Gatewood’s baseball team scored an impressive 11-2 victory over region rival Piedmont last Tuesday, followed by a 5-2 win at home on Thursday over Vidalia Heritage. The Gators opened this week at home against George Walton Academy (GWA) and scored an impressive come-from-behind 12-8 win on Monday over the visitors from Monroe.
Gatewood had a slow start against Piedmont, but never trailed the Cougars, going ahead 2-1 in the third before a six-run fourth inning put the visiting Gators ahead for good in Monticello.
Piedmont added one more in the fifth inning, but a single score by the Gators in the sixth and two more in the seventh inning wrapped up the game for Gatewood.
Walker Roberts was given the start on the mound for Gatewood and struggled against the first two batters, giving up a base hit and hitting a batter to start his afternoon. A
bunt then forced an out at third base with a throw from second basemen Hunter Johnson to Wilson Moore. Roberts would strike out the next batter, though, and a Cougars’ runner at second was picked off by catcher Caleb Riser’s throw to end the inning.
Gatewood scored the first run of the afternoon on an Ames Johnson single past third base that sent Lawson Wooten home from third. Despite Lawson Moore grounding into a double play, Riser was able to score from third base and put the Gators up 2-0 in the top of the third inning.
Lawson Moore came in to pitch in the third inning after recording the final out of the second, but he also had a tough start, issuing a walk followed by a double to left field.
Moore got a dropped third strike and a strikeout but allowed a run on a wild pitch to bring the Cougars within one at the end of the third. He held on, though, to record his third strikeout and end the third inning with Gatewood leading 2-1.
In the top of the fourth, John Wallace Thompson reached base on a leadoff error by the Piedmont first basemen. Wilson Moore then doubled to left field before Jayden Moss sent Thompson and Moore home to give the Gators a 4-1 lead on a single to right field.
Lawson Wooten then walked in his at-bat to set up a Hunter Johnson single that scored Moss from second and advanced Wooten to third.
Ames Johnson reached base on a fielder’s choice that scored Wooten, but Hunter Johnson was tagged out at third. Regardless, Ben Brannen hit a double to center field and scored Ames Johnson and Lawson Moore.
The inning ended on a Thompson fly ball caught in right field. Gatewood allowed one more run in the fifth inning on a single given up by Jackson Love, but the Gators answered back with a run in the sixth and two in the seventh.
The pitching staff of Roberts, Thompson, Lawson Moore, and Jackson Love combined for 10 strikeouts, four hits, and six walks allowed. Wilson Moore and Hunter Johnson led the Gators’ offense with both hitting 1.000 on the afternoon.
Johnson went 3-for-3 with three singles, one walk, and one hit by pitch, while Wilson Moore went 2-2 with one single, one double, and two runs scored. Moore also walked and was hit by a pitch once.
The Gators improved to 4-2 on the season with a 5-2 win on Thursday over Vidalia Heritage Academy. Gatewood scored once in each of the first two innings, then added two more runs in the bottom of the fourth before the visiting Eagles finally posted a run in the sixth inning.
Gatewood responded with a run of their own in the bottom of the sixth and the game ended 5-2 after VHA managed one more run in the top of the seventh inning. Jackson Hewatt scored twice for the Gators, with Wooten, Thompson, and Riser contributing one apiece.
Monday’s game saw Gatewood starting to establish an advantage with one run scored in the opening inning followed by two more scores in the bottom of the second, but GWA exploded with seven runs in the top of the third inning.
Undaunted, the Gators just kept chipping away at the Bulldogs’ lead, scoring twice in each of the third and fourth innings, then adding another run in the fifth, capped by a four-run sixth inning. Meanwhile, George Walton managed only one more run in the top of the fourth inning to reach the 12-8 final.
Brannen, Roberts, and Ames Johnson accounted for two runs each, with Riser, Hunter Johnson, Wilson Moore, Jack Wooten, and 8th graders Jayden Moss and Lawson Moore each contributing single scores.
Gatewood next hosted Westminster Christian on Tuesday (after press time), followed by travel to Watkinsville on Thursday to face WCA again, and then a trip to George Walton on Friday.
The Gators’ next home game will be next Tuesday beginning at 5:30 p.m. for an in-region pairing against Brentwood.