Bulldogs advance to Final Four

And then there were four. Thirty-two teams began their guest for the class A division II state championship on April 23. Only 4 teams remain. All four are number one seeds and region champions. ECI will travel to Rochelle to face Wilcox County and Bowdon will take the long ride to Lakeland to take on Lanier Co.

The ECI Bulldog baseball team continued their march to the championship series last week sweeping Charlton Co. to punch their ticket to the Final Four round of the state playoffs. They won the first game of the doubleheader last Wednesday 7-4 and sent the Indians back to Folkston on the same day, taking the second game 8-1. The Bulldogs gave the Indians their first losses in the state playoffs. Coming into the series the Indians won their first 4 games in the playoffs, scoring double digits to sweep each opponent. The Bulldog pitching staff and defense limited the second ranked Indians to just 5 runs and 10 hits in the doubleheader Wednesday. The Bulldog offense put pressure on the Charlton defense with 21 hits and 15 runs, causing 7 Indian errors in the field. The Bulldogs got an early first inning lead to begin the first game of the doubleheader. Tuff Boddiford earned a 2 out walk and the Bulldogs hit 3 consecutive singles by Jackson Kennedy, Bryson Thompson and Ab Marsh to take a 2-0 lead. Charlton bounced back in the third to take a 3-2 lead in the top of the inning. The Bulldogs tied the game 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth on singles by Davis Johnson and Bryson Thompson. Charlton took back the lead in the top of the fifth on a solo homerun to put the Indians ahead 4-3. Gabe Lee led off the bottom of the sixth with a single and advanced to second on another Davis Johnson sac bunt. Tuff Boddiford tied the game 4-4 scoring Lee with a stand-up double. They put 3 more on the board in the inning on a Charlton error and singles by Bryson Thompson and Ab Marsh plus a James Parker ground out to put ECI up 7-4. The Indians went down in order in the top of the seventh as the Bulldogs took the important first game win 7-4. Bryson Thompson led the Bulldogs at the plate with 4 hits. Ab Marsh had two hits with 5 other Bulldogs picking up hits in the game. Jackson Kennedy pitched the first four innings for ECI scattering 4 hits, one walk with 4 strikeouts. Bryson Thompson closed out the final 3 innings giving up just 3 hits, no walks, striking out two Indian batters. Still putting pressure on the Indians by placing the ball in play, the Bulldogs took another first inning lead in the second game. The Indians started out the first inning committing two errors, at hit batsman, and a walk to put the Bulldogs up 1-0. The Bulldogs extended their lead in the fourth inning. Boddiford and Kennedy led off the inning with singles. They loaded the bases full of Bulldogs hitting Thompson on a 1-2 count, walking in a run. With two outs in the inning, James Parker singled. Jud Underwood cleared the two runners left on base with a double to the right center fence to put the Bulldogs up 4-0. Charlton changed their side of the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth with their only run of the game making the score 4-1 ECI, entering the fifth inning. The big blow of the game which took the wind out of the sails for the Indians came with one out in the top of the sixth inning. With the bases full of Bulldogs, Gabe Lee brought the team and fans out of their seats with a grand slam, to put the Bulldogs up 8-1 in the top of the fifth. It was the final runs of the game as the Bulldogs swept the Indians to advance to the Final Four. James Parker threw a gem on the mound for ECI, limiting the Indians to just 3 hits in his 4 innings of work. Lake Bush toed the rubber for the final 3 innings allowing no hits or walks while striking out two. Lee and Parker had the multiple hits for the Bulldogs with 2 with 6 other Bulldog batters ending the day with a hit.

The Bulldogs played Wilcox County yesterday to begin the final four series in double header in Rochelle. The “if needed” game is scheduled for this afternoon.

Wilcox is the region 4 champion with a season record of 24-7 and 15-1 in region play. They advanced to the Final Four by sweeping number one ranked Baconton Charter 3-1 and 2-0.

On paper, the two teams look evenly matched in the stats category. If the Patriots have one edge, it would be their ace pitcher, Johnny Nutt, who has thrown 2 no hitters in the playoffs and hasn’t given up an earned run in the last 17 innings. The Bulldogs counter with a stable of pitchers who have yielded an average of just 3 runs per game this season including the playoffs.