Colquitt County shortstop Adam Beverly tags out Worth County’s Lalan Ellis, who was trying to steal second base in the fourth inning of the Packers 6-0 scrimmage victory on Thursday. Packers catcher Hayden Hembree made the perfect throw.

MOULTRIE — Four Colquitt County pitchers allowed no runs and just four hits in the 6-0 scrimmage victory over Worth County on Thursday on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium.

The scrimmage was played with each team sending five batters to the plate in each inning.

The Packers, out to improve on last year’s 12-17 record, will be back at home again at 6 p.m. Monday to open the 2024 season against Thomas County Central.

On Tuesday, Cairo will visit giving Colquitt County fans a third-straight opportunity to watch what is expected to be an improved Packers team.

After the game against the Syrupmakers, Colquitt is scheduled to travel for its next four games before returning home on Feb. 23-24 for back-to-back games against Creekside and St. John Neumann in the annual Georgia/Florida Challenge.

The Packers will open Region 1-7A play on Tuesday, March 12 with the first game of its series against Camden County.

Camden will come to Moultrie to complete the three-game series with a doubleheader on Friday, March 15.

Defending region and Class 7A state champion Lowndes will visit Packer Park on Tuesday, March 19 for the first game of its region series with the Packers.

A doubleheader at Lowndes is scheduled for Friday, March 22.

The Packers’ 2024 schedule also includes a Spring Break trip to Florida that will include games against Mosely High in Panama City on April 2 and South Walton High in Santa Rosa on April 3.

On Thursday against Worth, the Packers scored twice in the third inning on back-to-back doubles by Jake Walker and Brady DeRosso and made it 3-0 when freshman Bowen DeRosso scored on a wild pitch after stroking a pinch-hit double in the sixth.

Colquitt added three more runs in the bottom of the seventh when Mason Moore walked and Cam Cook followed with a long home run over the left field fence.

After Adam Beverly singled, Tyson Hobby’s double drove in the game’s final run.

Moore, the senior left-handed pitcher/outfielder who has committed to play at Tallahassee Community College, started on the mound and faced 10 batters over the first two innings and gave up two singles and one walk.

He struck out two Rams and walked one.

Garron Wingate, another of the Packers five seniors, pitched the next two innings. He walked two, hit a batter and worked around a pair of errors.

He did not surrender a base hit and was aided when catcher Hayden Hembree threw to shortstop Adam Beverly to retire Lalan Ellis, who was attempting to steal second in the fourth inning.

Left-hander Cook Tompkins pitched the fifth and sixth and gave up a single and three walks and struck out three.

Sophomore Logan Plymel pitched a scoreless seventh, although he walked three.

In addition to his seventh-inning home run, Cook also doubled in the fifth.

Cayden Parker also had a pair of singles and reached on an error.

“He’s seeing it well right now,” Brock said of Parker, the senior outfielder.

Freshman Bryce Roberts started at second base and was credited with a base hit.

Worth County, which includes former Packers assistant Lee Caquelard on its staff, was 19-12 last year and did not use Ole Miss-committed right-hander Owen Hancock against the Packers.

Brandon Brock, starting his third season at the Packers head coach, said the lineup he sent out against Worth County is the one he will likely use against Thomas County Central on Monday.

It had Moore on the mound pitching to Hembree. Walker was at first, Roberts at second, Jaxon Chambers at third and Beverly at short.

The outfield included Cook in left, Brady DeRosso in center and Parker in right.

Charlie Thornton was the designated hitter.

Brock obviously was pleased with the pitching said that pitching coach Ethan Hopper observed that Worth never got a runner as far as third base before the Packers recorded three outs in any inning.

And, Brock added, “We’ve got three other pitchers we are comfortable with too and that we just chose not to throw tonight.”

Roberts, Bowen DeRosso, Davis Lightsey, Cole Holder and Gabe Eubanks also will likely see time on the mound this season.

Brock was not surprised by the homer by Cook, who has been showing off his muscle in recent practices.

The Colquitt baseball team has been benefiting from both a new program instituted by Hopper to help the pitchers and a new weight training and nutrition regimen that Brock said is “clearly” helping his players.

Brock also noted that three freshmen, Roberts, Bowen DeRosso and catcher Carter Summerlin, are expected to contribute for the Packers this season.