From Thursday to Saturday, Houston County High baseball coach Jason Brett found out something that might make the nights go by much easier this spring 2013 season.
The Bears played three games in that stretch of three days, and in all the contests – victories for Houston County – Brett saw three different pitchers hurl complete games. Two of those outings were shutouts, and that doesn’t include Hunter Jackson, the South Georgia College signee, who went eight innings to beat a Class AAAAAA challenge from formidable John’s Creek High.
It all started on Thursday at West Laurens High. There, Hunter Phillips, the regular first baseman, was on the mound and shut down the Raiders 1-0. Phillips threw a one-hitter, tossing just 51 pitches and striking out three.
Brett said the winning margin had a chance to be as much as four, but Houston County had some baserunning mistakes that turned into outs for West Laurens. One runner was retired trying to score at the plate, and another over-slid a bag and was victim of a tag.
Blake Jackson had two hits, one a double. The team had five hits in all, and the run didn’t count until the sixth inning when Dalton Carriker used a single to get the RBI.
On Saturday, Houston County hosted both John’s Creek and West Laurens. John’s Creek was coming off a victory against Loganville, but the Bear bats pounded out 10 hits to win 4-3 in eight.
Phillips had three hits – one a double – and an RBI. Justin Jones and Josh Profit each had two hits, Carriker doubled for an RBI and B. Jackson batted home one.
John’s Creek led 3-0 and had Houston shut down until the sixth inning. The Bears had two in the sixth and one more to knot things up in the seventh. In 101 pitches, H. Jackson scattered four hits – two of which went for extra bases – and fanned six.
Brett got that 4-0 win against West Laurens in Saturday’s nightcap. The shutout went to left-hander Jordan McIlwain, and his teammates gave him a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Phillips got credit for one of the RBI.
McIlwain pitched a no-hitter for three innings, the Raiders breaking it up in the fourth. He ended the frame on a strikeout, leaving the runner stranded on third base.
Houston was unable to pad the lead, and in the top of the fifth West Laurens threatened again with a leadoff single to left. The Bear infield didn’t make a play on a bunt down third base, but McIlwain retired the next three. Jones kept his eye on a soft liner to catch the final out at shortstop.
Blake Jackson, one pitch after missing a solid double due to a foul ruling, settled for a leadoff single in Houston’s fifth. David Umphreyville walked, and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. West Laurens’ pitcher fielded two grounders and held the Bears at bay, and that brought up Jeremiah Stephens.
Down 1-2 in the count, Stephens drew a walk. The fourth ball got away, and Jackson scored. Austin Moore dinked a single into shallow right making it 4-0.
Hunt Smith ran down a drive to the left-center gap to end West Laurens’ sixth inning with one on base. The Raiders had runners on second and third with one out, but McIlwain induced two pop-ups completing his victory.
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