Jackets sweep Swainsboro

Jeff Davis High’s baseball team took a 3-game sweep of the Swainsboro Tigers last week winning the series 2-1, 10-1 and 7-3.
The games were scheduled for Monday in Swainsboro, Thursday in Hazlehurst and Friday in Swainsboro. But because of rain and the threat of rain, the first game was played Wednesday in Hazlehurst and a double header was played Thursday in Swainsboro.
The wins gave the Jackets a 21-2 overall record and a 14-1 mark in Region 2-AA with three games against Bacon County this week remaining on the schedule.
Wednesday’s game in Hazlehurst was agonizing for Jacket fans as JD struggled at the plate. with only two hits, singles by Britt Metts and Hamp Hayes. Bubby Chaney had the Jackets’ only RBI.
Jeff Davis scored both runs in the fourth inning. Colby Marchant walked, Metts singled and Hayes walked to load the bases and Chaney followed with a ground out to second to score courtesy runner Ethan Hulett from third. Metts then scored three pitches later on a wild pitch. Those two runs turned out to be enough as Garrison Miles held the Tigers at bay on the mound. Swainsboro’s only run came in the sixth thanks to a Jacket error.
Miles gave up five hits, walked one and struck out nine as he improved his season record to 7-0 and lowered his ERA to 1.077.
In the first game Thursday, sophomore Matthew White got his second complete game performance on the mound and Metts was 3-for-4 with a single, a double, a long, towering homer and four RBI as the Jackets rolled to a 10-1 win.
The first four innings were close as JD scored a run in the top of the fourth on a run-scoring single by Cade Walters to tie the game 1-1. Jeff Davis then scored nine runs in the final three innings to blow the game open.
In the fifth, the Jackets loaded the bases on an error, a Metts single and a bunt single by Hayes. Chaney hit a hard grounder to second and was safe on an error as two runs crossed the plate. An out later, Braydon Creech singled to score Hayes from third as the Jackets opened a 4-1 lead.
In the sixth Miles walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Marchant grounder to center. Metts then doubled to score courtesy runner Hulett to make it 6-1.
In the top of the seventh, Walters opened the winning with a double and Miles singled to put runners at the corners. Walters scored on a wild pitch as Miles went to second. Marchant then walked to put two runners on. Then Metts came to the plate and crushed a 3-1 pitch high into the trees over the left field fence for a 3-run homer and a 10-1 JD lead.
Backing up Metts’ 3-for-4 day at the plate was Walters who went 3-for-4 with two singles and a double and an RBI. Marchant had a pair of singles and an RBI, Creech had a single and an RBI, Miles and Hayes singled and Chaney drove in a pair of runs.
The only run off White was unearned as he went the distance. He gave up five hits, walked one and struck out four as he improved to 2-0 and lowered his ERA to 0.467.
The final game in the series was close until the top of the seventh inning when the Jackets scored three runs to turn a 4-3 lead into a 7-3 advantage. The score was tied at 1-1 and 2-2 before a 2-run JD fifth game the Jackets a 4-2 lead. Swainsboro scored a single run in the sixth to cut it to 4-3 going into the final inning.
The Jackets’ first run came in the second as a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases. Then Chaney scored from third on a Garrett Taylor ground out to second.
In the top of the third with the score 1-1, Walters reached on an error and went to second on another error. He went to third on a Marchant ground out and scored on a single to center by Metts.
In the top of the fifth, a pair of walks put two on and Hayes followed with a double to left to score both runners, putting the Jackets up 4-2.
In the seventh, with two runners on, Hayes singled to left to score one run. And with two outs and runners on second and third, Caleb Leggett singled to right to drive in both runners to give the Jackets a 7-3 lead.
But Swainsboro didn’t quit. In their final at bat, the Tigers started with a single and a double off reliever Creech to put runners at second and third. After a strikeout, Metts fielded a grounder at shortstop and threw to Chaney for the out at first, then Chaney alertly spotted the runner at second off the bag and threw to Miles to pick off the runner for the third out to end the game.
Hayes was 3-for-3 with two singles and a double, and three RBI. Leggett was 3-for-4 with a trio of singles and two RBI. Metts singled in a run, Marchant had a single and Taylor had an RBI.
Metts started on the mound and went two innings. He gave up one run on two hits, walked three and struck out four. Cole Baucom got the win in relief. He went four innings, giving up two runs on five hits, walking three and striking out three. Creech pitched the final inning, giving up no runs on two hits, walking none and striking out one.
Score by innings:
SHS 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 -1
JDHS 0 0 0 2 0 0 x -2

JDHS 0 0 0 1 3 2 4 -10
SHS 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 – 1

JDHS 0 1 1 0 2 0 3 -7
SHS 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 -3