MARIETTA – Colquitt County had no answer for a precision Walton High baseball team and bowed out of the Class 6A playoffs in the first round on Wednesday.
The Region 5 runner-up Raiders allowed only four earned runs, committed just one error and out-hit the Packers 22-12 in sweeping the doubleheader at The Yard, 10-1 and 14-3 in six innings.
The Packers, the No. 3 team from Region 1, finish 16-16 in the first year under head coach Ryan Strickland.
Colquitt started 0-3, but, led by 11 seniors and three promising sophomores, rallied to go 10-5 in the region and post the program’s most wins since the 2022 team went 18-17.
But the Packers had a difficult draw in the first round.
The Raiders, who have not won fewer than 22 games in a season since 2019, were ranked No. 3 in Class 6A and are now 25-7 after the sweep.
Walton, which won state championships in 2007 and 2016 under current head coach Shane Amos, also is now 14-1 on its home field, known as “The Yard.”
The Raiders never trailed in either game and allowed the Packers just six hits in each game.
The Raiders advance to the second round and will face either Dacula or East Coweta.
Region 1 champion Lowndes split its opening doubleheader, defeating Cherokee 2-1 in the first game, then falling 6-3 in the nightcap.
Tift County, the Region 1 runner-up, also split, defeating North Paulding 3-1, then losing 9-2.
Both the Vikings and Blue Devils will play their deciding games on Thursday.
Like Colquitt County, Richmond Hill was eliminated on Wednesday, losing to Region 5 champion Etowah 6-5 and 7-1.
Etowah is now 30-3 on the season.
The Packers trailed 6-0 before finally getting on the scoreboard in the sixth inning in the first game.
The Raiders touched up Packers starter Bowen DeRosso for seven hits and six runs in the first 3.1 innings, but only two of the runs were earned.
Colquitt had just one hit over the first four innings off Walton starter Hyland Brown.
And that hit came on the second pitch of the game.
Hayden Hembree swatted it for a double, but was thrown out at third base trying to stretch it into a triple.
By the time Colquitt managed its next hit – an infield single by Carter Summerlin leading off the top of the fifth – the Packers were down 6-0.
The Packers scored their lone run in the sixth when Brady DeRosso led off the inning with a single, went to third on a double by Bryce Roberts and scored on a single by Bowen DeRosso.
Summerlin also added a double to open the bottom of the seventh, but was stranded.
Four of the Packers hits came in the final two innings.
Brown went the first six innings for the Raiders, giving up five hits and one run.
Walton scored four runs in the bottom of the seventh to put the game out of reach.
The Raiders led the nightcap 4-2 when they broke loose for seven runs in the top of the third inning.
They added three more in the top of sixth and when the Packers were held scoreless in the bottom of the inning, Walton had the run-rule victory.
Tyson Hobby led the Packers with two hits in the second game and Summerlin added his second double of the twin bill.
Brady DeRosso, Adam Beverly and Rylan Howell added singles.
Walton had 11 hits in the game, including three by junior Walker Killimett.