Bulldogs fall one game short in Final Four

The ECI Baseball team lost the best of 3 series, 2 games to 1, in the Final Four round of the state playoffs last week to Wilcox County. The Patriots won the first game Wednesday 3-0 and ECI evened the series in the second game of the double header with a 4-2 win.

Wilcox won the rubber game of the match on Thursday 7-2 to advance to the championship round at Georgia Southern against Lanier County. The double header of best of 3 series was played yesterday and the “IF” game scheduled for this afternoon.

The Bulldogs only managed 5 hits in the first game against Wilcox. The Patriots’ hard throwing lefty starter extended his scoreless streak in the playoffs to 23 innings. Tuff Boddiford led the Bulldog offense in the 3 game series with 4 hits, ripping 2 homeruns and 4 RBI. Bryson Thompson also had 4 hits in Rochelle. Other Bulldogs getting multiple hits last week were Davis Johnson with 3, Gabe Lee and Ab Johnson with 2 each. Five different Bulldogs pitchers toed the rubber on the mound for ECI during the series.

Second game starter Bryson Thompson led in the innings category, going 6 and allowing just 3 hits with 9 strikeouts. First game starter Jackson Kennedy pitched 5 innings in the series giving up 7 hits. Freshman Jud Underwood threw 5-1/3 innings in relief last week allowing 12 hits. Lake Bush toed the rubber for 2-1/3 innings scattering 4 hits and third game starter James Parker gave up a hit in his one inning of work.

ECI loses 4 seniors from this year’s roster and they will be sorely missed. Standing in the box for the last time for the Bulldogs are Gabe Lee, James Parker, Kanyon Thompson and Clayton Stripling. These seniors leave the program with 105 wins along with an impressive post season record. They have advanced to the Elite 8 all four years along with 2 Final 4 appearances and one State Runner-Up trophy.