Houston Co. squeaks by Blue Devils

Designated hitter Austin Langford, down towards the bottom of the batting order, drove in three runs for Houston County High. Starting pitchers Tony Locey and D.L. Hall needed all three Friday as the Bears – first time region champions but also played a state series since winning it all in 2014 – swept a GHSA 5A first-round doubleheader with visiting Statesboro High by a total margin of two runs.

Houston County first had to sweat (and not because it was in the 90s in the late afternoon) a top of the seventh in Game 1 where the Blue Devils scored three runs without a hit. An innocent fly ball to right field halted the rally and got the Bears off the field with a 4-3 win. Hall struck out 11 batters in a two-hit performance in Game 2, and behind Langford’s two RBI the series ended after a 3-2 score.

Up next, Houston County represents Region 2-AAAAA as second round host of Cambridge High, a 22-4 squad, in a best-of-3 series that begins today (May 4) with a doubleheader.

In Game 1 of the Statesboro twin bill, the Blue Devils left 10 runners on base against both Locey and relief pitcher Tanner Hall. In 6 1/3 innings, Locey struck out nine but also walked six. He scattered three hits, and two of those came from catcher Conner Akins.

Akins, in fact, doubled with two outs deep into the left field corner in the top of the first. Locey had just issued his first walk, but that baserunner was held up at third base. Locey also recorded his first two strikeouts, but then he hit a batter to fill the bags. Clay Thompson struck out swinging.

Statesboro drew two more walks to start the second, but following a successful sacrifice Locey retired the side, meaning there were five runners left without a run scoring in two innings.

Houston County put its best offensive rally together in the home second starting with Tanner Hall’s leadoff single up the middle. Austin Hittinger doubled to right, and Hall was stopped at third base. With one out, Langford singled on his first pitch for 1-0 Bears.

Leadoff batter Blake Dawson stood in with the bases loaded and poked a two-run single.

Up 3-0, Locey cruised from the mound over his next four innings with two hits allowed, no walks, one more hit batter and two solid plays out of his shortstop Logan Morris.

In the bottom of the fourth, Houston County went ahead 4-0 thanks to Morris, who hit in the No. 9 hole. Statesboro pitcher Austin Kleinlein ran into his own control problems with consecutive walks, and Langford beat out a bunt single. Morris got the baseball deep into the outfield for the sacrifice fly.

While Houston only had two more hits the rest of the game, it came down to the top of the seventh to close things out and lead the series 1-0. But Locey issued three walks around his ninth whiff, and into the pitching line came Tanner Hall. On four pitchers, Statesboro ended the shutout.

In fact, the Blue Devils did not get a hit, but had the lead down to two after what was eventually ruled a hit batter. First, Houston saw Statesboro runners trotting to the next base and tagged the runner coming home. The plate umpire called an out, but ensuing discussions led to the call of a hit batter, not a wild pitch.

Houston made things even more interesting when Hall notched out No. 2 on a whiff. Trying to end the game on a pick-off at second base, instead it was a throw to the outfield and Statesboro’s third run. Hittinger caught the game’s final out in right.

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