MOULTRIE – Never mind the 11 Colquitt County High baserunners left on through six innings. On Monday, Tony Kirkland’s Packer squad used shutdown pitching and timely hitting at the last moment to remain undefeated through four games of the 2018 season. The honors for game-winning RBI went to pinch-hitting junior McKenzie Powell, who watched things take place in Colquitt’s favor during his at-bat that resulted in a bloop single to center.

Playing a middle-of-the-afternoon tilt on a school holiday, the Packers won 3-2 against the Hillgrove High Hawks, a fellow Class 7A school out of Powder Springs in Cobb County. The Hawks actually played twice on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium Monday as they began the day defeating Tift County High 5-3.

Colquitt senior sidearmer Cory Newsome, after a rough outing in his last assignment at Coffee on Friday, was the winning pitcher in relief. He followed senior Ethan Phillips, who worked four complete shutout innings and stranded quite a few Hillgrove baserunners (six) during that time. Phillips struck out six and issued three walks.

Newsome surrendered both runs to the Hawks, those in the top of the sixth inning, and in three frames he fanned two batters with no walks.

What happened big for Newsome in his outing was that three of the Hawk runners were caught stealing, one by the pitcher’s pick-off throw.

With the game a scoreless duel through five innings, Hillgrove struck first in the top of the sixth. Designated hitter Reid Brown, who doubled in the fourth, singled for his second straight safety. Justin Tew of the Hawks singled for the first time, and from the No. 8 hole, visiting catcher Zack Stewart did a ‘swinging bunt’ advancing his teammates to scoring position.

That, however, was the second out, so Hillgrove coaches went to the bench. Pinch hitter Nathan Curtis singled up the middle scoring the two runs. Curtis was thrown out trying to steal second, and that was the second time Packer catcher Mack Crosby connected with shortstop Gavin Patel for an out on the bases.

Two times in the game Colquitt County’s offense left the bases loaded. The first occurred in the bottom of the second. The bottom of the sixth would end that way also, but not before the Packers ended the shutout on their side against the third pitcher – and second left-hander in a row – used by the Hawks.

Colquitt hitters drew seven walks – a big reason for the high left-on-base total – all game long. In the home sixth, DH Tucker Buckner walked and – with two outs – No. 9 hitter Alex Bledsoe was hit by a pitch. That turned the lineup over for Patel, who promptly delivered the RBI single to center. Left-handed hitting Dylan Dalton, not successful in his first at-bat vs. a lefty, walked to fill the bags, but the turn ended on a strikeout.

Newsome held the Hawks to their two-run total with a scoreless top of the seventh. He negated the fact he hit a batter by picking that batter off first base.

Things didn’t start well for Hillgrove and its fourth pitcher as the home plate umpire – after the first pitch – had words with the Hawk coach. There were no ejections, but they would not get any Packers out as Tanner Wilson singled and Crosby was hit by a pitch. Tucker Hathcock put down the sacrifice bunt back to the mound, but the pitcher slipped trying to field the baseball.

One more time the bases are full of Packers, but on this occasion there were no outs. Powell took his turn to bat, and a pitch came in so wild it was behind his back. Wilson easily scored the tying run, and Powell’s bloop caused a stumble from the centerfielder with no chance to make a catch.

The game started with Phillips working his way out of a bases-full jam. He walked the lead-off Hawk, Wade Richardson, and Cameron Fiveash – with two strikes on him – bunted a pitch set up outside in play. Hillgrove had two on from an infield single, but Crosby made a key catch going to the netting for a foul ball. Though the catcher would drop a third strike and allow the Hawks a third baserunner, Phillips coaxed an inning-ending grounder to himself.

Phillips later struck out the side in the top of the second, most of the strikes swinging. Richardson was on third base after leading off the third walking for the second time, but Phillips recorded two more strikeouts with an outside swing-and-miss and a curve that hit the outside corner.

When Brown doubled with one out in the fourth, Patel held him there while fielding a grounder for the second out. With two on, Phillips retired Alex McKay fielding an ‘excuse me’ bunt.