Blue Devils visit Tiftarea for scrimmage game
Published 11:00 am Saturday, February 8, 2025
- Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette Tift's Tyler VanSumeren slides in under a tag attempt by Tiftarea catcher Dawson Butler.
CHULA — For the second straight season, Tift County High and Tiftarea Academy baseball teams scrimmaged one another. This meeting, taking place at Tiftarea’s home, played a traditional seven innings as well as tested a few situations.
Situations began the second, fourth and sixth innings. One the situational at-bat finished, the regular game continued. Both tested the same scenarios, which were runners at different bases. Bunting was the primary objective, though both attempted steals with runners on the corners.
The scoreboard read 18-1 for the Blue Devils at the end of seven and Tift outhit the Panthers, 12-3.
The biggest bang of the day came while many fans were still trying to find parking. John Davis drove a Tiftarea offering deep over the centerfield fence, just left of the batter’s eye.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette
John Davis is congratulated at home by Mac Brooks after Davis socked a first-inning homer for the Blue Devils.
Davis’ solo shot was the only run until the Devils added three in the top of the third. In that frame, walks to Jake Spurlin and Mac Brooks caused trouble for Tiftarea. Though Brooks was eliminated on a fielder’s choice, Tyler VanSumeren made it safely to first.
Landon Parrish doubled to right field to bring home both Spurlin and VanSumeren, then scored himself on a wild pitch.
The fourth inning saw Tift break the scrimmage completely open with nine runs, sending 11 to the plate. Four walks helped their cause, as did a two-run double by Drew Hembree. Spurlin made it 13-0 on a sac fly to left.
Parrish singled home Brooks in the fifth inning. The bottom half saw the Panthers score their sole run on a double by Jackson Gray that drove in Reid Jackson. Jackson courtesy ran for Dawson Butler who initially reached on a walk before Jackson stole second.
Brodie Law, Sam Pritchard and Mason Grist scored runs in the sixth. VanSumeren was the 18th run in the seventh before Tift head coach Greg Williams announced that Grist would be the last hitter.
Becky Taylor/The Tifton Gazette
Reid Jackson scores for Tiftarea on a Jackson Gray double.
Beau Hembree singled for Tiftarea in the bottom of the seventh before Landon Griffin got a grounder to short to end the game.
Each team used multiple pitchers for the night.
Tiftarea threw five pitchers. Tift had six hurlers. The Panthers struck out six hitters and Blue Devils fanned 14.
Tift County is scheduled to start its regular season Tuesday, Feb. 11 at home against Veterans. Tiftarea is scheduled to travel to Cairo Feb. 18.
