John Samuel Shenker completes his save for Colquitt County High in Game 1 of Friday's doubleheader vs. Camden County at Packer Park.

MOULTRIE – The chance was there for Colquitt County High baseball – for all of its issues and sub-.500 overall record – to grab first place in Region 1-7A Friday.

However, in an inning featuring one unearned run after another, the Camden County High Wildcats were able to halve their doubleheader with the Packers and leave Moultrie in the state they arrived, one game in front as the region leader.

Colquitt County and coach Tony Kirkland were the beneficiaries of unearned scoring that gave them a Game 1 victory 9-7. The outcome that forged an all-square tie on top of 1-7A with Camden, each team at 6-3. But with the Wildcats taking Game 2 7-5, the Packers slipped to 6-4 (12-14 overall) and finished the regular season series against the Wildcats at 2-2 (the same record as their four games vs. Lowndes in region).

Among the storylines in Friday’s twinbill on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium were the move by Kirkland of senior slugger John Samuel Shenker to the leadoff spot in the batting order and the relief pitching of senior Jacob Coots, the former All-Region player who saw his most significant outing for one game in two years.

Camden County brought with it from the southeast Georgia town of Kingsland a few prospects for the next level, and none was perhaps more impressive than senior infield Milan Ellerson. He took Packer pitching deep twice in Game 1 and doubled in Game 2.

Colquitt County will conclude region and regular season play at Packer Park this coming Friday against Tift County. The Blue Devils were swept by Colquitt on March 24 in Tifton but since then split doubleheaders with Camden and Lowndes.

It was a scenario for the Packers, though, where they had to forget winning Game 1 as all the stakes were higher for Game 2. Even though they were on the losing side, Camden’s Wildcats hit as many home runs in that opener as the Packers own as a team all season.

Game 2 wasn’t even warm when Camden notched long ball No. 3 in Moultrie, and that was a solo shot from catcher Brooks Bryan in the top of the first.

But only down 1-0, the Colquitt County hitting started taking its hacks on big Wildcat right-handed sophomore Aaron Wainwright. Shenker ripped at his first pitch for a base hit, and catcher Jay Saunders reached on interference from his fellow receiver. With one out. Logan Wheeler jumped on the first pitch for a tying RBI single.

Gavin Patel, the Game 1 winning pitcher in relief, batted with two down and hit a deep grounder away from his fellow shortstop, Ian Smith. Patel was on base, and the Packers had another run to lead 2-1.

That was the only time the home crowd enjoyed a Game 2 advantage, for the second inning was a disaster in several ways. It all started with one out and a walk to Justin Mesmer plus a single from Chris Mobley. Pitcher Ethan Phillips took Tim Parker’s grounder for a force out to third, but the ensuing throw to first went awry.

The Packers had a chance to get out of it and strand two in scoring position, but Cole Loden reached on a second error that plated the tying run. Ian Smith was at the dish when more problems – including a wild pitch – for the Packers allowed two runs. Smith then walked, as did Bryan to bring up Ellerson, and he singled to fill the bases.

Josh Parker was hit by a pitch, upping the Camden lead to 5-2. Hunter Dean singled in a sixth Wildcat run, and that ended the night for Phillips. In came Coots for only his third appearance in 2017, and he struck out Mesmer.

Coots finished out the game, and he struck out six, walked three and gave up one run on two hits in the top of the fifth. The Wildcats had two other hits off Coots, including Ellerson’s double (he was stranded on second) in the fourth. Saunders dove running towards the backstop to catch a bunted ball for the final out in the top of the third.

Colquitt’s total of runners left on base for the game capped at 12. Saunders and Dylan Dalton had hits but did not score in the home second. The Packers scored one in the fourth to pull within three at 6-3 when Dalton had his second straight safety going the opposite way. Shenker’s ensuing hit put two in scoring position, and Saunders took one for the team to fill things up.

The run scored when Austin Singletary hit into a double play.

Hits by Tim Parker and Loden, both with two outs, got the run back for Camden (7-3) in the fifth. Back-to-back doubles from Patel and Hayden Bledsoe to start the home fifth made it a three-run game again, but the Packer turn ended with two more on base, including Shenker from an intentional walk.

With Patel starting a double play in a scoreless top of the seventh for Coots, Colquitt batted still down by three in its final turn. They faced Josh Parker for his first inning on the mound, and Bledsoe reached on Ellerson’s error to begin things. With one out, Dalton singled for the third time at the No. 9 spot, and Shenker drew a four-pitch walk. Saunders brought one home with a fly ball, but the game ended as the Pack tried to take advantage of a would-be wild pitch.

Game 1

The constant for Camden and Colquitt region baseball games (against each other and others) was low scoring affairs, a testament to the quality of pitching on both sides. But Friday was about scoring runs, even in a Game 1 matchup of Wheeler Hunnicutt and Ian Smith.

For four innings, it was about strong, stingy pitching, with the Packers leading 2-1. Ellerson’s one-out solo home run tied the game in the top of the fifth. Hunnicutt issued a two-out walk to Dean, so Kirkland brought Patel in from the infield to the mound. Patel hit the outside corner to strike out Mesmer.

In his outing, Hunnicutt gave up six hits and walked five. It was from the free passes that Camden scored its first run in the top of the fourth, but it also left the bases loaded. Seven baserunners against Hunnicutt did not score. Saunders threw out a basestealer to end the first inning, the Packers turned a double play to end the second and Ellerson popped up Hunnicutt’s first pitch with two in scoring position for the last out of the third.

Colquitt County plated the game’s first run in the home second as Bledsoe’s two-out single scored Buck Blalock. The senior infielder walked and advanced on Patel’s ‘swinging bunt.’

Dalton’s good day at the plate began in Game 1 as he led off the bottom of the third with an infield hit. Shenker also did a ‘swinging bunt’ by chopping the ball to move his teammate over for Saunders. The Georgia College signee singled on the first pitch for his first RBI.

But in the fifth, the Packers had a batting practice session beginning with Shenker’s first-pitch double to the left-center wall. Saunders singled the other way and Singletary’s clean base hit to left broke the 2-2 tie. Wheeler bunted the first pitch he saw, reached safely and filled the bases for Blalock.

With a drawn-in infield, Blalock singled in two runs. That brought Mesmer to the mound and his sidearm delivery, but Patel made it six hits in a row and one more run for 6-2. Tanner Wilson batted with two outs, and Camden threw his fielder’s choice grounder away to up that lead to 7-2.

Leaving two on base in that frame proved costly, for Camden matched what the Packers produced using fewer hits. Mobley reached as the leadoff hitter in the top of the sixth and scored on Loden’s fly-ball out. Smith hit with a Wildcat in scoring position, singled and brought the score to 7-4. Bryan drew a walk – the second in the inning – and Ellerson – already signed with Charleston Southern – tied the game going yard for the second straight at-bat.

So it came down to a seventh-inning game, and Shenker – in his new role – drew the leadoff walk. Saunders put down the bunt, which Camden threw away allowing the future Auburn tight end to score the winning run. Saunders went to third base on the play and scored the bonus run on Wheeler’s fly-ball.

Shenker saved the win for Patel retiring three out of four hitters – Loden’s dunk hit came after a long battle – with no runs allowed.