Murphy and Andrews’ baseball teams faced off as the in-county rivals split their two-game series with each team winning their home game. Both games came down to the final inning as the Bulldog-Wildcat rivalry extended to more than football season.
First up, they met in Andrews on April 15 and the Wildcats fended off a late rally by the Bulldogs to win 8-7.
Andrews got off to a huge first inning lead as they drove in seven runs. They followed it up with one more run in the second inning to lead 8-0.
Murphy got on the board with four runs in the third inning and two more in the fourth, but Andrews still led 8-6.
After a scoreless fifth inning, Murphy made a late push. With one out in the sixth inning, Peyton Bain singled, then Colton Morgan tripled to score Bain’s pinch runner Michael Brown to make it a one-run game. After scoring the run, they got two outs to end the inning.
In the bottom of the sixth, Murphy held Andrews scoreless and headed to the top of the seventh in hopes of tying the game or taking the lead. Andrews had other plans despite a late rally from the Dogs.
Carter Adams singled on an error to start the inning. Grayson Hall then advanced Adams on a sacrifice bunt. Alex Roldan then grounded out and Adams advanced to third.
With two outs, Zack Hogsed made contact on the first pitch and popped it up into foul territory. As the ball was getting close to the fence, Braxton Rickett found himself underneath it and made the catch to get the Wildcats the win.
Andrews’ Ethan Sutton went 2/3 at the plate scoring two runs and having two RBI. Sutton also had a home run. Logan Shuler and Kegan Ellis had stolen bases.
Rickett earned the win on the mound after pitching the opening four innings. Kelby Waldroup came in and closed the game pitching the final three innings.
For the Dogs, Adam Cook went 2/3 at the plate scoring two runs and having two RBI. His two hits were doubles. Bain went 3/4 at the plate and had one RBI.
Hogsed had three stolen bases and Roldan had one. Hogsed and Roldan also split pitching duties on the mound.
The two teams met again Thursday in Murphy. It was a pitching dual, and Colton Morgan and Sutton faced off with both pitching complete games.
Morgan and the Dogs came out on top and got the 3-2 win to split the series.
The Dogs got the scoring started in the bottom of the first inning. Hogsed scored the first run after he stole home on a wild pitch for their lone run of the inning.
They continued scoring with two more in the second inning. Caleb Kephart scored the first run of the inning on an error. Aayden Williams then scored on a sacrifice fly by Adams to give the Dogs a 3-0 lead.
The game stayed at 3-0 until Andrews got on the board in the top of the fifth. Rickett scored the first run on a Tanner Postell double. Aiden Garrett then scored on a single by Shuler.
The game stayed at 3-2 as the pitched dialed for the remainder of the game and the Dogs got the win.
On the mound, Morgan gave up two runs on five hits and he struck out eight batters. For Andrews, Sutton gave up three runs on two hits and struck out nine Bulldog batters. Morgan threw 97 pitches and Sutton threw 93 in their dual on the mound.
Up next for the Dogs, they will face Rabun Gap-Nacoochee, Ga., at 4:30 p.m. Thursday at home. Then they will wrap up their series with in-county rivals Hiwassee Dam on the road at 4:30 p.m. Friday. They will then host Rosman at 4:30 p.m. Monday.
The Wildcats will have the week off then they will face their in-county rivals Hiwassee Dam at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 29 on the road.