Devils sizzle against Bacon

Published 1:00 pm Wednesday, March 9, 2022

TIFTON – The second time through the lineup was the charm Tuesday night for Tift County, who picked up their 10th win of the season against visiting Bacon County, 12-2.

The Blue Devils scored nine times after the lineup rolled over again, including an eight-run 4th. With Luke Ellerbee shutting the door as a relief pitcher, the game ended in five innings.

Twelve players hit in the bottom of the 4th, eight of them scoring. Tyler Holmes had two hits in the frame. Starling drove in four runs.

When the half-inning began, Tift’s lead was slim at 4-2. It would not take them long to gain a bit of cushion.

John Davis and Holmes singled and, when John Dorman attempted to lay down a sacrifice bunt, the throw to first base ended up in right field. Davis and Holmes scored to make it 6-2.

Cody Williamson immediately followed with a single to drive home Dorman, then he got to coast in on Landon Parrish’s triple into the right field corner.

Lino Acosta’s ground out was the first of the inning and enough to score Parrish. The bases were now clear, but not for long.

Bailey Booth sent a chopper past third base and his courtesy runner, Mac Brooks, advanced to third on Brady Moretz’s double to deep center.

With the score 9-2, Gavin Starling drove both runners in with a single to right. He moved up a base on a grounder, then Holmes put the game in mercy rule territory on his RBI hit.

Ellerbee surrendered a one-out double to Knox Ledbetter in the top of the 5th, but struck out his final two hitters to end it early.

Both squads landed two runners on base in the 1st, but neither scored. Starter Parrish also pitched around two Red Raiders on base in the 2nd.

Acosta began the bottom half with a double to left, then Booth reached on a dropped fly. Both Acosta and Brooks stole bases to move up, which came in handy when Starling doubled over the left fielder’s head. Starling himself scored on a hit by Holmes to make it 3-0.

Bacon answered with two runs in the 3rd.

Cale Taylor and Brady Cothern both singled. The former scored on Ledbetter’s sacrifice fly and the latter trotted in when Aiden White earned a bases loaded walk.

Now cut to 3-2, Tift got a bit of insurance of Red Raiders’ miscues.

Parrish walked with one out, then went to second on a wild pickoff attempt. Two wild pitches, the second with two outs, brought him around from there.

Ellerbee fanned four after coming in in the 3rd inning.

Every player in Tift’s lineup scored (counting Brooks for Booth) at least once and all starters recorded a hit as well.

Tift is next scheduled to play Friday at Camden County, a doubleheader that serves as their opener for the Region 1-7A portion of their schedule.