The Coffee Trojans were unable to stop the bleeding Friday night in Waycross and dropped their fifth in a row, a 6-4 loss to the Ware County Gators. The Trojans led 4-2 after 5 ½ innings. The Gators, however, scored four in the sixth to pull ahead for the win.
Tied 2-2 in the sixth, Coffee took the lead when Gavin McElroy scored on a passed ball with Reid Harden at the plate. Mason Lewis scored the second run of the inning and put the Trojans up 4-2 when he scored on a wild pitch.
The Gators mounted a rally of their own in the bottom of the inning. Lucas Howard doubled, driving in a run. Garrison Joyner drove in Keaton Holloway to tie the game 4-4. Collin Crawford then scored Howard on an infield hit. Seth Suess grounded out to Taeven Harden for the second out of the inning; however, Joyner, who had advanced to third on an error, scored on the play for a 6-4 Ware advantage.
Will Walker and Carter McMillan had two hits for Coffee. McMillan also scored twice.
Eli Wood started and lasted five innings. He gave up two earned runs on five hits. He struck out four and walked one. Eli Vickers threw the last inning. He surrendered four runs (three earned) on four hits. He struck out one and didn’t give up a walk.
The Trojans are now 12-11 overall and remain 5-7 in region play. They finish the region schedule this week with three games against Veterans. They travel for a single game on Tuesday then face the Warhawks in a Friday doubleheader beginning at 4:30 p.m. Coffee wraps the regular season next week with three non-region games: April 13 at Crisp, April 14 against Lowndes (at home, 6 p.m.), and April 16 against Crisp (at home, 6 p.m.).
