MOULTRIE – Colquitt County High baseball coach Tony Kirkland has pitching, and he needs pitching. That is, heading into the second half of Region 1-7A competition, the Packer boss would like to have as much experience to put on the mound in those six games as possible.

Monday’s career resurrection may provide a solution.

Jacob Coots, all-region pitcher as a sophomore in 2015, started a game for the first time since that season when Colquitt faced non-region foe Crisp County High on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium.

The now senior worked three innings allowing the only run to the Cougars as the Packers ran away with the win in five innings 11-1. They improve to 10-10.

Coots missed the 2016 baseball season due to a back injury. Kirkland said, prior to the current season, Coots also developed arm issues.

“We gradually tried to get him back in the mix,” said Kirkland. “He’s not a power pitcher by any means, but the ball moves a lot. It’s quite a testament for him to battle and get back out there.”

Thinking back to when Coots made all-region, Kirkland said he did it by throwing strikes and forcing the other team to beat him.

“You had to hit him to beat him,” he said. “He was not happy with the run he allowed (Monday).”

That run was in the top of the third when Colquitt County was ahead 3-0. It came on three hits, the RBI credited to left-handed hitting Myles Napier on his single to right field. Coots also allowed two hits but no runs in the top of the second, so it was five safeties in all for the Cougars. There were no walks by Coots and two strikeouts.

Gavin Patel, the starting shortstop, moved to the mound for the last two innings. He allowed just one baserunner on the HBP and fanned two.

From the defensive side Coots received help from a well executed rundown between first and second plus catcher Jay Saunders’ pick-off assist at third base.

On offense, Logan Wheeler had two hits – one being a double – while both Patel and Saunders made two-run singles. Ian Brinson, Wheeler Hunnicutt and Tucker Buckner drove in one run each coming off the bench in a three-run fourth.

John Samuel Shenker and Wheeler got Colquitt’s three-run second inning going with hits. Hayden Bledsoe singled in Shenker but got involved in a rundown of his own. Crisp, however, did not execute well, throwing the baseball into the outfield allowing Wheeler to score.

With two outs, infielder Dylan Dalton was at the plate and sent a tough grounder to third. The visiting infield could not complete this play, and the Packers led 3-0.

Colquitt scored five times in the home third, all damage done with two outs. Patel singled in two with the bases loaded, and after one more touched home on an error Saunders delivered his two-run hit.

Following today’s non-region road game at Thomas County-Central, there won’t be varsity baseball until April 5. Kirkland’s team will play two at Lowndes April 7, and he said it is his hope Coots can be a factor then and for home doubleheaders vs. Tift and Camden.

“We’re running short on pitchers,” said Kirkland. “We have arms, but we need guys who’ve been in the fight.”

He was still raving about the work of both Hunnicutt and Ethan Phillips, especially winning the games last Friday at Tift. But it’s also makes him jumpy, he said, wondering about the next ankle turn or pulled muscle.