Bryan County baseball coach Kyle Farmer thought his team had gotten back on track when it beat Screven County, 4-2, at Screven County last Friday in one of its best performances of the season.
The win snapped a five-game losing streak. However, then came Monday and Tuesday losses to Islands (11-16) and Savannah Country Day (6-19) that left the first-year coach scratching his head.
The Redskins (13-14), who have lost seven of their last eight games, close out regular season play at 6 p.m. Thursday when they host Tattnall County (6-22) on Senior Night. Seven seniors—Cooper Ennis, AJ Thomas, Geoff Hovis, Cay-ron Rawls, Gage Truxall, Krish Patel and Jacob Joyner—will be playing their last home game.
The game will be Bryan County’s final tuneup for next week’s Class A-DII state playoffs opener at Wilcox County on Wednesday. Against Tattnall Farmer will be looking to see his team break out of its doldrums and go into the playoffs with a semblance of momentum.
Wilcox County (17-6) is ranked No. 11 in the GHSA power rankings with games remaining against Lee County and Crawford County. Bryan County is ranked No. 25 by GHSA.
Farmer will be banking on the team which beat Screven to show up against Tattnall and Wilcox and if it does, he likes his chances.
The win over the Gamecocks (16-9) was, he said, a big one in that it erased all doubt his team deserved to be in the playoffs and it was an indicator of the Redskins’ potential.
“It showed how close we are as a program,” Farmer said. “For us to be able to go into a good baseball team’s backyard, one that had something to play for, and win showed our capability.”
The Gamecocks had beaten the Redskins, 8-4, three days earlier and a win would have secured second-place and the right to host a first round series in the playoffs. The loss dropped Screven to third when Metter swept Claxton. ECI had already clinched the regular season title.
“While they were playing to either host or go on the road we didn’t have that luxury,” Farmer said. “For our guys to compete and weather the storm of adversity we’ve had the last few games is a true testament of their character.
“I was really proud of the team’s energy and fight at Screven and to get that momentum moving going into the playoffs.”
While the Redskins got a confidence surge in beating the Gamecocks they took a step back in the losses to Islands and the Hornets, neither of whom have any postseason hopes, and now must refocus.
Farmer will be drawing on the win over Screven to motivate his team as it heads into the state playoffs for a school record fourth straight year. The key, he said, will be avoiding a slow start in which they fall behind early, something which has plagued them all season.
“If we play the game we’re capable of playing we’re going to be in a lot of ball games,” Farmer said. “If we can find a little bit of space between us and our opponents that will allow us to play the kind of baseball I love to play and keep pressure on you.
“We’re going to bunt and steal. If we get behind early, we lose those opportunities.”
Against Islands the Redskins were leading 3-2 when the Sharks scored six runs in the third inning against starter Gunner Ennis and Hovis. Bryan County, which committed six errors, scored five runs in the seventh inning to make the game closer than it was.
Nothing went right against SCD as the Hornets led 9-0 after four innings while banging out 14 hits against Redskins hurlers Ethan Williams, Cooper Ennis and Jordan Fabin.