MOULTRIE – Playing a non-region home game for the second night in a row, Colquitt County High head baseball coach Tony Kirkland opted to give some innings to other members of the Packer pitching staff.

It wasn’t the work on the mound, however, that was off Wednesday on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium. Colquitt County’s defense committed four errors, one coming in the top of the eighth inning. It led to three runs for visiting Jeff Davis High, which won the game 6-3. CCHS dropped to 6-3.

Only two of the hits recorded by the Yellow Jackets – defending GHSA AA champions that arrived in Moultrie with a 3-4 record so far – figured into their scoring.

The contest was a 3-3 tie after seven complete, and the eighth inning began with Jeff Davis drawing a walk and getting the hit batsman. Kirkland went to the fourth pitcher of the night, going from senior Jared Horne to junior Turner Sircy.

Colby Marchant of the Yellow Jackets showed an obvious intent to bunt, and Colquitt had its first baseman playing way in. That’s where the sacrifice went, but the attempt for a force at third base went awry. One run scored to break the tie, and it represented the fourth unearned run allowed by Packer pitching.

With one out Caleb Chaney of Jeff Davis singled to make it 5-3.

Colquitt’s senior third baseman Raines Plant wasn’t having an off night playing his position, and he made two good stops and throws for the last two outs. But on that first play – a force at second base – the Yellow Jackets were able to plate one more point.

From an offensive standpoint, Packer batters left 12 runners on base in eight innings.

Trace Eakins was the starting pitcher. The junior right-hander threw two innings. Plant dove to his right on a sharp grounder to get the third out of the first after Jeff Davis recorded an infield hit backhanded to his right by shortstop Gavin Patel.

In the top of the second, though, the Jackets scored one going from a lead-off walk to a two-out throwing error.

The Packers left the bases loaded without scoring in the home first, an inning with singles by Plant and Tanner Wilson. But the hosts tied things up in the second on catcher Mack Crosby’s lead-off walk and Patel’s two-out single.

Still not done in the second, Dylan Dalton singled to right scoring Patel.

Eli Faison, a left-handed junior, worked two perfect innings protecting the 2-1 lead. He received a hustling catch in right field from Tucker Hathcock.

But after Colquitt wasted hits by Patel and Plant in the home fourth, Jeff Davis rallied in the top of the fifth to lead 3-2. There was only one hit involved, an infield safety by Chaney. Garrison Miles laid down the sacrifice, and that was thrown away moving two to scoring position. Sacrifice flies from Cade Walters and Britt Metts – both of whom pitched in the game – followed.

The tying run for the Packers came in the home sixth as Alex Bledsoe led off walking. Dalton, with one out, drilled an RBI triple, but Walters left him stranded on third.

Horne pitched a scoreless sixth, then faced some seventh-inning trouble when Chaney led off with a single. Metts, No. 1 in Paul Glass’ lineup but hitless on the day, singled with two outs. No. 2 Alex Sanders, owner of a diving catch in centerfield earlier but 0-for-3 at the plate, struck out swinging to leave two in scoring position.