TCHS Drops Pair of Games to Open Season

The Toombs County High School Bulldogs baseball team kicked off their season last week, but the start did not go as planned. The Bulldogs opened with a difficult stretch, falling to the Fighting Irish of Dublin at home on Tuesday and dropping a road contest to the Bears of Pierce County on Thursday.

The pair of losses leaves the team looking for their first win of the year as they navigate the early part of their schedule. vs. Dublin

In the season opener against Dublin, the Bulldogs found themselves in a tight defensive battle that slipped away late. Dublin struck first with a run in the top of the first inning, but Toombs County responded quickly in the bottom of the second. MJ Burton delivered a clutch hit to bring in a run, knotting the score at 1-1.

Ty Hutchinson was a bright spot on the mound for the Bulldogs, throwing a complete game. Over seven innings, Hutchinson surrendered just one earned run, keeping his team in contention throughout the contest.

However, defensive miscues proved costly in the top of the seventh inning, as Dublin capitalized on opportunities to score two unearned runs. The Bulldogs were unable to rally in the bottom half of the final inning, resulting in a 3-1 loss. vs. Pierce County

The road trip to Pierce County on Thursday proved much more challenging for Toombs. The Bears wasted no time seizing control, taking an early lead with one run in the bottom of the first inning before exploding for three more in the second to jump out to a 4-0 advantage.

The Pierce offense continued to press, adding three more runs in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 7-0. The Bulldogs managed to break the shutout in the top of the sixth inning thanks to an RBI hit by Lawton Toole, but it wasn't enough to stem the tide.

Pierce County scored two more runs in the bottom of the sixth to enact the run rule, handing Toombs an 11-1 defeat.

The Bulldogs faced Metter on Tuesday after presstime. They will look to bounce back and even the score against Dublin on Thursday in a road matchup scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Following that game, Toombs will travel to face Statesboro High on Friday at 6:00 p.m.