Tigers will enter state playoffs on May 9; playing for seeding, site today at Dawson

NOT EVEN CLOSE ... Lee Thompson puts the tag on Dawson County's Olin Bearden who was decidedly behind Drew Wilson's throw from behind the plate as the Tigers came from behind to win in the first Region 8AA playoff game last Friday.

The Washington-Wilkes Tiger baseball team earned a berth in the state playoffs on Saturday in a 15-5 comeback win over visiting Dawson County to take the first round of region 8AA playoff action. The second

round, being played today, will determine seedings for the state tournament. The W-W win eliminated Dawson from further competition but ironically, it is Dawson that will host today's action.

The first game of the day pits the Tigers against the Rebels of Fannin County (13-7, 10-5), the top finisher in Region 8AA North. It is worthy of note, however, that the top three spots in the North were very closely held and Fannin actually lost to Dawson County twice during the regular season - once in extra innings. Game time for the Tigers and Rebels is 11 a.m. North Oconee will play Banks County in game two immediately following.

Winners from those two games will play again today (May 1) at 8 p.m. to determine the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds entering the state playoff bracket. Losers will play for the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds beginning at 5 p.m. As is customary, the top two seeds will host the first round playoff games while the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds will travel. State brackets have Region 8AA paired with Region 6AA is a best of three series. The top four teams in 6AA, according to GaSports.com, are Holy Innocents, Wesleyan, Greater Atlanta Christian, and Lovett.

Last weekend's games against Dawson were reported by head coach Rob Jackson as follows.

Dawson 4; Tigers 7

Drew Wilson pitched fivestrong innings for the Tigers to pick up the win and D.J. Barnett got the save going two scoreless innings.

Dawson scored all four of its runs in the third inning to go up 4-0. But Jerrick Darracott responded in the bottom of the frame with a 3-run home run to score Caleb Saggus and Wilson, tying the game at 4. Lee Thompson had singled and scored on a throwing error just before Darracott's round trip.

Zach Murray (top photo) makes the throw from his position at third base. Drew Wilson (bottom) pitched fivestrong innings to get the win over Dawson in game No. 1 last weekend.

The Tigers later added 1 run in the fourth after a leadoff hit by Ty McGill and a sac flyfrom Thompson. The Tigers loaded the bases in the fifth and scored two runs on two walks from Dawson County pitching. Leading hitters for game one were Wilson 1-2; Darracott 2-4, HR; McGill 1-2; and Thompson 1-2.

Tigers 2; Dawson 10

Kelley Roberts took the loss on the mound.

Caleb Saggus scored both runs for the Tigers. The first came after a leadoff walk and an RBI single from Wilson. The second and final Tiger run was a solo home run by Saggus.

Leading hitters for the Tigers were Saggus 1-3, HR; Wilson 1-3, RBI; Zach Murray 1-3; and McGill 1-3.

Dawson 5; Tigers 15

Dawson jumped out to an early 4-0 lead scoring two runs in each of the first and second innings. But the Tigers responded with four runs of their own in the bottom of the second beginning with an RBI single by McGill which scored Darracott. Saggus then hit a 3-rbi triple scoring Zach Murray, McGill, and Spencer Swinson.

Dawson added a single run in the fifth to regain the lead but it was short-lived. The Tigers "big innning" came in the bottom of the fifth when they scored eight runs on four hits, four walks, and two Dawson errors. Barnett capped off the inning with a deep home run over the centerfield fence.

The Tigers finished the game in the sixth when McGill lead off the inning with double and was singled in by Thompson. Swinson reached on a walk and then Saggus hit a double to the right field corner to score Thompson and Swinson envoking the mercy rule.

Saggus picked up the win for the Tigers.

Earlier in the week ...

On Tuesday, April 22, the Tigers beat Lincoln County by the score of 12-2 to close out the regular season. Saggus picked up the win for the Tigers making his record 4-2 (now 5-2). Having multiple hits for the Tigers were Saggus and Wilson both going 2-4.

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