Eighth-grade team falls in championship game
Published 12:09 pm Saturday, March 25, 2023
- The Colquitt County eighth-grade baseball finished as the runner-up in the conference tournament. The team included, front, from left, Luke Strong, Judson Taylor, Connor Avery, Ethan Hudson, Hardin Reeves, James Horne and Bryce Roberts; middle, Carter Summerlin, Bowen DeRosso, Davis Wingate, Jake Rowell, Parker Goss, Jalyn Pace, Jackson Edwards and Carter Penuel; back coach Chris Hart, coach Ian Brinson, Eli Johnson and coach Jarvis Lambright.
MOULTRIE — Hahira’s eighth-grade baseball team scored two runs in the sixth and two more in the seventh to defeat Colquitt County 5-4 and win the conference tournament championship on Friday at Packer Park.
The Packers led 4-1 heading into the final two innings, but could not hold off the Vikings.
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Colquitt had the tying run on third with one out in the bottom of the seventh, but could not get him home.
Eli Johnson led off the inning with a double and Jake Rowell sacrificed him to third.
But the final two Packers struck out and grounded out to end the game.
The Colquitt eighth-graders finish their season with a 13-4 record and had defeated Lowndes and Thomas County earlier in the week to reach the championship game.
Hahira jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a walk, a stolen base and a single by Will Shoptaw.
The Packers tied it in the bottom of the inning, despite having two runners thrown out on the base paths.
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Bowen DeRosso doubled in Carter Summerlin to tie the game, but was thrown out at third to end the inning.
Carter Penuel had singled to open the inning, but was thrown out trying to advance to third on Bryce Roberts’s ground out.
Colquitt took the lead in the fourth when DeRosso reached on an error and Jackson Edwards doubled him home.
The Packers extended the lead in the fifth.
Johnson opened the inning with a single and scored on a Penuel double. Roberts sent Penuel home with another Colquitt County base hit.
But the Packers were unable to push across another run in the final two innings.
Hahira won two of the three meetings with the Packers during the season.
Colquitt County out-hit Vikings 10-8 with Penuel, DeRosso and Johnson each contributing two hits. Roberts, Edwards, Carter Summerlin and Davis Wingate had the others. Penuel, Edwards, Johnson and DeRosso each had doubles.
Roberts went the first 5.2 innings on the mound and give up the first three Hahira runs. DeRosso went the final 1.1 innings and gave up the final two runs.
