Generals sweep past Panthers to assume tie for Region 6-AAAA lead
Three games into their 2018 Region 6-AAAA slate and the Heritage Generals are liking the view from the top.
Heritage, sitting at 1-5 just a couple of weeks ago against a tough non-region schedule, has now won five in a row, including a three-game sweep of Ridgeland last week to begin region play.
The series sweep put the Generals (6-5 overall, 3-0 region) in an early tie for first place in the region standings with Pickens. Defending region champion Northwest Whitfield is 2-1 in region play after losing to rival Southeast Whitfield on Friday night, 6-3.
Heritage and Northwest will play a huge three-game series, beginning Tuesday of this week, which will likely go a long way to determining the 2018 region winner.
With close to 30 Major League scouts on hand to watch, Heritage senior Cole Wilcox gave them plenty of think about on Tuesday.
Wilcox, projected by some to be a first round pick in June’s MLB annual draft, didn’t disappoint. He pitched a five-inning complete game, allowing just one hit and one walk with nine strikeouts in a run rule victory.
He also showed he could handle the bat with two hits in three atbats, including a homer, and drove in four runs.
Lance Dockery had three hits and scored four times for the Generals. Luke Grant was 1-for-2 with two walks, two RBIs and three runs scored, while Jonathan Hickman was 2-for-2 and drove in three.
D.J. Ball had the only base hit for the Panthers, while Jacob Stephens was saddled with the loss. He threw three innings, giving up four runs on six hits and a walk with one strikeout.
The (Class 4A) fourth-ranked Generals spotted the visiting Panthers two runs in the top of the first inning on Thursday before storming back to claim Game 2 of the series.
Stephens had an RBI-double in the top of the first inning and Jordan Tucker picked up an RBI-single as Riley Harrison and Tanner Hill scored to put the Panthers in the lead.
But Heritage would come back to take the lead for good in the bottom of the second as they pushed four runs across the plate. Hickman had a tworun single, while Josh Gibson picked up an RBI-single. Gibson would finish the day 3-for-4 to lead the Generals offense.
Two more runs in the third inning and three more in the fourth would cap the scoring for the home team.
Nolan Letzgus was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. He had a triple, drew two walks and stole a base, while also striking out three batters in one inning of relief on the hill for Heritage. Grant
also picked up an RBI in the win.
Tripp Church got credit for the victory. He threw five innings, scattering six hits and striking out nine without allowing a single walk. Justin Morris got the last two outs in the seventh, including one by strikeout.
Four of Ridgeland’s six hits were doubles. Ball had two while Gabe Ashley matched Stephens with one.
Dylan Wooten, the Ridgeland starter, was saddled with the loss after being pulled in the second inning. The Panthers defense also committed five errors on the night.
Heritage 19, Ridgeland 3
The Generals spoiled the long-awaited home opener for the Panthers as Dockery blasted two homers and Grant racked up six RBIs in a run-rule win.
Dockery, who tied the Heritage singleseason record with six home runs a year
ago, hit Nos. 3 and 4 on Friday, leading off the game with a solo shot before adding this second one - also a solo homer - with one out in the second inning.
The first homer sparked a five-run first and he broke into a sheepish grin as he stepped on home plate and trotted toward the dugout after his second dinger, a screamer over the wall in rightcenterfield.
“I’m seeing the ball pretty good right now,” the future Cleveland State Cougar explained. “I’m just coming up to the plate confident and ready to hit.”
Grant had three hits, all of which resulted in two runs coming in to score. His final two RBIs of the night came as part of a six-run fifth inning, which capped the scoring for the Navy-and-Red. Morris, Hickman, Wilcox and Blake Bryan also had RBI-hits in the frame.
Gibson matched Grant with three hits, while Dockery, Hickman, Wilcox and Morris all had two hits. Dockery, Hickman, Wilcox, Gibson and Letzgus all had two
RBIs.
Stephens had two hits for Ridgeland (1-4, 0-3), but was the only Panther with multiple hits. Stephens, along with Ellis Johnson, recorded RBIs for the home team.
Hickman, seeing his first action on the mound in almost a week, pitched 4.2 innings, scattering six hits and allowing three earned runs. He walked two batters and struck out four in the win. Harrison started the game for Ridgeland, but was pulled before the first inning was over.
“We were fortunate to be able to learn from some of those early losses,” Beagles said. “The guys handled it well. Hopefully that will bode well for us going into (this) week against Northwest. These guys have done a good job of getting here everyday and being ready to go. We just have to continue to do that next week.”
Game 1 of the Heritage-Northwest series will be in Tunnel Hill at 5:30 on Tuesday. Ridgeland will look to regroup as they host Gilmer at 5:30 on Tuesday.