MOULTRIE — Colquitt County baseball coach Jerry Croft double-checked, just to be sure.

But, no, Andrew McDowell was not eligible for the win in the Colquitt County High baseball team’s 17-10 victory over Worth County on Monday in Adel in the Hornet Classic, despite a solid performance.

A starting pitcher must go at least four innings to be eligible to get the victory, even if he leaves with his team ahead and it never surrenders the lead. McDowell pitched just the first three innings before being lifted with the Packers leading 3-2.

Matt Weaver, who pitched the third and fourth innings giving up just one run and striking out four, got the win.

“We’ll get rook (McDowell) a win,” Croft said. “I thought he did a good job.”

The sophomore left-hander gave up five hits, but threw just one fat pitch, which Worth’s Jordan Jones deposited over the left field fence with teammate Kaleb Hathcock aboard.

McDowell allowed eight base runners, but was able to pitch out of most of the jams, including striking out Worth’s Alan Mayer for the final out in the second inning with a runner on third.

Right-fielder Andrew Wallace helped bail McDowell out of the first inning when he caught Daniel Henley’s fly and threw to catcher Drew Shealy to nail Hathcock at the plate to complete the double play.

It was the first of two inning-ending outs at the plate for the Packers.

In sixth, shortstop Corey Bridwell took a relay from left fielder Marshall Faircloth and gunned down Scott Sumner at the plate. Sumner was trying to score from first on Henley’s double.

Shealy made fine plays at the plate on both throws.

Weaver, a second straight left-hander, gave up an infield hit and a walk in the fourth inning and a solo homer to Henley in the fifth.

He threw 45 pitches and could be called on to work in relief today when the Packers meet Valdosta at 4 p.m. in their second game of the tournament at Cook High.

Wallace, the third left-hander the Packers are counting on this season, will start today.

Croft said he was pleased with the way his team played defensively and with some of the young players who played well in their first varsity action.

Shortstop Corey Bridwell, a senior back in action after not playing the last two seasons, performed well defensively and had his first two varsity hits. Tyler Perryman and Blake Cato also had their first varsity hits.

Wallace and Jones also had two hits each. Jones drove in four runs, including the first two of the season for the Packers on a third-inning single.

Shealy drove in three runs, plating two with a fifth-inning sacrifice fly and two more on a seventh-inning single.

Chance Pitts drove in two runs with a sacrifice fly and a bases-loaded walk.

Scotty DeMott’s second-inning double was the Packers first hit of the season.