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five full innings. The Indians were able to close the gap to 3-2 in the bottom of the 6th inning when Whited led off with a single and later scored on a throwing error by the first baseman.
This set up the important 7th inning for both teams. The Yellow Jackets were again able to take advantage of an error by the Indians and tack on an insurance run giving them a 4-2 advantage. In the bottom half Jordan Walden led off with a hustling double to right field. Kaleb Bennett came on to pinch hit and reached on an error by the shortstop which also let Walden score making it a 4-3 game with one on and no outs. Cason Banks was not able to get the sacrifice bunt down but punched a two strike hit into left putting two on with no outs. Bryce Davis put down a bunt but beat the throw to first for an infield hit loading the bases with no outs and bringing Whited to the plate. Whited slapped a single into left scoring Bennett and Banks for the 5-4 walk off win.
Game 2
The Vidalia Indians travelled to Hazlehurst Thursday night for Game 2 of the important region series and came home winners by a score of 6-2. That puts the Indians into sole possession in the region with an 11-0 record. The two teams will complete the three game series Friday night at Greg James Field starting at 5: 45. Jordan Walden started on the mound for the Indians going 4 innings to pick up the win. Walden allowed 2 runs on 4 hits while striking out 8 batters. Kevin Cox came on to pitch the last three innings picking up the save. He allowed no runs and only 3 hits.
Walden also led the offense picking up 3 of the Indians 11 hits including a bases clearing triple in the 4th inning. Bryson Whited, Hughes Graham, Kaleb Bennett each had two hits in the game; and Cason Banks picked up 2 RBI’s.
There was no scoring by either team until the bottom of the 3rd inning when the Yellow Jackets bunched up all four of their hits off Walden to plate two runs. The Indians bounced right back in the top of the 4th inning to take the lead with four runs of their own. Dalley and Moncus reached base on errors by the 2nd baseman and shortstop. Bennett laid down a perfect bunt single to load the bases with no outs. Walden followed with a triple past the right fielder and driving in all three base runners. Banks followed with a ground ball out to score Walden putting the Indians on top to stay with a 4-2 lead going to the bottom half. Walden walked the leadoff batter and then got two strike outs and a ground ball out to keep the two run lead.
The Indians took advantage of a botched double play by the Yellow Jackets followed by an error and hit by Banks to score two more runs in the top of the 5th inning. That put the Indians on top by a 6-2 score. Cox came on in relief to start the bottom of the 5th inning and shut down the Yellow Jackets over the next three innings to pick up the save.
Game 3
The Vidalia Indians completed a three game sweep of the Jeff Davis Yellow Jackets at Greg James Field on Friday night that clinches the region title for the Indians for the second year in a row. The Indians still have a three game series with Bacon County, but those games will not have a bearing on the region title.
The Yellow Jackets did not go down easily. The Indians scored three times in the bottom of the first on a homerun by Bryson Whited, hits by Caden Spivey and Hughes Graham, a wild pitch and ground out putting them up 3-0 after the first inning.
The Yellow Jackets picked up one run in the top of the 2nd inning on a homerun. The Indians matched that run in the bottom half with doubles from Cason Banks and Graham putting the Indians up 4-1 after two innings.
The Indians tacked on two more runs in the 3rd inning getting hits from Jordan Walden, Kevin Cox and Banks. This made the score 6-1 Indians after three innings and looked like it might be a easy win. However, in the top of the 4th inning the Yellow Jackets roared back scoring five runs on five hits and two walks to tie the game at 6-6. The Indians came right back in the bottom half with two more runs on a two run homerun from Ty Dalley putting them back in front 8-6 after four complete innings.
The Yellow Jackets didn’t score in the top of the 5th inning. In the bottom half the Indians were able to take advantage of a single by Banks, followed by a couple of Yellow Jacket errors and a double by Dalley to score three insurance runs. That put the Indians up 11-6 after five innings.
The Yellow Jackets were able to score one run in the top of the 6th inning, while the Indians didn’t score in their half making it an 11-7 game going to the 7th inning.
Bryce Morley, who had come on to pitch in the 6th inning, got the leadoff batter out and then walked the next batter. Morley followed that with two strike outs to secure the 11-7 win.
Spivey started on the mound going five innings to pick up the win. Morley came on to pitch the final two innings and pick up the save. Banks led the offense going 3-3 at the plate. Graham, Dalley and Walton each had two hits for the game. Dalley had a two run homer and four total RBI’s and Whited had a solo homerun to lead off the first inning. The Indians had a total of 13 hits for the game, including five doubles and two homeruns.
The Indians close out the regular season with three games against Bacon County this week. They played on Tuesday in Alma after presstime. They will play on Thursday in Vidalia at 5:45 p.m. and then on Friday in Alma at 6:00 p.m.
Ty Dalley hits a two-run blast to put the Indians back on top in Game 3 of the Region series against the Yellow Jackets.Photo by Carroll Williams
