Tiger win, N. Oconee loss put W-W in first spot

Coaches Rob Jackson (right) and Donny Swinson (left) presented senior Tiger baseball players (l-r) Demont Gresham, Clete Wilson, and Jerrick Darracott with team-autographed baseballs during a recognition ceremony before the Harlem game on Monday.

It was do or die for the Washington Wilkes Tigers last Friday as they took the field for the last region game of the regular season. Stuck in a three-way tie for first place in the sub-region, the Tigers had to win their game and hope North Oconee lost to Oglethorpe.

W-W, North Oconee (who had led the sub-region all season), and Morgan all went into Friday's games at 7-2 in the sub-region with back-andforth losses to each other. The Tigers needed to beat Morgan to guarantee second place and Oglethorpe had to beat North Oconee for the Tigers to move into first place. That was the only way the Tigers could finish as sub-region champs and that was the way it happened.

North Oconee obliged with a 10- 11 loss to Oglethorpe, thereby taking themselves out of the running. So it was down to whomever won the W-W/Morgan game, and the Bulldogs didn't make it easy.

Morgan piled up an 8-4 lead going into the final frame of the 7-inning contest. Clete Wilson had started the game but ran into trouble in the third inning. Caleb Saggus came on in relief but gave way to Demont Gresham who pitched the final 3.2 innings.

The drama in the seventh proceeded as Saggus and Jonathon Nicholson led off with consecutive singles. Gresham followed with a 3- run homer to boost the score to 8-7. Wilson came right behind with a solo homer of his own to tie the game.

After Lee Thompson was hit by a pitch and stole second base, Jerrick Darracott stroked a single to score Thompson and put the Tigers up 9- 8.

Gresham struck out two in the bottom of the frame to seal the win and the sub-region championship.

On Monday, April 23, the Tigers got some bugs out and let Harlem beat them by a score of 13-3.

Harlem broke the game open late by scoring two runs in the sixth inning and seven runs in the seventhth. According to Head Coach Rob Jackson, the Tigers were unable to figure out Harlem's left-handed pitcher. He allowed only two hits, one of which was a two-run homer by Demont Gresham, his fifth of the year. Caleb Saggus added the only other hit and stole two bases giving him a total of 22 for the year.

"We begin our region tournament Wednesday and I wanted all of our pitchers available," Jackson explained. "I pitched five guys against Harlem and we just could not get in a rhythm on the mound. The only exception," he said, "was Clint Echols who got them out in order in the fifth. We walked 10 batters and it just put our defense to sleep. Hopefully we will have somebody step up and secure that No. 2 spot in the rotation."

The Tigers will have one more regular season game (against Lincoln County on May 7) after the region 8-AA tournament. State playoffs begin on Friday, May 11.

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