Diamond Devils now 3-0 after jolting Jackson

Published 9:00 am Sunday, February 20, 2022

TIFTON – Five runs in the first inning were all the Tift County Blue Devils needed Saturday night. Tift closed out the two-day Blue Devil Invitational with an 8-2 victory over the Jackson Red Devils.

Through the first week of the season, Greg Williams’ squad is 3-0, though they have not exactly been racking up the base hits.

Tift had four hits Saturday, one in the first and three in the sixth. That did not mean they did not keep Jackson on their toes. Eleven men batted in the opening frame and only once did the visiting Devils record a 1-2-3 inning.

“At the end of the day, the scoreboard is what we’re looking at,” Williams said.

John Davis worked a perfect first frame for the Blue Devils. By the time he took the hill again, he had a comfortable lead.

Tyler Holmes worked a one-out walk in the bottom half, with John Dorman being hit by a pitch. Both moved up a base on a wild pitch, but when Holmes noticed hesitation on Jackson’s part, he bolted for home, making it safely with a slide.

Cody Williamson tripled over the right fielder’s head, driving in Dorman and Jackson’s trouble was only beginning. Lino Acosta and Landon Parrish loaded the bases with walks.

Pitcher Jacob Yon got a strikeout for his second out, but Cam Smith drove in a run on a walk, then Luke Ellerbee did the same when he was hit on the backside by a pitch.

Davis, up for the second time, earned a walk for a 5-0 lead.

The lead jumped to 6-0 in the second when a pair of errors, sandwiching a steal, brought Dorman around the bags.

There the score stayed for a while. Davis worked three scoreless innings before giving way to the bullpen.

Jackson recorded their first hit, an Austin Lyle single in the fourth, immediately followed with one from Jordan Williams. Deacon Andrews drove in Lyle before Williams made it 6-2 when he scored on a double steal.

Tift’s lead was cut to four runs, but the Blue Devils’ pen ensured there was no more danger. Parrish struck out two hitters over the fifth and sixth, then Ryan Whitley did the same in his 1 2/3 innings of work.

Meanwhile, Holmes singled over first for Tift’s second hit. Dorman bunted him over, then wound up safe himself as the ball was placed in a perfect spot.

Williamson sacrificed Dorman to second, but Holmes had to hold at third. That brought up Bailey Booth, who smacked a hard infield grounder.

Holmes scored on the hit, then Dorman crossed when the throw to try to get Booth went wild.

Whitley got a little defensive help in the seventh, with Holmes going to his knees to catch a soft liner at second, then doubling up a Jackson runner at first to end the game.

Dorman scored three runs in the win, with Holmes scoring twice. Tift earned 11 walks and was hit by three pitches.

Four pitchers were active for Tift.

“We’ll throw them until we get comfortable,” said Williams. It’s all part of the plan. “By the end of the year, they’re going to have to play a big role.”

One night earlier, the Blue Devils walked off a 5-4 victory over Eastside of Covington.

Holmes doubled in Ellerbee and Acosta in the bottom of the seventh for the winning tallies in what had started off as a pitching duel.

“We let the seventh get away from us,” he said. “But we came back and responded.”

Connor VanSumeren threw 6 1/3 innings, striking out six while only walking two.

“He was excellent,” Williams said. “He was commanding the zone. That’s the best I’ve seen him throw.”