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GHSA Playoffs: Clinch County Forces Game 3 with Bowdon

May 9, 2019
Phil Kerber
PBR Florida/JUCO Wire



HOMERVILLE, GA - Clinch County Panthers hosted Bowdon Red Devils on Wednesday afternoon in a three game series for a berth in the Class 1A Public semifinals. Bowdon pulled off the exciting 5-3 extra innings victory in game one before Clinch County countered with superb pitching and defense to take game two 6-0. A winner-take-all game three is currently being played with a scheduled start time of 3:30 PM this afternoon.

We were on-hand for a wild game one. Let’s recap all the action.

Clinch County put their best foot forward on the mound in senior LHP Warren Stovall (Valdosta State recruit). Stovall was able to work through the Bowdon lineup with relative ease for the first four innings of the game. The southpaw worked out of ¾ slot with an athletic delivery. His fastball velocity varied greatly as he started the game at 75-77, but eventually warmed up to 84 mph to close out the first. Stovall settled in at 74-77 for the remainder of the game. Working mostly off the fastball, he did mix in a slurve-like curveball and a changeup.

 


The Panthers almost struck in the bottom of the first when 1B Duncan Lutz (Georgia State) connected on one down the left field line. CF Jalen Griffis, who had reached base via single to right field in the previous at-bat, was waved around third. A perfect throw from LF Wesley Scales caught Griffis at home, ending the threat. However, the Panthers would not be denied in the second inning. Clinch County benefited from three walks and a hit batsman in the inning to scratch a run across, making it 1-0.

The score would remain 1-0 until the fifth inning. Bowdon tied the game up with Wesley Scales double to left field, scoring Kiler Cole who had reached base on a fielder's choice. The lineup then turned over to the top with Luke Rainwater drawing a walk. Stovall, trying to work out of the jam, committed a balk, advancing Scales home and giving Bowdon the lead, 2-1. Starting pitcher Trent Estes added another insurance run with a double to center field.

Clinch County managed to get one of those runs back in the bottom of the fifth inning on an infield throwing error.

Trailing 3-2, heading into the bottom of the seventh, Clinch County was down to their final three outs. The inning started out favorably with Stovall reaching on a fielding error by the second baseman. Relief pitcher RHP Braden Bowen righted the ship, getting the next two batters out. Bowen did what he needed to on the following batter, Kyle Hendricks, inducing a ground ball to the second baseman. The second baseman could not handle it though, and the ball tricked into the outfield, scoring Stovall and tying the game at 3-3.
Bowdon was undeterred by the events in the bottom of the seventh. Ben Forston and Estes led the eighth off with back-to-back singles. This prompted a pitching change from Clinch County as they went to the big RHP Duncan Lutz to get them out of the jam. Lutz came in with a heavy fastball at 82-84, striking out the first batter he faced. Ahead in the count to Wyatt Karlovich, Lutz went to his offspeed, hanging a curveball up in the zone that Karlovich drove into the outfield. The resulting hit allowed both Fortson and Estes to come around and score.

Trailing once again, 5-3, Clinch County was down to their final three outs. Unfortunately Bowen had different plans for the eighth inning, sending Clinch County down with little fight and securing a 5-3 game one victory.

 

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