Last week, Morgan County competed against Class 5A’s Greenbrier in a two-game series.
The Dogs, ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, swept the home-and-home series with 6-4 and 11-2 victories.
Following the sweep, Morgan County head coach Steve Westmoreland said he was pleased with his team’s overall performance and the improvements his players have shown in recent games.
“I think we pitched really well early, and Davis Strickland threw extremely well,” Westmoreland said. “Offensively, I think we missed some opportunities to score here and there, but overall, I felt like we played well.”
In game one, Strickland got the nod on the mound and performed well. He pitched four scoreless innings against the Wolfpack, only allowing two hits with eight strikeouts and one walk.
The Dogs led 2-0 through four innings, giving Strickland the win. They got ahead in the first frame as senior slugger and Troy University signee Hudson Reed hit a two-run home run.
Morgan County didn’t score again until the fifth inning, after senior reliever Caylem Richardson pitched a scoreless top half of the frame. The Bulldogs then added four insurance runs, with Reed, Ty Tillery, Gunner Braswell, and Eli Whitlow each crossing the plate during the rally.
“I think we just started having better at-bats in the fifth inning,” Westmoreland said. “We’ve had the problem where we sit on some leads and go two or three innings without putting any pressure on them. Finally, we started to put a little pressure on them and scored the four runs to give us a little cushion.”
Greenbrier rallied late, scoring four earned runs on six hits off Richardson in the sixth and seventh innings. However, Morgan County’s earlier production at the plate proved enough to secure the win.
Westmoreland said the team improved even more in the second game of the series, particularly with its plate appearances. He also credited Tillery’s pitching performance in helping the Dogs secure an 11-2 victory.
Tillery pitched five innings, allowing two runs — one earned — on four hits. The senior Auburn signee also struck out six Greenbrier batters and issued four walks.
Morgan County’s 11 runs came from a variety of contributors. Six different Dogs scored in game two, while four players combined for the team’s seven hits.
Now, about a month into the regular season, Westmoreland has seen noticeable improvement from his team.
“We really struggled in the infield early in the season, but we’ve been much better the last couple of games, which is a positive sign,” Westmoreland said. “Offensively, I’m hoping the approach and some of the at-bats we had this weekend can carry over and help us keep improving.”
Westmoreland added that the team can still improve defensively, particularly in the infield and with throwing runners out on the basepath. However, he said he feels confident in the team’s outfield play.
Morgan County (9-2) opened region play Tuesday with a 15-0 victory over Westside-Macon on the road. The Dogs will then travel on Wednesday to take on West Laurens, ranked No. 5 in Class 3A.
Morgan County will then host Westside on Friday for a doubleheader.