Diamond Pack sweeps Camden in region DH

Mar. 14—MOULTRIE — The Colquitt County baseball team broke a three-game losing streak and forged a tie with Lowndes atop the Region 1-7A standings by sweeping a doubleheader from Camden County on Thursday on Ike Aultman Field at Jerry Croft Stadium.

The Packers, now 10-7 overall, used a five-run fifth inning and got a gutsy save from freshman Bryce Roberts to defeat the Wildcats 8-7 in the first game and then took an 11-1 five-inning run-rule victory in the nightcap.

Colquitt had lost 8-7 to Camden County on Tuesday in Kingsland in the region-opener for both teams.

But with the Thursday sweep and Lowndes' split of its doubleheader at Richmond Hill on Thursday, the Packers and Vikings are both 2-1 and in first place in the region standings.

That tie will be broken when Colquitt County and Lowndes meet in their three-game region series next week beginning with a single game at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Packer Park.

The two teams will meet in a doubleheader at Lowndes on Friday, March 22.

Colquitt County 8, Camden County 7

The Wildcats led 6-3 when the Packers rallied to take the lead in the bottom of the fifth.

Cam Cook led off the inning with a double that one-hopped the fence in left and scored two pitches later on a single by Jaxon Chambers.

A walk and error loaded the bases before Jake Walker's ground out drove in Chambers to cut the Camden lead to 6-5.

Catcher Hayden Hembree then laced a two-out base hit to center field to tie the game 6-6.

Roberts followed with a two-un single to right to put the Packers up 8-6.

In the top of the sixth, Packers reliever Cole Holder hit the first batter, but then enticed Austin Johnston to hit into a 6-3 double play started by Adam Beverly.

Gavyn Nelson appeared to keep the inning alive when he ripped a liner down the line in left.

But Cook fielded the ball and threw a strike to second retire Nelson who attempting to stretch the hit into a double.

Packers coach Brandon Brock then sent Roberts out to the mound to close out the game in the top of seventh.

It was just the Packers second baseman's second appearance on the mound this season and first since he went the final three innings in the 15-7 victory at Cairo on Feb. 28.

The inning did not start the way the Packers had hoped.

Caden Napier ripped the first pitch he saw from Roberts for a double to open the Camden seventh. Carter Hickox then drew a walk.

Napier scored on an error that loaded the bases with one out, pulling the Wildcats to within a run at 8-7.

Roberts then got Darrell Hough to foul out to first baseman Walker, leaving the bases still full, but with two out.

Eli Cox ended it when he grounded to Beverly at short to flipped to Davis Lightsey, who had replaced Roberts at second base, for the force out to end the game.

Both teams scored two runs in the first inning and Colquitt took a 3-2 lead on an RBI double by Mason Moore in the second.

Colquitt starter Cook Tompkins then issued two-out back-to-back walks before Hough tripled in both runners and scored himself on an overthrow to put the Wildcats up 5-3.

Camden score a run on a double by Will Johnson in the top of fifth to extend its lead to 6-3.

But the Packers got the confidence-building five-spot in the bottom of the fifth, a rally started by a Cook double and a Chambers single.

Holder got the win after pitching the final 3.1 innings, giving up one run on two hits. The junior right-hander is now 1-1.

Chambers had two hits for the Packers. Cook and Moore had doubles and Roberts, Beverly, Hembree and Walker had singles.

Colquitt County 11, Camden County 1 (5 innings)

Logan Plymel went all five innings in the second game allowing just one unearned run and two hits while striking out seven Wildcats.

The sophomore right-hander raised his record to 3-2 and lowered his earned run average to 1.47.

Roberts led off the second game by drawing a walk and Moore drove him in with a double.

Moore scored on a single by Beverly and Colquitt led 2-0.

Walker led off the second inning with a double, went to third on Hembree's infield hit and scored on an infield error.

Moore's ground out drove in Cayden Parker, who was running for Hembree and Colquitt led 4-0 after two innings.

The Packers scored four more times in the fourth inning with Roberts, Cook and Chambers chipping in singles and Tyson Hobby ripping a run-scoring double.

Colquitt put the run-rule into effect with a three-run fifth inning in which the deciding run scored on a dropped fly ball in the Camden outfield.

The Packers had 10 hits in Game 2, with Roberts and Beverly contributing two each.

Moore, Hobby and Walker had doubles. Hembree, Chambers and Cook had singles.