ATHENS — While current Georgia starting quarterback Jake Fromm was on the outside of Foley Field Friday as the Diamond Dogs took on Mercer in both teams’ opening game of the Athens Regional, a pair of former high school teammates were preparing to duel it out inside Foley Field.
Georgia junior Tony Locey and Bears’ junior Tanner Hall, former Houston County teammates with Fromm, both were trying to pitch their squads into the winner’s bracket and a step closer to a Super Regional berth.
Fromm was not able to procure a ticket to the sold-out regional. But that didn't stop him from making the cameras during the SE Network broadcast.
Locey would win the eventual duel going five innings and scattering three hits and a walk while fanning seven in a 13-3 Georgia win. Hall did not make it out of the first after allowing six runs on five hits and a walk in just two-thirds of an inning in taking the loss.
According to both Mercer coach Craig Gibson and Georgia coach Scott Stricklin, the tension was high for both Locey and Hall.
“They’re former teammates and friends so I think they both wanted to bring their best against each other,” Stricklin said. “Hall saved them last week in their conference tournament. Mercer is not here without Hall. He came back on short rest so I don’t know if we saw his best. They are friends so I know that they were probably going to try and match each other.
“But Tony was dialed in and really set the tone right at the start. We took him out after five with the big to maybe be able to save him for something later if we need him.”
Locey, after giving up a leadoff hit to Bill Knight, fanned the next three batters and roared coming off the mound. That seemed to fire up the offense, which promptly came out and battered Hall and reliever Jackson Kelley for an eight-run first inning, capped by a Grand Slam from Dawson County’s Tucker Maxwell.
Georgia extended the lead to 13-0 in the third. The Bears only runs came in the seventh on a three-run home run from Kyle Dockus.
“Locey was outstanding,” Gibson said. “He may be the best arm we’ve faced all season. Tanner was fine but our youth showed some and we didn’t help him out at all in the field. We didn’t get to see the real Tanner Hall.”
