VALDOSTA —
Berrien’s baseball team opened the 2012 season with a 9-1 victory over Ware County on Tuesday during the Wildcat Invitational at Valdosta High’s Bazemore Field.
Berrien got a dominant outing from Drew Harrelson and crossed home plate nine times in the win.
“It’s always nice to win a game 9-1,” Berrien head coach Doug Nix admitted. “(These players are) a good group of kids, hard workers, and they deserve it.”
Harrelson, a 6-foot-5 left-hander who recently signed a scholarship to Middle Georgia College, struck out 12 batters and limited Ware to no runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings.
“He had a good outing,” Nix said.
Berrien got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second. Hunter Garrett drove in Dalton McMillan with a base hit to give the Rebels a 1-0 lead.
The Rebels added two runs in the bottom of the third. Joe McCranie walked to start the inning. One out later, Logan Balkcom drove a pitch into the gap in right center. McCranie raced around the bases and scored from first. Balkcom was out trying to stretch a double into a triple. Then Kal Simmons walked, stole second, took third on a wild pitch and scored when McMillan singled through the hole in the right side of the infield, giving Berrien a 3-0 lead.
Ware had an opportunity to put some runs on the board in the top of the fourth, but came away empty. With one out, William Golden lined a double down the left field line, putting runners on second and third. But Harrelson struck out the next two batters, and escaped the jam.
Berrien broke the game open with four runs in the bottom of the fifth. Balkcom walked and Simmons singled, putting runners on the corners with no outs. McMillan singled in front of the right fielder, scoring Balkcom. Garrett singled off the third baseman’s glove, and Simmons came home to make it 5-0. Devonte Bass walked, then C.J. Roberts drew a bases loaded walk, and McMillan jogged home with the Rebels’ third run of the inning. Joe McCranie’s sacrifice fly to center drove in Garrett, and gave Berrien a 7-0 lead.
The Rebels added two more runs in the sixth. Leading off the inning, Simmons ripped into a pitch and drove it over the fence just to the right of center field for a solo home run. McMillan followed with a double to right center, then scored on an error, making it 9-0.
“We put the bat on the ball (in this game) and we had some key hits,” Nix said. “We had some young guys come up big for us. ... We hit it throughout the lineup.”
Ware finally got on the board in the top of the seventh. The Gators loaded the bases on a hit by pitch, a walk, a fielder’s choice and another walk. Then Grayson Yeomans hit a ball that looked like it was headed for center field, until Simmons made a diving stop and flipped the ball to second for a force out. But Ware’s Wesley Spradley scored, making it 9-1.
Berrien is playing three games in the Wildcat Invitational this week. The Rebels will also face Madison County (Fla.) on Thursday at 6 p.m. and Eastside at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
“We love coming down here. It’s good competition,” Nix said. “I told our guys our goal is to come down here and win every game. I’ve been here since 2001, and we’ve never come down here and gone undefeated. That’s what we’re trying to do, go 3-0 down here.”
The Wildcat Invitational continues today, with two games at Bazemore Field. Madison plays Thomasville at 4 p.m., with Cook facing Wayne County afterwards.
Local Sports
Rebels open season with win over Ware County
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