MOULTRIE – Two times on Monday, Hillgrove High’s baseball Hawks bode their time before putting on an offensive display to crush two South Georgia squads on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium.

After scoring 10 fourth-inning runs to defeat Tift County High 10-0 in five frames, a host of Hillgrove pitchers engaged in a scoreless dual with Colquitt County High left-hander Turner Sircy. This one lasted until the top of the sixth, then the Hawks used four hits plus two errors from the Packers on bunted baseballs to score five times. They went on to win 6-1 and start their season 2-0 while Colquitt dropped to 1-2 heading into today’s non-region contest with Cairo High.

(In the 2018 season, Hillgrove opened the same way visiting both the Packers and Blue Devils in Moultrie from Powder Springs. Colquitt County won last year’s contest 3-2, and Hillgrove went on to lose in the opening round of the 7A playoffs to Etowah High. That sent Etowah to Colquitt County for the second round, which Etowah won two games to one.)

Through the first five innings Monday, Sircy gave up just one hit in the only one of those frames where the Hawks threatened to score. The Packers all told had four errors in the game, and one of those was on a throw to first base with one out in the top of the second. Trace Cate of the Hawks singled afterwards, and Sircy made a good play on a ‘swinging bunt’ that moved the Hillgrove runners to scoring position.

One pitch to No. 9 hitter Cameron Fiveash later, Sircy was out of the inning on a liner to third baseman JT Whatley.

Sircy struck out six and walked one in the first five innings. Alex Bledsoe went back, back to the wall in left field for a catch leading off the top of the third.

Starting with left-hander Fred Wilson, Hillgrove used six pitchers in its second game Monday. Lucas Tostenson’s first-inning single was the only hit off Wilson, who fanned four. The Packers didn’t get another hit until Reese Bledsoe led off the top of the fifth with an infield safety against the third Hawk pitcher. He stole second base and was on third with two outs when the visitors made another change on the mound.

Jaycee Harden was hit by a 1-2 pitch, but Hillgrove escaped leaving runners on the corners by fanning Whatley.

The Hawk bats went to work in their ensuing turn as senior Reid Brown led off with a single and senior Justin Tew’s hard bunt became a base hit. Senior Deion Walker cleared the bases with a three-run home run.

With Ethan Wright’s single, the Hawks were on their way to two more runs as they bunted twice and reached on consecutive errors to load the bases. Reliever Jacob Walden recorded two fly-ball outs, each bringing in a run. Hillgrove got one more sacrifice fly after two walks in the top of the seventh.

Colquitt’s lone run of the day was in the seventh when Harden bunted and reached on an error.