By David Miller
The Appling County Pirates hosted the last regular season home game of the season Monday night against the Brantley County Herons. The game had huge playoff implications. The winner would still have the chance to host the first round of the state playoffs by capturing the number two seed in region 2AA. The loser could slip all the way to fourth spot. The Pirates took care of business and took the game 15-2 by the way of the mercy run rule in five innings.
Pictured above is Pirate #13 Colby Griffin preparing for a pitch while teammates look on during a recent home game.
Pirates Defeat Brantley 15-2
Tyler Avera started on the mound for the Pirates. He started the game by getting the Herons out 1-2-3 in the top of the first. The Pirates batted in the bottom of the first and quickly made outs via strikeouts. Junior Byron Buxton was the third batter of the inning and drilled the first pitch he saw into the right center field gap for a triple. He was stranded at third as Avera flew out to center to end the inning.
Avera would get into some trouble in the top of the second but pitched out of a jam without allowing a run leaving two runners on. Kyle Miller led off the second with a line drive to right center for a double. He eventually moved to third on two consecutive walks after one out. The Pirates were unable to drive in a run. The Pirates left four runners on after two innings.
The Pirates would finally crack the scoreboard in the bottom of the third by scoring nine runs after sending thirteen batters to the plate. Justin Javis got it all started with a walk. Byron Buxton hit a line drive over the center fielder’s head for his second triple of the game driving home Javis. Avera singled to score Buxton. After two outs Jeremy Ammons walked. Kyle Fennell walked to load the bases. Freshman Gage Patton coaxed a walk to score another Pirate run. Josh Barber walked with the bases juiced as well to score Ammons. Javis would be hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score a run. Byron Buxton got an infield hit to drive in a run to make the score at that point 7-0. Avera would single again to drive in the eighth run. Buxton scored on a double steal to end the scoring barrage.
The Pirates would add five more runs in the bottom of the fourth. The big blow was a grand slam off the bat of Tyler Avera. Avera finished the night going 3-4 at the plate with six RBIs. He also pitched four strong innings, giving up only two runs on seven hits and walked four. Josh Barber came on in the fifth to close out the game after inheriting two runners. Right fielder Justin Javis provided the key defensive play of the inning. With no outs a fly ball was caught in right field and Javis came up firing to the plate to gun down the runner trying to score. Barber would record the final out on a strikeout. At the plate for the Pirates on the night Kyle Miller was 2-4 with a double, Byron Buxton was 3-4(two triples). Devin Causey added a single. The #2 thru #4 batters in the Pirate lineup scored eight of the fifteen runs on the night. The team will travel to Nahunta on Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. to finish out the regular season.
For more information please visit www.applingpiratesbaseball.com.
Avera would get into some trouble in the top of the second but pitched out of a jam without allowing a run leaving two runners on. Kyle Miller led off the second with a line drive to right center for a double. He eventually moved to third on two consecutive walks after one out. The Pirates were unable to drive in a run. The Pirates left four runners on after two innings.
The Pirates would finally crack the scoreboard in the bottom of the third by scoring nine runs after sending thirteen batters to the plate. Justin Javis got it all started with a walk. Byron Buxton hit a line drive over the center fielder’s head for his second triple of the game driving home Javis. Avera singled to score Buxton. After two outs Jeremy Ammons walked. Kyle Fennell walked to load the bases. Freshman Gage Patton coaxed a walk to score another Pirate run. Josh Barber walked with the bases juiced as well to score Ammons. Javis would be hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to score a run. Byron Buxton got an infield hit to drive in a run to make the score at that point 7-0. Avera would single again to drive in the eighth run. Buxton scored on a double steal to end the scoring barrage.
The Pirates would add five more runs in the bottom of the fourth. The big blow was a grand slam off the bat of Tyler Avera. Avera finished the night going 3-4 at the plate with six RBIs. He also pitched four strong innings, giving up only two runs on seven hits and walked four. Josh Barber came on in the fifth to close out the game after inheriting two runners. Right fielder Justin Javis provided the key defensive play of the inning. With no outs a fly ball was caught in right field and Javis came up firing to the plate to gun down the runner trying to score. Barber would record the final out on a strikeout. At the plate for the Pirates on the night Kyle Miller was 2-4 with a double, Byron Buxton was 3-4(two triples). Devin Causey added a single. The #2 thru #4 batters in the Pirate lineup scored eight of the fifteen runs on the night. The team will travel to Nahunta on Thursday evening at 6:00 p.m. to finish out the regular season.
For more information please visit www.applingpiratesbaseball.com.
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