MOULTRIE – Two days after the fact, people were still buzzing about John Michael Harrison’s throw from center field that cut down Cole Fuller and the potential tying run on Tuesday in Colquitt County’s 5-2 Region 1-AAAAA victory over Lowndes at Ike Aultman Field at Packer Park.

But Harrison’s throw was just one of number of key performances that enabled the Packers to end a four-game losing streak and climb back into the race for a playoff berth.

The Packers will return to their home field again today when they take on Tift County at 7 p.m.

As they prepare for the Blue Devils, who are 2-3 in the region and 7-9 overall, the Packers will try to build on a win over a struggling Lowndes team that included noteworthy play from:

• Right fielder William Oliver, who had two hits, including his first varsity home run to lead off the fourth inning. The homer enabled the Packers to regain the lead at 3-2 after Tift had tied the game in the top of the inning.

• Starting pitcher Andrew McDowell, who walked the first two batters in the game, then went on to pitch six-plus innings, giving up just two runs and four hits while striking out seven.

The senior left-hander raised his record to 2-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.47.

• Second baseman Corey Hancock, who went into the game with just one hit in eight at bats, but came through with singles in his first two trips to the plate. His second hit drove in the Packers first run of the game.

• Catcher Bo Williams, who made the catch and tag on Harrison’s throw from center field.

And, perhaps overlooked after his throw from the outfield, were Harrison’s throws from the mound in the top of the seventh.

After McDowell walked Brandon Gilbert to open the inning, Packers Coach Eric McCranie summoned Harrison from center field.

The junior left-hander walked Parker Pridgen to bring the potential tying run to the plate in the Vikings No. 3 hitter Tyler Suddarth.

Suddarth fouled off four pitches before flying out to Hayden Kudela in center field.

Harrison still had to get by Georgia-bound Christian Glisson and catcher Kyle Williams, the Vikings No. 4 and No. 5 hitters. But he struck them both out to end the game.

The Colquitt County victory was especially significant considering what transpired in Tifton.

While the Packers were winning to raise their record to 2-3, Houston County was dealing Tift County a 6-4 defeat that dropped the Blue Devils to 2-3. The victory was the first in the region for the Bears.

The Blue Devils also have been struggling of late, dropping three of their last four.

And Houston jumped on them quickly on Tuesday, scoring four runs in the top of the first inning. Jeff Thompson had the big hit in the inning, a three-run homer.

Thompson had a key role in the bottom of the seventh as well. With the Bears clinging to a two-run lead, Thompson was called in in relief and struck out the final three Tift County batters to end the game.

Jacob Stinson led Tift County with three hits in the game.

Also tonight, Lowndes and Houston County, the two last place teams in the region, will meet in Warner Robins.

Valdosta, which took a 14-1 overall record into Thursday’s non-region game against Pierce County, will put its 5-0 region record on the line at Wright Bazemore Field against Coffee.

The Trojans are 4-1 and in solid possession of second place in the region after suffering a 7-6 loss to Warner Robins on Tuesday.