Sweet Water outlasts Demopolis in wild regular season finale

The last game of the regular season came down to the last pitch of the regular season as Demopolis and Sweet Water battled in a topsy-turvy affair Tuesday. The teams combined for 21 runs and 25 hits as Sweet Water spoiled Demopolis’s senior night with an 11-10 victory.

With his team down 11-10 in the bottom of the seventh, Peyton Geary doubled to right to lead off the inning. Tyler Jones dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runner to third before Sweet Water turned to ace Jonah Smith to close it. The UAB signee struck out the next two batters to end the game and preserve the victory.

Sweet Water took the lead in the top of the seventh when Trent Sams singled with one out before eventually stealing third and scoring on a Sasha Smith sacrifice fly.

Sweet Water built an early lead as Jonah Smith doubled, stole third and eventually stole home for the 1-0 advantage. A pair of walks with one out spelled trouble for Demopolis in the second inning before Shamar Lewis stroked a three-run homer to chase the Tigers’ starting pitcher for the 4-0 lead. Walker1 Thompson followed with a single and gave way to courtesy runner Chastian Washington. Sweet Water’s aggression on the base paths paid off again as Washington stole third and then stole home for the 5-0 lead.

Demopolis got off the deck in a big way in the home half of the second. A leadoff walk to Charles Casper and a single by Hunter Thrash set up the first Tiger score of the game. Hudson Holley singled in Casper to narrow it to 5-1. Henry Overmyer followed with a single to center to load the bases. Geary drew a walk to plate Thrash to cut it to 5-2. Jones then singled to score Holley, cutting the score to 5-3. DeDe Davis then got a rare RBI on a foul out that allowed Overmyer to tag and score. Two batters later, Davis Petrey doubled in Geary to tie the game. Jones scored on a passed ball to put Demopolis up 6-5.

Demopolis proved incapable of maintaining the success as Braiden Broussard, Reid Joiner and Luke Davis drew consecutive walks to open the third. Lewis then singled in Broussard to tie the game.

Demopolis took the lead right back in the home half of the third as Thrash hit a leadoff single before Overmyer singled to center to score him for the 7-6 advantage.

Jonah Smith opened the fourth with a double and later scored on Joiner’s single to tie the game again. John Thomas Etheridge walked and scored on Davis’s RBI grounder to put the Bulldogs up again. Lewis then singled to center to drive in Joiner and move that lead to 9-7. Sams later singled in Lewis for the 10-7 mark.

Demopolis mustered one more rally in the bottom of the sixth. Jones took a hit-by-pitch to open the frame before DeDe Davis dropped down a bunt single. Patterson reached on a bunt single to load the bases with nobody out. Petrey followed with a double to right to drive in two runs, cutting the deficit to 10-9. Three batters later, Holldy doubled to right to drive in Patterson. Sweet Water stopped the bleeding by throwing out the go-ahead run at home and then inducing a flyball to right to end the threat.

Broussard worked an inning and a third for the win. Jonah Smith got the save. Demopolis used six different pitchers in view of setting the rotation for Friday’s Class 5A playoff series with Marbury.

Sweet Water (19-9) hosts Highland Home at 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Friday to open the Class 1A state playoffs. Demopolis (16-6) hosts Marbury at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m.