BUDE — For a moment the Tylertown Chiefs had the Franklin County Bulldogs right where they wanted them, but a bases-loaded walk by Tylertown in the bottom of the seventh inning ended the Chiefs’ upset bid as the Bulldogs scored the game-winning run to take a 3-2 victory.
“We just hung in there and battled tonight,” Franklin County coach Brent Calcote said. “It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win.”
The Bulldogs travel to North Pike today for a 5 p.m. meeting with the Jaguars. Both North Pike and Franklin County are undefeated in Region 7-3A play.
Franklin County (10-4, 9-0) overcame a 2-1 deficit in the fourth inning to win. The game was resumed in the third inning after being postponed by bad weather on Friday night.
Tylertown shortstop Johnny McKenzie produced a game-turning RBI double in the third inning to tie the game at 1, before Laron Holmes plated a runner with a single in the fourth to put the Chiefs in control 2-1.
Errors by Tylertown allowed the Bulldogs to battle back in the last two frames. Franklin County sophomore Milton Griffin scored on a passed ball in the sixth, while sophomore shortstop Austin McFarland drew a walk in the seventh to send in Calvin Johnson from third.
“We didn’t hit the ball well tonight,” Calcote said. “We’ve got to do a better job with that.”
Christian Johnston led Franklin County with two singles, while Griffin had a double.
On the mound, DeHendret Collins earned the win, striking out 11 and walking two. He allowed three hits.
For Tylertown, Jawon Jackson took the loss, despite striking out five.
North Pike 16, Hazlehurst 0
The North Pike Jaguars beat Hazlehurst 16-0 on Monday night as Austin Surface pitched a shutout and the North Pike (11-4, 8-0) offense kept the basepaths full.
Justin Badon finished the game a homer short of the cycle, Jake Martin hit two two-run home runs and singled, and Cody Timmons hit three triples.
Kendrick Hodges also hit a two-run homer and Dustin Moak singled twice for the Jaguars.
North Pike hosts Franklin County with varsity starting at 5 p.m. to start the district series for the top seed heading into the playoffs on April 17.
