Wolverines Drop First Three Region Games
By EDDY GIFFORD
Sports Writer
Photo by Eddy Gifford – River McBryar makes the play in recent action. The Wolverines opened region play last week against the Chattooga Indians who swept the Wolverines. Dade County will face the Coosa Eagles this week. Home games against the Eagles will be on Tuesday and Friday with DCHS traveling to Coosa on Thursday.
The Dade County Wolverine baseball team hosted the Chattooga Indians on Monday, March 4 in the first region game of the season. The game was moved to Monday because of expected rain on Tuesday.
The Indians jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but Dade bounced back in the bottom of the first with three runs to take a 3-2 lead at the end of the first inning.
That lead did not last long as Chattooga came back in the top of the second inning and added two more runs to take the lead 4-3.
The game remained 4–3 until the Wolverines pushed a run across in the bottom of the fifth inning to tie the game 4-4.
After a pair of scoreless innings, the game went to extra innings tied 4-4.
In the top of the eighth inning the Indians scored a pair of big runs and then held the Wolverines scoreless in the bottom of the eighth to claim the win 6-4.
Jax Guinn had a double, scored a run, and had an RBI to lead the Wolverines. Parker Hill pitched 5.1 strong innings but was unable to finish. Mason Gatlin pitched the final 2.2 innings, giving up two runs on two hits.
2B: Guinn
TB: Guinn 2, Russell 1, Shavers 1, Gatlin 1, Hill 1, McBryar 1
HBP: Shavers
SB: Gatlin 2
On Wednesday, March 6, the Wolverines traveled to Dalton to face the Chattooga Indians again on one of Dalton’s turf fields due to Tuesday’s rain and more rain expected on Friday. (The game was originally scheduled as a Dade County Friday home game.)
The Indians took the early lead again, scoring two first inning runs to open the game. The Wolverines bounced back with one in the bottom of the first but trailed 2-1.
Chattooga’s bats were hot and added three runs in the second and two more in the third to take 7-1 lead in the third inning.
After going up 9-1, Dade tried to get back in the game, scoring two in the bottom of the fifth, but that was all they could manage as the Indians coasted to an easy 11-3 win.
River McBryar had a double, scored one, and had one RBI to lead the Wolverines at the plate. He also pitched five innings and took the loss.
2B: McBryar
TB: McBryar 2, Guinn 1, Hubbard 1, Jordan 1, Hill 1
HBP: Jordan
E: Shavers, Hubbard, McBryar
On Thursday, March 7, the Wolverines traveled to Summerville to face the Indians in the third game of the series, looking to pick up their first region win of the season.
The first four innings were scoreless, and after Dade went down without scoring in the fifth, the Indians took a 2–0 lead with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth.
In the top of the sixth, Gatlin walked to start the inning, stole second, and later scored on a Chattooga error to cut the lead to 2-1.
The Wolverines got the first batter on in the top of the seventh on a walk, but a pair of strikeouts, another walk, and another strikeout ended the game with the Indians sweeping Dade County with a 2-1 final.
Gatlin pitched six strong innings, giving up just two runs and six hits, but took the loss.
Guinn and Jake Harris picked up the only Wolverine hits.
TB: Guinn 1, Harris 1
SB: Gatlin
CS: Guinn.
This week, the Wolverines continue region play. They hosted the Coosa Eagles on Tuesday and will travel to Coosa on Thursday for a 5 p.m. game. The final game of the series will be at home on Friday, March 15, starting at 5:30 p.m.
