Worth County sweeps baseball doubleheader from Early County

SYLVESTER — The Worth County Rams shut out the Early County Bobcats twice Friday afternoon in a baseball doubleheader in Sylvester, winning the opener 4-0 and taking the nightcap 6-0.

That made three games in a row against Bobcats where the Rams pitched a shutout. The Rams won 11-0 in Blakely earlier this week.

Worth County freshman Drake Jones outdueled Early County’s Landon White to take the win on the mound in Game 1. Jones pitched a complete game, giving up five hits and striking out nine batters, including two of the last three batters he faced. White pitched just as strong for the Bobcats, giving up only two hits in six innings of work. However, the Bobcats suffered three fourth-inning errors that gave the Rams their margin of victory.

Chip Cooper led off the bottom of the fourth for the Rams with a sharp hit to second base. The ball was hard to handle for the second baseman and Cooper beat the throw to first base. Cooper went to second on a passed ball and then Owen Hancock walked. A wild pitch moved both runners up a base.

After a diving catch by the Early County shortstop saved the Bobcats on a hit by Cody Garwood, first baseman Christian McDonald belted the ball past the second baseman to knock in two runs. After back-to-back errors by the Bobcats, the Rams had the bases loaded with two outs which Jones popped the ball into center field and it fell just in front of the centerfielder to score another run.

The Rams shut out the Bobcats in Game 2 behind the pitching of Owen Hancock and Owen Fletcher. Hancock started and threw five strong innings, giving up no runs on four hits, no walks, and striking out 10 batters. Fletcher pitched the final two innings in relief.

Chip Cooper belted a two-run homer in the fifth inning for the Rams.

The Ram defense was stellar all day. Worth County did not commit an error in either game.

The Rams are now 9-7 on the season and 3-3 in the region. They will host Thomasville Tuesday in Sylvester and then travel to Thomasville Friday for more region action. Early County fell to 8-12 on the season and 1-5 in the region. It will travel to Nashville Tuesday to face Berrien and then host Berrien Friday in Blakely.

Joe Whitfield