Stuart Brooks combined to go 9-for-9 with six RBIs and nine runs in the blowout.
In the first game, the Wildcats used strong hitting and a powerful pitching duo on the mound to put away the Tigers 10-2 in seven innings.
Kyle Rowe started the game and earned the win, going four innings, allowing two runs and four hits, while striking out four. Chad Prain came in to close out the game, going three innings, allowing no earned runs and no hits.
Valdosta was firing on all cylinders at the plate as well, scoring four runs in each of the first two innings.
The Tigers got a run in the third with a Josh Rivers RBI single that scored Steven Dill, but that would be their only earned run of the afternoon. Bradwell’s other run in the game came on an error in the sixth.
The Wildcats added another two runs to put the game away in the third inning.
In game two, Bradwell was the home team, but Valdosta put up 14 runs in the first, before the Tigers even had a chance to bat.
The Wildcats put up those 14 runs on nine hits, five walks, and one error. Ten of the first 11 batters for Valdosta reached base safely.
Kentrell Hargrove started on the mound for Bradwell and was pulled after retiring just one batter. Hargrove was replaced by Dill after giving up nine earned runs on six hits and three walks.
The Wildcats put up their final runs, all with two outs, in the third inning. The only Bradwell hit of the game came against Smith, on a single by Jeff Polk off the shortstop’s glove.
For Valdosta, Taylor Prain, Thomas Lovett, Earl Daniels and Stuart Brooks combined to go 9-for-9 with six RBIs and nine runs in the blowout.