Midget All Stars advance in playoffs

The Jenkins County Midget All-Stars, coached by Tim Frawley, Tony Taylor and Eddie Conway, will represent the east as second seed in the next level of playoffs in Eastman starting today, June 25. Game time is 5 p.m.

The All-Stars played in the district sub region tournament Thursday, June 19, through Saturday, June 21, posting a 3-win, 1-loss record in the three-day tournament. They first beat Reidsville on Thursday, by a score of 15 to 3. Tyler Taylor was the winning pitcher, going all the way. On Friday, they beat Screven #2 by a score of 5 to 2, with Hunter Clark as the winning pitcher, Kyle Oglesby in relief and Will Dasher picking up the save. On Saturday, the Jenkins County All-Stars played Screven County #1 for the number one seed. After leading 2 to 0 through the fourth inning, the wheels came off and Jenkins County lost by a score of 7-3.

On Saturday afternoon, Jenkins County found itself in a do-or-die game with the last seed on the line, facing a Metter team that had beat them three straight games and eliminated them in the Lyons Invitational Tournament two weeks ago.

Coach Frawley stated, "The boys would not be denied. The bats woke up and we led 2 to 0 after the first inning. We never looked back and won 10 to 8."

Coach Frawley also stated that after going up by a score of 8 to 2, starting pitcher Oglesby ran into trouble and Metter cut the score to 8 to 7. Tyler Taylor came on in relief and put out the fire for two innings. They went up by a score of 10 to 7 and with one out and a man on first and second, Coach Frawley went to Clark to stop the bleeding. He threw one pitch and Will Finch, the short stop, turned an unassisted double play to end the game and send Jenkins County to the next level.

There were eight teams in their bracket from the East: Screven 1 & 2, Glennville, Evans, Reidsville, Metter and Jefferson County.

Leading pitchers for the team since the start of the All-Star season are: Oglesby, Clark and Tyler Taylor. Leading hitters for Jenkins County during the tournament were Tyler Taylor, 7 for 13, 13 RBI's; Tyler McMillan, 6 for 12, 5 RBI's; Gresham Conway, 6 for 12, 8 RBI's; and Clark, 5 for 13, 1 home run and 5 RBI's.

Coach Frawley stated that these boys carried the team, but Dillon Fields had a two-run triple and Austin Wagner had a two-run double that probably were the biggest hits of the tournament in the eliminating game against Metter.

The Jenkins County Midget All-Stars are: coaches Frawley, Tony Taylor and Eddie Conway; and players, Fields, Tyler Taylor, McMillan, Oglesby, Gresham Conway, D. Brown, Will Finch, Wesley Finch, Will Collier, Will Dasher, Cody McTeer, Clark, Austin Wagner and Tyler Wagner.

"If you see any of these boys, give them a pat on the back. They are a fine group of young boys, and they represent Jenkins County with pride and class," stated Coach Frawley.