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The Crisp County Cougar varsity baseball team played non-region contests against Lowndes County and Peach County this week and came up with one defeat and one win between the two games. The Cougars fell to the Lowndes Vikings 15-5 at home on Tuesday night, before bouncing back and picking up a road win over the Peach County Trojans on Wednesday by a final score of 11-0.

Lowndes County 15, Cougars 5

In Tuesday’s game, Crisp had a 4-2 lead after the second inning, but the Lowndes Vikings outscored the Cougars 13-1 over the final five innings to leave Cordele with a win.

Crisp County batting lineup stats from the defeat against Lowndes: Connor Richmond- one hit, two walks, one RBI, and one run scored; Jack Carter- one hit, one walk, and one RBI; Noah Walters- one hit, one walk, one stolen base, and one run scored; Ethan Pollock- one hit and one run scored; Cade Jolly- two walks, one RBI, and one run scored; Cole Lancaster and Bailey Barfield- one hit apiece; Nick Lanneau- one run scored.

Cougars 11, Peach County 0

On Wednesday, the Cougars got contributions from everyone in the batting lineup, while Brant Drinnon kept Peach off the scoreboard by pitching a shutout to help lead CCHS to the 11-0 win.

Crisp County scored the first four runs of the game during the top of the second inning.

After Walters and Tanner Massey had each reached base to start the frame, Dallas Pheil hit into a fielder’s choice groundout that ended up allowing Walters to score the first run of the contest. Pheil later scored the second run on an RBI groundout from Jolly. Lancaster followed up with a hit and Carter subsequently reached base on a Peach County error that allowed the third run of the inning to score. Toby Stripling later knocked in the fourth run of the inning with an RBI single that sent courtesy runner Jordan Grinnell to home plate.

Jackson Napier led off the top of the third inning with a walk and stole second base before coming around to score the fifth Cougar run of the game with two outs in the frame. Crisp was ahead 5-0 going into the bottom half of the third.

The Cougars next tacked on three more runs to their lead in the top half of the fourth inning.

Lancaster and Carter drew consecutive walks to begin the inning, and a bunt single from Stripling subsequently loaded the bases. Barfield then knocked in a run with an RBI single to make the score 6-0 in favor of Crisp, and Walters came up with an RBI hit later in the inning for the seventh Cougar run of the game. Stripling scored the final run of the inning on a Peach County error to put the Cougars in front 8-0.

Crisp finished up the day by scoring one run in the top of the sixth, and two in the top of the seventh for the 11-0 final score line.

Barfield scored the sixth inning run on a passed ball. Lancaster scored a run following a Peach County error during the seventh inning, and Stripling then knocked in the final run of the day with an RBI single that sent Carter to home plate.

Drinnon finished the game allowing just five hits and one walk, while striking out five batters over seven innings of work.

Cougar batting lineup stats from the win over Peach:

1. Carter- one hit, one walk and one run scored
2. Stripling- three hits, two RBIs, and one run
3. Barfield- two hits, one walk, one RBI, and one run
4. Napier- one walk and one run scored
5. Walters- two hits, one RBI, and one run
6. Massey- one hit and one walk
7. Pheil- one hit, one RBI, and one run scored
8. Jolly- one RBI
9. Lancaster- two hits, two walks, and three runs scored

The Cougars are scheduled for a double header in Forsyth on Friday afternoon to close out the week. They will play at Mary Persons High against Howard High School in game one at 4 p.m., followed by a game with the host team at 7.

Former Atlanta Brave to throw out first pitch in CCHS region opener

Crisp will begin region play next week with a three game series against Worth County High. Game one is in Cordele on Tuesday night beginning at 5:30 p.m., and it will be Crisp County Baseball’s Sangster/Cancer Night. Former Atanta Brave Ryan Klesko will be in attendance at the game to throw out the first pitch. The second and third contests of the three-game set will be played as a double-header in Sylvester next Friday starting at 4:30 p.m.