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Grant Babbit
Need a team that can produce must-win victories on the last day of the regular season? Try the Stephens County Indian baseball squad. For the second year in a row, the Indians had to sweep a doubleheader from Monroe Area on the last day of the regular season to earn a spot in the state playoffs. The Indians did just that last week as they downed the Purple Hurricanes 9-3 in the opening game and rolled 11-1 in the nightcap to seize the No. 4 seed from Region 8-AAA. They will face Region 6-AAA champion Rockmart there Friday.
The doubleheader sweep of Monroe was a carbon copy of the 2021 baseball season as the Indians swept Monroe in the final twin bill of the regular season to force their way into the state playoffs. Earlier last week, SCHS dropped a game to Monroe 6-1 forcing them to have to win two games in Thursday’s doubleheader to get in the playoffs. After the tough loss SCHS head coach Greg McCall had a message for his team.
“I left the kids with this statement – right here for Thursday believe you can achieve,” McCall said .“So, that is what we are going to have to do going down there on Thursday believe that we can achieve…that is what we have to do.,” he said. “We have to win those two games. It is just as simple as that. We have got to go and believe that we can achieve and win those two games.”
And, win the Indians did. In the first game of last Thursday’s doubleheader, Stephens County’s Ayden Garmon allowed only one run in six strong innings of pitching to lead the Indian triumph. He allowed only three hits in his six-inning stint. He fanned six Monroe batters. The bulk of the Indian offense was provided by Craig Thurmond and Carson Worley who each drove in three runs. Garrett Burgess, Ben Stowe and Dylan each chased home runs. Burgess, Stowe, Thurmond and Colby Fowler each connected on two hits in the victory.
In the nightcap, Stowe belted a two-run home run in the top of the first inning to give the Indians a strong start. Nick Randall pitched five strong innings for the Indians striking out seven Monroe batters. The Indians led only 3-1 heading into the top of the fifth, but with the help of three Monroe errors, scored seven runs to break open the game.
In addition to Stowe’s homer, Cruz Mullinix drove in two runs. Worley and Patrick Murray also had RBIs. Mullinix, Stowe and Seth McCollum each had two hits in the win.
In last week’s opening game loss against the Purple Hurricanes, Mullinix struck out two Monroe batters to keep the Purple Hurricanes off the board, but the Indians couldn’t score as well
The game remained a scoreless deadlock until the fourth inning. The Indians seized the lead with a run in the bottom half. Fowler cracked a one-out double but remained at second with two outs. Thurmond provided the big hit – a two-out single that chased home Fowler and gave the Indians a 1-0 lead. The lead didn’t last long as Monroe responded with six runs in the top of the fifth inning to take a 6-1 advantage. That’s how the game ended forcing the Indians to win two straight a couple of days later. With the 2-1 series win over Monroe, the Indian baseball team improved its 2022 record to 13-15 overall and 5-10 in region play.