Houston County's baseball team earns big win over Jones County
WARNER ROBINS -- The Houston County Bears took advantage of a strong pitching performance, some good fate and timely hitting to beat Jones County 4-1 on Tuesday night and take a commanding two-game lead in the GHSA Region 2B-AAAAA baseball race with three games to play.
It was hard to tell that Bears' All-American Tony Locey did not have his best stuff as he outdueled the Greyhounds' Keever Walker, working six innings of four-hit baseball and striking out six to pick up the win.
Houston County (12-5, 6-0 Region 2B-AAAAA) took a 1-0 lead in the third without the benefit of a hit as Locey came around to score on a fielder's choice from shortstop Logan Morris after the big right-hander led off the inning by being hit by a Walker pitch.
The Bears scored three insurance runs in the fifth to blow the game open. Morris' RBI single off the glove of Walker scored Austin Hittinger and then a big error one batter later by second-baseman Jackson Mix extended the inning for D.L. Hall. Houston County's center fielder roped the first pitch he saw into the right field corner to score two runs and give the Bears a 4-0 advantage.
THREE WHO MATTERED
Locey: The senior gritted through a start without his normal velocity by locating his pitches and working quickly. He threw 90 pitches.
Hall: Along with delivering the big offensive blow with his two-RBI double, the junior came on in relief of Locey and picked up the save by working a perfect seventh inning.
Walker: Locey's opposing number really deserved better as three Jones County errors proved costly. He threw all six innings, surrendering just four hits and striking out seven.
TURNING POINT
After the Bears took a 1-0 lead in the third, Jones County appeared to be poised to tie the game in the fifth. A two-out walk and a stolen base moved Austin Harrison to second base, before catcher Jordan Miller delivered a single to left. Harrison was waved home all the way on the play but tripped half way to the plate and had to scamper back to third. Mix's strikeout one batter later ended the Greyhounds' threat.
THEY SAID IT
Locey on Jones County's potential tying run falling down: "That's just the baseball gods right there. Everything was working on our side, and that was just luck. It was a tough play."
Hall on his sixth inning double: "He threw a curveball, and I saw the spin right out of his hand. It was on the inside part of the plate and looked really good, so I swung at it and hit it pretty good."
Locey on not having his best stuff: "I felt like my velocity was really down, but that just means it's crunch time and time to learn how to pitch. I just tried to pitch to contact and get hitters out."
WHAT'S NEXT
Houston County hosts Northside on Friday with a chance to clinch the sub-region championship, while Jones County visits Warner Robins on Saturday.
This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 9:38 PM with the headline "Houston County's baseball team earns big win over Jones County ."