From BleckleyProgress.com

High School Sports
Streak broken: Royals advance in baseball playoffs.
By Dave Whitaker
Apr 30, 2016, 02:01

Wesley Hobbs scores a run.


Call it the law of averages. Call it the baseball gods finally smiling down on Bleckley players and fans. Whatever the case, it finally happened.

Carter Raffield tosses to Chance Pittman at first.


It being the six-game playoff losing streak for Royals baseball. Before Friday, BCHS had lost six straight in the playoffs, all at home. Their last postseason wins came in 2009 under former coach Rhett Grant. That changed Friday versus Early County.

Benji Knighton slides safely into second base.


Not to say it was easy by any stretch. Game one saw BC take a 3-0 lead in the third thanks to Carter Raffield's RBI single. Early would get single runs in the fourth and fifth. The Royals stranded runners in both home half's.

Cole Brown tracks down a ball.


Early got the tying and go ahead runs on base in the seventh but Bleckley would hang on to win 3-2. Raffield struck out five, scattered seven hits and and one walk. He was also 1 for 2. Ty Edge was 1 for 2.

As per usual, the Royals were visiting team in game two. Already up 5-0 after two innings, they added two more in the third. An 8-1 lead in the fifth was cut to five with two Bobcat runs. Early got two more in the sixth. A one-out triple in the home half of the seventh made things tighter.

Nash Mullis stole home plate as part of a double steal in game two.


The Bobcats scored and got the tying runs into scoring position. Bleckley though would again hold on to win 8-6. Cody Dennis went 2 for 3. Cole Brown was 2 for 4 with 1 RBI

Head coach Brad Davis gave praise to his "hard headed, had playing young'uns" for not quitting. When things got tight in the late innings, Davis said "They didn't collapse, they didn't fall apart. They just kept on doing what we've been doing all year, battling, coming from behind." He added "We learned to finish."

Students react after the game two clinching victory.


Bleckley has won some close contests this season including a one-run win at Hawkinsville, rallying from four down to win in Fitzgerald, a walkoff win versus Dodge County and extra inning win at Crawford County. Their next opponent will be 8-AA top seed Union County. Games will be played in Blairsville Wednesday, times TBD.

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