TIFTON — Will Pridgen got one last start as a Tift County High pitcher Tuesday.

On Senior Night against Schley County, Pridgen strode out to the mound at the start of the game. However, injuries meant the start had to be symbolic. One month ago, Pridgen hurt both wrists when he hit the wooden fence on a diving catch against Colquitt County.

Both Pridgen’s wrists are still in splits but he donned the uniform for the Blue Devils and stood on the hill to big cheers as head coach Greg Williams hugged him and fellow senior Ryan Whitley came on in relief.

Pridgen’s wasn’t the only big start for a senior. Jacob Jones played two innings in left field, and fielded a double before Mac Brooks pinch-hit for him in the second.

Schley scored single runs over the last three innings to win 3-1, a game every bit of a pitchers’ duel as the score indicates.

Whitley, Jace Long, Landon Parrish and Jake Spurlin were electric for Tift, but Schley’s Brody Smith matched them with a complete game performance, and one dazzling play by the defense.

Smith’s last batter was going to be Drew Hembree. He had 109 pitches when the at-bat started, one under the limit (pitchers can finish an at-bat) and runners in the form of John Davis and Tyler VanSumeren on second and third.

On the sixth pitch, Hembree hit a looper that was sure to fall in for a double and score both runs, but out of nowhere, centerfielder Oscar Lloyd came up with a sliding catch to preserve the Wildcats’ win.

Four innings flew by scoreless Tuesday. Spurlin saved Whitley in the second when a grounder ticked off Whitley’s glove and Spurlin made a barehand grab and throw to Walker Brannen to beat a batter by a step.

Tift’s first two hits were on the infield, both VanSumeren and Parrish reaching that way.

Long picked off two more runners, and nearly did twice more. The speed of Lloyd in the fifth meant that when he did not hesitate, he was able to make it to second. That set up Smith to single him in for Schley’s first run.

The Devils responded with their tally in the bottom of the fifth.

With two outs, Sam Pritchard singled on another infield hit, one the second baseman could not quite grip on a barehand try. Courtesy running, Brodie Law stole second and then Tift manufactured a run with its speed.

Davis hit a ball to deep short and sprinted to beat it out. The depth of the grounder and a brief fumble on the other end of the play were enough for Law, who never stopped running, to score on the play.

A miscue in the sixth gave the Wildcats the lead with Caleb Renfroe scoring. in the seventh, Schley worked the bases loaded with no outs. Spurlin put out the fire in five pitches, but the visitors did scratch one run across on a sacrifice fly by JuJu Salazar to bring in Smith.

Pritchard, now at third base, finished off the ‘Cats in the frame with a diving catch in foul ground.

Each side had a mere five hits for the night. Tift’s were spread evenly among five hitters. Whitley and Long had four strikeouts apiece.

Tift hosts Lee County Friday night at 5:30 in its final regular season game of the year. It will be Rec Night at Devil Diamond.