After a week off for spring break, the Gatewood baseball team (12-5, 5-1) resumed its season on the road last week with three straight non-conference wins.
The Gators beat Edmond Burke Academy (EBA) 11-2 in Waynesboro on Monday, then visited Thomas Jefferson Academy (TJA) in Louisville the next day for a 13-1 win, followed by a Friday trip to Vidalia, where they scored a 7-4 extra-inning victory over Vidalia Heritage Academy (VHA).
The Gators had a slow start versus Edmund Burke, scoring zero runs through the first three innings, but allowing a run against in the first inning before a pair of strikeouts and a ground out got John Wallace-Thompson out of a troubling start.
Walker Roberts entered the game in relief of Thompson, but EBA would go on to score its second run in the bottom of the third to double their lead, but the Gators finally answered in the fourth inning thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Ben Brannen that advanced Lawson Wooten to third base and Trey Wiggins to second. Wooten then became the beneficiary of an error by the EBA catcher, scoring on a passed ball to bring the Gators to within a run.
The next three Spartan batters all grounded out to give the Gators a golden opportunity to tie the game in the fifth inning. Despite a double play, Ames Johnson was able to score a run after hitting a single and stealing second before being walked to third and then scoring on a double play that went to second and first bases.
With pitcher Walker Roberts taking care of business on the mound, the Gators managed to finally take the lead in the sixth inning as Hunter Johnson would score on an error play by the Spartans’ third baseman.
Dylan Sinclair advanced to third on the same play, then extended the Gators’ lead to 4-2 on a fielder’s choice after Roberts made a base hit. Caleb Riser then stole home, followed by Ames Johnson also stealing home before a Ben Brannen double scored Wooten and Drew Love to make it an 8-2 Gators’ advantage heading to the 7th and final inning.
In the top of the 7th, the Gators added three more runs from Riser, Roberts, and Ames Johnson to reach the 11-2 final.
Roberts earned the win after throwing four innings, allowing one hit with zero runs, and striking out four batters. Holden Turner closed out the win for the Gators, pitching the final two innings and allowing zero runs, zero hits and striking out four batters.
Brannen led the Gatewood hitters, batting .500 with two hits that included a double and three RBIs.
At Louisville on Tuesday, Gatewood and the Jaguars were tied at one run apiece after the first inning, but the Gators took over in the second, putting seven runs across the plate, followed by two more in both the third and fourth innings. One final run in the fifth triggered the run rule and a 13-1 Gatewood blowout was in the books.
Though no home runs were recorded, Hunter Johnson batted .750 against TJA while scoring three runs on three hits with two RBIs. Wiggins pitched the first inning before Wilson Moore came on in relief to finish out the game and earn the win.
The Vidalia Heritage game on Friday turned out to be the biggest test for the Gators. VHA was up 3-0 before Gatewood finally got on the board with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning.
The Eagles answered with another run in the bottom of the sixth for a 4-2 lead heading into the seventh and final inning of regulation play, where Gatewood added two more runs to send the game into extra innings.
A trio of scores in the top of the eighth proved to be decisive as the Jags were unable to answer and the Gators won 7-4. Walker Roberts got the win on the mound for Gatewood after pitching only 1.2 innings, including three strikeouts in the extra inning.
Gatewood continued non-conference play on the road in Macon on April 17, where it was shut out 10-0 by the Stratford Academy Eagles in five innings.
The Gators played at Bethlehem Christian Academy this Tuesday (after press time), then host Briarwood starting at 5 p.m. Thursday, followed by their final game of the regular season April 25, against Pinewood Christian in Bellville.
According to head coach Brandon Moss, the Gators will most likely open playoffs at Tattnall Square the following Friday.