Off to their best start since an 11-0 start in 2001, the hard hitting baseball Gamecocks of Billy Pollock finally open their 3AA schedule Tuesday, March 24, when Laney’s Wildcats come to the Screven County High School campus. 

Standing at 8-2 after a 17-4 pounding of AAAA Cross Creek in Augusta March 12, the Roosters will travel to Statesboro March 25 before hosting Jefferson County in another 3AA-A contest March 27.

Boasting a team batting average of .408 including three starters over .500 and an entire starting lineup over .300, the Red and White have their eyes set on proving that the Elite Eight trip a year ago was no fluke.  

Effingham County, the No. 1 AAAA team in the state, was here Tuesday, March 17, night to give the Gamecocks another chance to showcase themselves. In the season opener Feb. 23, the Rebels downed SCHS 7-3.

With the bats pounding, the Gamecocks did avenge an earlier loss March 12. Spotting the home-standing Razorbacks of Cross Creek a three-run first, the Gamecocks scored twice in both the second and third inning to take the lead for good. 

A five-run fifth and a seven-run seventh more than enabled the Roosters to avenge a 7-4 loss not even a week prior. Jeremy Rosier improved to 4-0 (2.43, 36 K in 23 innings) on the season allowing two earned runs over six innings, striking out five and walking none.  Chandler Johnson (.531, 17-32) and Daniel Griffin (.393, 11-28) had four hits each while Dalton Mills (.387, 12-31) and Joel Collins (.433, 13-30) had three each. 

Walker Stuart (.516, 16-31), Derick Johnson (.400, 12-30), Rosier (.548, 17-31), Johnathan Long (.346, 9-26) and Michael Johnson (.474, 9-19) had two hits each. Every starter had at least two hits.

Every starter except Rosier had at least one RBI.

Pollock’s troops put visiting Burke County away ever-so quickly March 11, scoring seven in the first and five more in the second on their way to a 16-3, mercy ruled rout. 

Griffin (3-1, 5.53) won his third straight game with the five-inning complete game. The junior struck out four and allowed three hits. Chandler Johnson had three hits and four RBI, while Collins had two hits with Long and Auston Peel two RBI each.

An exciting see-saw affair took place in Thomson March 10 in a contest that saw the Roosters trail early, tie the game at 3 after three and see it tied again at 7 after six.

SCHS scored twice in the visitor’s seventh before Donnie Bostwick struck out the Bulldog side for his third save of the season.

Eight different players had one hit with Rosier and Long having two RBI each. Chandler Johnson picked up the win, getting three outs after entering in the sixth after relieving Mills. It also was Johnson who got things started in the clinching seventh as he led off with a hit. Courtesy-runner Terrell Roberts scored on a double by Mills. 

Another courtesy runner, Deonte Badger would later score as well.