GRC baseball defeats No. 2 Scott County, 6-3

Published 11:44 pm Tuesday, May 16, 2017

The George Rogers Clark High School baseball team got a signature late-season victory Tuesday night in Georgetown.

Behind Jake Ware’s complete game effort on the mound and a pair of three-run innings, the Cardinals topped No. 2 Scott County, 6-3.

“We played as a team and we executed,” GRC coach Matt Ginter said. “We executed our hit-and-runs and our bunt plays. Our defense played really well. The hits got them energized tonight and they fed on each other.”

Email newsletter signup

Scott County jumped out in front early, scoring a run with a two-out double in the bottom of the first inning.

Scott tacked on a second run in the bottom of the second with an RBI single.

GRC answered in the top of the third, starting with the first-ever varsity home run for Jaxson Davis, who hit a one-out, 1-0 pitch over the left field fence.

Cameron Dove and Ware followed with consecutive singles. Tyler Walton’s base hit scored Dove and an error allowed a third run to give GRC the 3-2 edge.

The Cards weren’t finished.

Bo Billings singled to start the top of the fourth and Brady Turner reached base on his bunt attempt.

After two quick outs, Davis singled to right scoring the fourth run for GRC. The Cards scored two more runs on a hit and an error for a 6-2 lead.

It was all Ware needed. He surrendered just one more run — on a two-out single in the fifth — the rest of the way.

Ware gave up six hits in seven innings of work, with three earned runs. He walked two while striking out eight.

“Jake threw great,” Ginter said. “He got ahead of hitters and let our defense play.”

Davis finished with two runs and two driven in with a walk and two runs scored. Dove had a three-hit game, scoring once and knocking in one run.

Ware was 1-for-4 at the plate. Walton was 2-for-3 with a walk and a run driven in.

Billings and Turner each had base hits.

Scott County falls to 27-6 on the year, while GRC improves to 17-8. It was a bounce-back victory for the Cardinals, who were blanked, 5-0, by Harrison County at home Saturday.

“That’s as big a win as we’ve had — against a team ranked that high and come away with a win before districts,” Ginter said. “It’s a good moral booster for the team and the school.”

GRC has two more regular season games scheduled. The Cardinals take on LCA Friday in Lexington then travel to Sayre Saturday.

They are set to face Montgomery County in the opening round of the 40th District Tournament Tuesday. That game is set to start at 6 p.m. at Bourbon County High School.