Sweet Water sweeps its way to semifinal round

Sweet Water (22-10) kept its run through the Class 1A state baseball playoffs going Thursday with a decisive sweep of Holy Spirit Catholic.

SWEET WATER 12, HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLIC 2

The Bulldogs put together 11 hits to back the strong start of J.T. Etheridge in the opener. The Sweet Water ace struck out eight over five innings of work while allowing five hits and two earned runs.

Sweet Water mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the first to take a quick 4-0 lead. Walks to Chance Broussard and Etheridge preceded RBI doubles from Michael Allen Cole and Reid Joiner to put SWHS up 3-0. Three more walks allowed Chastian Washington’s bases-loaded free pass to force home Walker Thompson.

The lead stayed there until the bottom of the third. Cole and Joiner singled ahead of Thompson’s RBI base hit to move the lead to 5-0. Braiden Broussard’s later drove in Joiner with a single to center. Sasha Smith’s fielder’s choice plated Thompson to make it 7-0.

After HSC scored a pair in the top of the fourth, Sweet Water’s offense got back to work in the home half. Etheridge opened the frame with a single to right and quickly gave way to courtesy runner Jayland Horton-Lewis. The Bulldogs speedster moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on Cole’s single to set the advantage at 8-2. A bases-loaded walk to Washington later forced in Cole before Braiden Broussard doubled home Joiner and Thompson. The final run of the game came when Smith’s grounder drove in Washington.

SWEET WATER 4, HOLY SPIRIT CATHOLIC 0

Despite issues with walks, Chance Broussard proved unhittable in the nightcap. The Bulldog senior worked six and two-thirds hitless innings while striking out six and walking seven. Joiner notched the last out to finish off the combined no-hitter.

Braiden Broussard opened the game with a double ahead of Smith’s single. Three batters later, Cole doubled the pair in for a 2-0 lead.

The score remained unchanged until Chance Broussard singled in his younger brother to make it 3-0 in the fifth. Cole singed and scored on a wild pitch in the sixth to account for the final margin.

Sweet Water hosts Brantley (27-6) Thursday. Game one begins at 4:30 p.m.