ALMA — Rabun County’s run in the Class AA state playoffs came to an end Wednesday on the road.
The Wildcats fell to Bacon County 10-0 in five innings and 12-3 in the second round.
Rabun County finished the season 10-16 and as the No. 4 seed from Region 8-AA in what was considered a rebuilding year.
The Wildcats were looking for a return to the Elite 8 round for the first time since 2015.
Rabun County coach Justin Clutter was more than pleased despite the second round disappointment. And, he is hoping for even bigger things in 2018.
“I am proud of the way the boys competed and handled the road trip. We ran into a solid ball club in Bacon County,” Clutter said. “We were pretty young this year and played a lot of close games. Our two seniors, Josh Sego and Johnathan Henson, both had terrific seasons for us and we will miss their competitiveness. We have a solid nucleus coming back next season.”
Both games were tight until late. In the first game, the Wildcats trailed just 3-0 in the fourth before the Raiders exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fifth to invoke 10-run Mercy Rule.
Grayson Lane started and went 4 1/3 innings allowing eight runs, just six earned, on eight hits and fanned two. Kasin Old allowed three runs on two hits in one-third of an inning.
Tyler Altman went the distance scattering two hits and striking out three for Bacon County. Josh Sego and Lane had the two hits.
In Game 2, the game was tied 1-1 going to fifth. But the Raiders scored twice in the fifth and then exploded for nine runs in the final two innings. Chase Horton started for the Wildcats and went six innings allowing eight runs, only four earned, on 13 hits.
Lane had two more hits and an RBI for Rabun County and Horton and Carver each had a hit and RBI.
The Wildcats were short-handed from the beginning in the series. They were without their top two catchers, one was out with an injury and Gavyn Jones had to sit for two games because of a collision at the plate last Friday that was ruled malicious contact. One was hitting .392 and Jones was raking at a .375 clip.
Clutter was forced to use his No. 1 pitcher, Austin Jones, at catcher and he did not see any action on the mound in the series.
Bacon County improved to 22-10 and will meet the Heard County-Bleckley County winner in the Elite 8 round.
