The deck was stacked against the Greyhounds last Wednesday as they trekked toward the northern arc of the metro Atlanta area to take on defending state champion Blessed Trinity in the first round of the GHSA Class AAAA state tournament.
But going against a team whose roster boasted Vanderbilt commitment Joseph Conteras, who was playing in the World Baseball Classic two months ago, Jones County dug in hard, leading the first game 3-0 going to the bottom of the third and trailing 3-0 through the opening innings of the second game.
Blessed Trinity, however, outlasted the Greyhounds in both contests, winning 12-3 and then 10-0 to sweep the best-of-three series. Jones County finishes its season with a record of 17-11, giving it a combined 39 wins in the past two seasons, its best two-year mark in 18 years.
The Diamond Hounds were able to get some offense going early in Wednesday’s first game, a contest in which they mounted six hits, two from Trent Paulk as well as a solo homer by Cooper Rice. But Blessed Trinity was able to limit that offensive push, holding JCHS to no extra-base hits minus Rice’s round-tripper. The Greyhounds also had single hits from MJ Lane, Davis Upshaw, and Jonathan Scarbary.
The Titans eventually got to game one starter Dalton Lowe, who shut out Blessed Trinity through the first two frames.
Blessed Trinity tied the score 3-3 in the third before pulling ahead with four runs in the fourth, one in the fifth, and four more in sixth as Lowe eventually gave way to Drew Williams and Cooper Snook.
Its back to the wall, JCHS trailed 3-0 through the first three innings of the second game prior to a seven-run fifth inning by Blessed Trinity, which held the Greyhounds to two hits as those were collected by Upshaw and Lane.
The Greyhounds graduates will include two of their top three pitchers in Lowe and Paulk while Rice will be back in the fold as the top returning starter.
Cason Taylor, Paulk, Scarbary, and Upshaw and Nate Vaughn are among the departing mainstays with Jaden Thompson primed to return in addition to speedsters Amir Harris, Micah Howard, and Gavin Simon.
Next year’s region is expected to again be strong. JCHS is among the top four of this year’s region that will be within next year’s. The only team outside the region’s top four to remain will be Eagles Landing, with Perry and Warner Robins joining. The Panthers were 13-17 this year, placing fourth in their current region.
