Diamond Pack wins 2 of 3 heading into series with Richmond Hill

Published 2:43 pm Sunday, April 9, 2023

MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County baseball team played three of its four games scheduled for the spring break week, winning the last two while preparing for a key Region 1-7A-ending series with Richmond Hill.

The Packers opened the week with a 5-4 home loss to Thomas County Central, but rebounded to defeat Calhoun 9-4 the next day, also on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium

Colquitt went to Douglas last Friday and got homers from Miller Tompkins and Cam Cook to defeat Coffee 12-7.

Saturday’s scheduled home game against Lincoln High was canceled because of a wet field and the threat of rain.

But the Packers had boosted their overall record to 12-12 as they prepared to travel to Richmond Hill on Tuesday to start the region series against the Wildcats.

The Packers are 4-5 in the region, but still have a shot at finishing second in the region and playing host a first-round state playoff series.

Colquitt will close out its season with a home doubleheader against Richmond Hill on Friday, April 14.

Colquitt 12, Coffee 7

Tompkins made the most of a rare start by hitting a mammoth three-run homer to highlight a 10-run fourth inning and lead Colquitt County to a win over the Trojans

Tompkins’s homer was his first.

“The best decision I’ve made in three months is to start Miller Tompkins at first base,” Packers coach Brandon Brock said of his big senior. “This is the kid I’ve nominated for two separate scholar/athlete awards already.

“Most positive kid I’ve ever been around and seldom gets to play. Almost made me tear up when he rounded third base.”

Cook also homered as the Packers put up their biggest run total of the season.

The win also avenged a 8-1 loss to the Trojans back on March 2 at Packer Park.

Coffee had just taken a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third when Colquitt broke loose in the next half-inning.

Brady DeRosso got the inning started with a one-out single.

Asher Cox was hit by a pitch and Jar’dae Williams walked to load the bases.

DeRosso scored on a passed ball before Tompkins went deep to put Colquitt up 5-3.

And the Packers weren’t finished.

Neko Fann, the next batter, was hit by a pitch and he scored on a Landon Griffin triple.

Mason Moore doubled in Griffin and after a walk to Cook, Adam Beverly singled to make it 8-3.

DeRosso then got his second hit of the inning to score Cook.

Tompkins later drew a bases-loaded walk, giving him four RBIs in the inning.

Fann was again hit by a pitch, driving in the 10th run of the inning.

The Packers final run came in the fifth when Cook homered to left.

Moore started on the mound, but both he and Christian Hill, who followed, were tagged by the Trojans.

“We pitched it OK for the first three innings, but the heat jumped on them and they labored,” Brock said.

Jaxon Chambers got the final two outs in the sixth and Beverly pitched a scoreless seventh.

DeRosso had three hits on the game. Fann, Griffin, Moore, Cook, Tompkins and Beverly had the others.

Colquitt County 9, Calhoun 4

The Packers jumped out to a 9-1 lead and survived some sometimes shaky defense to defeat Calhoun at Packer Park.

Calhoun made the long trip from Gordon County in far north Georgia and immediately took a 1-0 first-inning lead against Colquitt County sophomore starter Cole Holder.

But Holder was in control the next four innings.

After giving up a single and a double in the first, he allowed just two more infield hits and an unearned the rest of the way and departed with an 8-1 lead.

The Yellow Jackets scored two more unearned runs off sophomore left-hander Gabe Eubanks in the sixth before Moore needed just seven pitches — all strikes — to retire the Jackets in order in the seventh.

The Packers took the lead in the bottom of the first when the first four batters reached.

Fann led off with a double to right and moved to third when Griffin reached on a third-strike wild pitch.

Moore and Cook followed with RBI singles.

The Packers batted around in the second, giving Holder, making his first varsity start, a comfortable cushion.

The Packers had just one hit in the five-run uprising, but it was a two-run double by Cook.

Moore had a sacrifice fly in the inning and both he and Cook finished the evening having driven in three runs.

Moore also had a two-out RBI single in the third.

The final Colquitt County run scored on a wild pitch in the fifth inning.

The Packers mustered eight hits, including two each by Griffin, Moore and Cook. Fann and Hayden Hembree had the others.

The Packers committed four errors, but were saved from at least three others by sparkling glove work at first base by Jake Walker and Tompkins.

Holder’s fine performance against Calhoun followed a three-inning, no-run relief effort in his varsity debut against Valdosta on March 29.

The right-hander now has pitched eight innings and has a win and a save while allowed just six hits and two runs, only one of which was earned.

TCC 5, Colquitt County 4

Thomas County Central scored the go-ahead run on a sacrifice fly in the top of the seventh inning and hung on for a 5-4 victory over Colquitt County on April 5.

The Packers led 4-2 after four innings, but the Yellow Jackets scored two runs in the top of the fifth to tie the game before scoring the winning run in the seventh.

Zach Williams led off the seventh with a single and moved to second on another base hit.

After moving to third on a bunt hit by Lee McCorkle, Williams scored when Brayden Payne flied out to DeRosso.

The Packers went down in order in the bottom of the seventh.

After the Jackets scored a run in the top of the second to take a 1-0 lead, Colquitt tied the game in the bottom of the inning when DeRosso walked and scored on a double by Fann.

Central scored a single run in the top of the third, but the Packers again countered when Moore walked, stole second and came around on a single by Cook.

Colquitt scored a pair of two-out runs in the top of the fifth when Tucker Sparkman singled, Fann walked and Griffin was hit by a pitch.

Moore then stroked a two-run single to give the Packers a 4-2 lead.

Cook and Sparkman each had two hits in the game. Fann had a double and Griffin and Moore added singles.

Garron Wingate went the first 4.2 innings on the mound for the Packers and gave up four runs, three earned, and five hits. He walked three and struck out three.

Eubanks pitched the final 2.1 innings, giving up the go-ahead run and four hits. He struck out two.

Colquitt won Wednesday’s first game when the AAA team scored eight runs in its final two at bats to defeat the Thomas County Central JV team 9-8.

The AAA Packers were down 5-1 when they scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game.

After the Jackets scored three in the top of the sixth, the Packers scored four in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.

What proved to be the winning run scored on a two-out base hit by Cox.

Holder pitched a scoreless top of the seventh to get the save.

Cayden Parker, Hembree and Rylan Howell each had two hits for the Packers.

Cox, Christian Hill, Davis Lightsey and Charlie Thornton also had hits.

Hembree had a triple and Hill and Parker had doubles.

The victory raised the AAA team’s record to 5-4-1.