Coach Kyle Farmer would have preferred to have qualified for the GHSA state baseball playoffs with a win but–when the bats are silent and the pitching is shaky, you’ll take what you can get.
Heading into a busy week, Bryan County saw its losing streak hit five games in a row Tuesday night when it couldn’t overcome another slow start and lost to Screven County, 8-4, but still managed to officially secure a state playoff berth as McIntosh County Academy was beaten by Jenkins, 13-5.
With one region game left, a rematch at Screven on Friday, the Redskins (12-12, 9-6) have a lock on fourth-place. Emanuel County (19-5, 15-1) has secured the top spot and a No. 1 seed in the Class A-DII playoffs.
“We played better tonight and with more energy,” Farmer said after the loss to the Gamecocks. “We still gave up too many freebies and didn’t get hits when we needed them.”
Both teams scored a pair of runs in the first inning but Screven (16-7, 12-3) , which must beat Bryan County on Friday to secure second-place ahead of Metter (12-11, 12-3) scored three in the second then tacked on a pair in the fourth after the Redskins had scored in the third to wrap it up.
Bryan County had opportunities late in the game but left eight runners on base over the final three innings. It loaded the bases with one out in the sixth but managed only one run.
The Redskins had a Monday game with Jenkins cancelled due to stormy weather which swept through the region.
Actually the Redskins had secured a berth in the state playoffs for a fourth straight year prior to facing Screven thanks to the Gamecocks beating McIntosh last Friday.
Looking at a worst-case scenario, it was possible for Bryan and MCA to finish with 9-7 region records. That would have Bryan losing twice to Screven and the Buccaneers sweeping Jenkins County and Savannah.
It would then have gone to a tiebreaker which in this case was run differential. The two teams split on the season but Bryan County had an 11-8 edge in runs, having won 6-1 before losing 7-5.
Farmer, of course, would have preferred to avoid having to go to the tiebreaker but Screven was simply the better team on Tuesday. The Redskins will pin their Friday hopes on sophomore righthander Eli Koskela.
While Bryan County has extended its playoff streak Farmer also keeps his personal playoff streak alive. As a player at Calvary Day his teams qualified for the playoffs each year he was there and in 12 years as an assistant at Benedictine the Cadets were a playoff fixture every season.
The state baseball playoffs are scheduled to start on April 23 and the Redskins will play at Wilcox County which has clinched the Region 4 title in a best two-of-three series.
Thanks to a pair of doubles in the bottom of the seventh inning by Ethan Williams and AJ Thomas the Redskins avoided not only being blanked but no-hit by Metter righthander Hanley Sims last Friday.
Sims was nearly flawless as he did not permit a base runner until two out in the fifth when he hit pinch-hitter Keller Groover with a pitch. At that point the Tigers were up 6-0 and the outcome was no longer in doubt.
“We’re not hitting the baseball, but there’s a lot of other things we’ve got to work on first to become a good baseball program,” Farmer said. “I’m glad we’re done with spring break.
“We’ve got to do a better job of handling spring break, how to prepare the guys. All that falls on me.”
Geoff Hovis, who normally plays third base, was the starter and loser against the Tigers who scored in each of the first five innings, getting two runs in the second and single runs in the other four. Freshman Gunner Ennis pitched two scoreless innings of relief.
Koskela was scheduled to pitch but he did not play due to a coach’s decision and on a team short on depth Farmer found himself making five position changes: Hovis went from third to the mound, Cooper Ennis shortstop to third, Williams, normally the catcher when Koskela pitches, was at short, Thomas went from first to catcher and designated hitter Gunner McClelland was on first.
While he was not discounting Sims’ performance Farmer said Redskins’ hitters are also in a streak of bad luck.
“We haven’t seen anything overpowering,” Farmer said. “We’re just having trouble getting people on base. We’re a little snake bit.
“We squared up a couple of balls but hit them right at them,” Farmer said. “We’re starting off too slow, letting teams get ahead of us and that takes us away from playing our game.
“We’re not able to bunt, not able to steal, not able to put pressure on them because we’re constantly chasing.”
Following the series with Screven, the Redskins close out regular season play next week with three home games. They play Islands on Monday, Savannah Country Day on Tuesday and Tattnall County on Thursday, after which all attention turns to preparing for the playoffs.