The Morgan County baseball team is headed back to the Class 2A semifinal round after sweeping defending state champion Rockmart on May 6.
The Dogs swept the Yellow Jackets with 5-3 and 1-0 victories to advance to the Final Four.
After trailing 2-0 in the first inning of game one, Morgan County quickly responded with two runs in the bottom half of the frame before scoring three more in the sixth inning to secure a 5-3 victory.
The Dogs followed with a shutout in game two, as a run from senior Ty Tillery in the top of the first inning proved enough to clinch the decisive win.
“It was nice to play with a lead a couple of times. We showed a little resiliency in game one again, which I think maybe we’re just that team that’s going to be a little bit resilient,” Morgan County head coach Steve Westmoreland said. “We looked a little looser today, even playing from behind in game one, but just didn’t look as tight as we did last week.”
Tillery and fellow senior Caylem Richardson led Morgan County on the mound during the Dogs' sweep of Rockmart. Tillery pitched a complete game in the 5-3 opener, allowing three runs — none earned — on five hits while striking out seven batters across seven innings.
Richardson followed with a dominant outing in game two, allowing just one hit and no walks while striking out three batters over seven shutout innings.
Westmoreland credited both pitchers for their efforts throughout the evening and believes their contributions give Morgan County an advantage in postseason matchups. He noted Richardson’s strong performance the previous week helped build confidence heading into game two.
“We just felt like with the way Caylem threw last week, that there was less pressure to run them out in game two with a 1-0 lead, so I think that worked to his advantage today,” Westmoreland said. “We wanted to get him back out on the mound after last week, and we were really confident that he could do that for us.”
Morgan County’s game one comeback began when senior Hudson Reed hit a home run in the bottom of the first inning, bringing Wyatt Singleton home to tie the game. Senior Eli Whitlow later provided the decisive blow in the sixth inning with a three-run homer that scored Jack Whitlow and Singleton.
The blast marked the first home run of Eli Whitlow’s varsity career.
“It’s the first one he’s hit for us, and he’s probably the least likely person in our lineup we expect to hit one out,” Westmoreland said. “It was awesome to see him have that happen for him and for our team and give us a big boost right there at the end of the game.”
With another week to prepare for the Final Four, Westmoreland said the Dogs will focus on tightening up defensively after some shaky moments against Rockmart.
“We left the bases loaded three times, so we gotta be a little bit better in those situations,” Westmoreland said. “Right now, we’re just gonna try to stay healthy, get some rest, and find a way to get just slightly better for the next series.”
No. 2 seed Morgan County (32-4) will host No. 19 Franklin County (21-15) for a chance to advance to the state championship on May 14. The Lions defeated the Dogs last season in Madison to advance to the state championship, then lost to Rockmart.
Games 1 and 2 will be played on Thursday, with the “if necessary” game scheduled for Friday.