Worth County sweeps Social Circle to reach GHSA Class A Division I Final Four

SYLVESTER — When DJ Easom tossed the ball to first baseman Luke Rogers for the final out Wednesday evening, nobody at Ram Park seemed quite ready for the night to end.

Children crowded against the fence near the dugout. Parents stood shoulder-to-shoulder along the rails. Behind the plate, lawn chairs stretched six rows deep with grandparents and former players who lingered long after the handshake line ended as the reality slowly settled over the stadium.

For the first time in school history, Worth County baseball was headed to the Final Four.

Behind complete-game performances from Avery Kilcrease and Easom, the Rams swept Social Circle 3-1 and 6-3 at a packed Ram Park to advance to the GHSA Class A Division I state semifinals.

For Worth County coach Will Smith, who has spent 26 years building the program, the breakthrough felt like the payoff to years of steady climbing.

For years, Worth County baseball had been one of those programs that always seemed close. Competitive. Respected. Dangerous in May.

But until Wednesday night, the Rams had never broken through to the Final Four.

Now they have.

“There is an expectation now,” Smith said. “That comes from years of preparation and support from our school board and administration from top to bottom. These kids believe they can keep getting better.”

The atmosphere Wednesday reflected how much the program has grown.

Both sets of stands at Worth County’s new baseball facility were full well before first pitch. Fans packed every available spot around Ram Park, creating the kind of postseason atmosphere usually reserved for football in South Georgia.

And while Smith has spent years building the baseball program, he acknowledged that some of the toughness from Worth County’s recent football state championship run has helped shape this team as well.

Several key players on the baseball roster were also part of the Rams’ football title team.

“Those football guys brought a little extra grit with them,” Smith said. “But we also have guys who didn’t play football who decided this was their time.”

Smith believes the new facility has also helped elevate the standard around the program.

“Having a top-shelf facility has elevated the standard around our program,” Smith said. “You have to credit the support from our school board and administration.”

Kilcrease made sure the Rams seized the moment in game one.

The senior ace allowed just one run on five hits while pitching a complete game, and he also delivered the biggest swing of the opener with a home run to center field in the third inning.

Hayden Short added an RBI groundout later in the inning as Worth County built a 2-0 lead.

Luke Rogers and Kilcrease each collected two hits in the victory.

The Rams carried that momentum into game two.

Rogers singled home a run in the first inning before Brady Weaver lifted a sacrifice fly that plated two more. Kilcrease added an RBI double in the second inning and Colby Griffis followed with a run-scoring single down the left-field line.

That was plenty for Easom, who scattered eight hits across seven innings while allowing three runs.

Worth County also played outstanding defense. Diving catches by shortstop Brodey Hancock and third baseman Lyndon Worthy helped keep Social Circle from building momentum.

In one crucial sequence with a runner at second base, Hancock fielded a ground ball deep in the hole and fired to Worthy at third, catching the runner in a rundown while trying to scramble back to second. The heads-up defensive play erased one of Social Circle’s best scoring opportunities of the night.

Now the Rams wait to learn where the next chapter of their season will unfold. Weather delayed the Elite Eight series between top-seeded Gordon Lee and Fitzgerald.

If Gordon Lee advances, Worth County will travel for the Final Four. If Fitzgerald wins, the Rams will host the semifinal series in Sylvester.

Either way, Wednesday night already secured its place in Worth County baseball history.

Long after the final out, the lights still glowed over Ram Park, shining down on a baseball program that had finally broken through.