BRYAN COUNTY -- If you want to avoid a losing streak it helps to have someone like Leighton Finley on your side.
Richmond Hill had its 10-game winning streak snapped last Monday by Glynn Academy which pulled out a 4-1 win in the opener of a three-game Region 2-6A series.
The two teams met two days later at Glynn and this time it was all Wildcats, thanks to an excellent start by Finley who retired all 13 batters he faced, as they rolled to a 10-1 win.
The teams did not get to play the third game Friday when rain swept through the area and Wildcat Field was not playable. Richmond Hill (11-3, 4-1) opens a three-game set at Effingham County (5-9, 3-0) on Monday night. The two will meet at Wildcat Field on Wednesday and conclude at Effingham on Friday.
Bryan County High School did get in its Friday game as it played at Jenkins County which the storm bypassed. The Redskins (10-3, 3-1) were looking to remain unbeaten in Region 3A Public play but dropped a nine inning nailbiter to the War Eagles, 4-3.
A dramatic seventh inning in which it scored three runs with two outs to force extra innings gave the Redskins momentum but they couldn’t sustain it. Jenkins County won it on a two-out error in the bottom of the ninth.
In the seventh Aiden Martin had a triple following leadoff walk to Aaron Bailey and one out single by Zach Sitton. One out later Justin Beck tied it on a single but that was it for the Redskins.
Bryan County, looking to bounce back from its first Region 3A Public loss, play at ECI on Tuesday and will host the Bulldogs on Friday. Defending Class A state champion Metter (8-5, 2-0) and Claxton (5-5, 2-0) are ahead of the Redskins in the early going of the region race.
Richmond Hill reached double digits in scoring in three of its last four games despite getting only four hits as Glynn pitchers walked six and the Terrors committed four errors.
The Wildcats, on the other hand, got a two-run homer from Finley, who did not walk a batter, and played errorless baseball as they scored four runs in the second inning and tacked on three runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
Finley left after getting the first out of the fifth inning having struck out seven while holding the Terrors hitless. He also did not walk a batter. Ryan Wiebold relieved and went 1.2 innings before giving way to Blayne Newman who turned in a scoreless, hitless inning. Wiebold gave up two hits and the lone run in his stint on the mound.
The Wildcats got all the runs they needed in the second when they loaded the bases with no one out. Finley, who walked to lead off the inning, scored on a passed ball, Ty Goldrick had a sacrifice fly and Connor Truax concluded the scoring with a double after Ethan Fuller had scored on a fielder’s choice.
After making it 7-0 in the fifth Finley applied the coup de grace in the sixth when he homered to left following a walk to Jalen Varnedoe. Finley also drew three walks and scored twice.
