The doubleheader began with a thrilling 10-9 walk-off win in extra innings for the Bruins before they couldn't claw back into game two falling 9-5.
"The first game was awesome," Head Coach Kyle Morrison said. "We showed a lot of fight when we got down, clawed back, took the lead, got down again, and then ended up winning. [Jacob] Highsmith came up clutch for us playing the game of his life today and that was awesome. In game two, we gave up too many free bases and weren't able to claw back right away."
Bruins ace Tillman Padgett started on the mound in game one and had a great start up until the fifth inning where the Screaming Eagles' offense came alive to get runs on the board. The Bruins however, gave Tillman run support. Down 1-0 in the bottom of the second inning, Preston Cox hit an RBI-triple to score Cayden Kennedy to tie it 1-1. The Bruins then added one in each the third and fourth innings to take a 3-1 lead. Jacob Highsmith's big game started when he was able to get all the way around the bases capitalizing on Toccoa Falls' mistakes. Elijah Medrano added to the lead in the next inning with an RBI-single scoring Cox.
The fifth inning is where the region rivalry showed through. The Screaming Eagles were able to get on base and have two multi-RBI hits to score four runs in the inning to take a 5-3 lead. Padgett was able to limit the damage there, and the Bruins offense was able to get the runs right back. With the bases loaded, Cox hit a fielder's choice that scored Evan Johnson to make the score 5-4. Zac Tyre then got a huge two RBI-double to give the Bruins the lead back.Â
The sixth inning mirrored the fifth with the same amount of runs scored for each team. The big hit for Toccoa Falls was the bases-clearing double that scored three. That was followed by a sac-fly to give the Screaming Eagles a 9-6 lead. But the Bruins had an answer again, and his name is Jacob Highsmith. With Elijah Medrano and Henry Rumble on base, Highsmith hit a three-run home run to tie the game at 9-9. Neither team could score in the seventh inning, so the game went to extra innings.
Noah Ezell was able to get three outs in four batters to give the Bruins a prime opportunity to walk it off. The first two batters of the bottom of the eighth got out before Evan Johnson hit a double. Rumble was then intentionally walked before Highsmith was at the plate again. Highsmith hit a walkoff single to win game one for the Bruins 10-9.
Highsmith finished the game 3-5 with four RBIs. Preston Cox and Evan Johnson both had a pair of hits and a pair of RBIs as well. Tillman Padgett finished with five innings pitched and five runs allowed followed by Noah Ezell with three relief innings and four runs allowed.
Game two looked a lot differently and one inning made the difference. Mack Ritter started on the mound for the Bruins and struggled to find the strike zone. "He gave up too many free bases. He knows it, but we trust him to be ready for his next game," Coach Morrison said.Â
After only giving up one run in the first inning, the Bruins actually took a 2-1Â lead in the second inning from a two-run home run by Preston Cox. The top of the third, however, is when the game nearly got out of reach for the Bruins. Toccoa Falls was able to take advantage of the free bases and defensive mishaps by the Bruins, and they scored seven runs to take a commanding 8-2 lead. Highsmith hit an RBI-single in the bottom of the inning to make it a 8-3 score, but no momentum came from it. The Screaming Eagles added a run in the top of the fourth inning, and the Bruins could only get two more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Henry Rumble reached on an error and that error led to Mannix Crawford and Elijah Medrano scoring. That was all the Bruins could get though, and they fell 9-5.Â
Gabe Swarms pitched in relief for Ritter and threw great only allowing one run on three hits in 4 and two-thirds innings pitched. Evan Johnson led the offense with two hits, and Preston Cox had two RBIs.
The final game of the series between these two teams is tomorrow at 1:00 p.m. at Conestee Park.
